In OC’s first match in the USL Jägermeister Cup, Danny Stone made a few updates to the starting lineup, hoping to dig Orange County SC out of their current rut. Benjamin Barjolo, Vuk Latinovich, and newcomer Koa Santos all got their first starts of the year. The most exciting change: the return of Cameron Dunbar to the starting lineup.
FIRST HALF:
Unfortunately, the changes didn’t have the desired effect of having some fresh talent on the pitch as the opponents, Las Vegas Lights, found an early lead after 14 minutes. It began when Las Vegas earned a corner kick that was sent into the box; OCSC cleared the attempt away with seeming ease. However, they could not keep it away for long. The ball was headed back into the box, and Rory O'Driscoll took a one-shot touch that rocketed into the far corner.
Barjolo did his best to get the team back into the match with a fantastic run through the middle, breaking through the Vegas defense. He was fouled just outside the box, earning a dangerous free kick. Nico Benalcazar took the shot, but it went right into the arms of the Lights' goalkeeper, Raiko Arozarena.
The County Boys seemed to lose control as everything got worse in the 34th minute. Valentin Noel ran up the right side, hugging the sideline, and took the ball toward the corner. He sent a high cross into the box, and Christian Pinzon leaped over Santos to head the ball into the net. Vegas widened their lead to 2-0.
Santos, though, started Orange County's best build-up sequence in the first half. He passed the ball down the middle to Mouhamadou War, who quickly got it out wide to Barjolo. The winger then crossed it to the top of the box for Chris Hegardt, who turned and found Benalcazar. It was a fantastic passing sequence to open up the Lights’ defense, but Benalcazar couldn’t find the right finish and sent his shot wide.
The team was finding in their stride with another near chance to score from a free kick. Hegardt crossed it to the far post, and Benalcazar got a touch toward goal that was going in the goal, but Arozarena saved his team again by just barely pushing the ball off the line.
Thankfully, Las Vegas gifted OCSC a penalty before the half ended. War won the ball at the top of the box from a long pass forward, and his heel was clipped. Dunbar stepped to the spot and converted with ease to give Orange County some hope, heading into the break down 2-1.
SECOND HALF:
Stealing a goal right before the halftime whistle was exactly what Orange County SC needed to build some hope that they could turn this result around. However, in the 55th minute, Ryan Doghman handled an incoming cross, and Las Vegas got their own penalty. Colin Shutler almost made the save, but Johnny Rodriguez struck the ball hard enough to find the net, again giving his team a two-goal lead.
Coach Stone wanted to make some immediate changes to bring some life to a comeback. Lyam Mackinnon and Bryce Jamison were subbed in to replace Barjolo and Dunbar.
Jamison took a shot just a minute into stepping on the pitch. It was from a distance and too high, but his energy immediately set the pace for the rest of the squad.
The County Boys had the energy and aggressively pushed for another goal throughout the match's second half, sending a barrage of shots. Unfortunately, none of them challenged the keeper too much.
Mackinnon earned a penalty in the 77th minute after putting a lot of pressure on the keeper. He sent the shot to the right corner, but Arozarena guessed perfectly and made the save, securing his team a 3-1 victory in Orange County.
OVERVIEW:
There is no denying that the past couple of weeks have been rough for Orange County SC, as they have struggled on both ends of the pitch. Over the entire 90 minutes, OCSC looked to be the more dominant side against their opponents, the Las Vegas Lights, but sometimes, all it takes is a couple of brilliant moments from an opponent to lose a match.
The build up play in the first half was not good enough from the squad, as they felt sloppy in their passes and too indecisive with their decisions moving the ball up the field. They started to turn things around in the second half and the substitutions brought new energy to the pace and possession, but the offense was unable to produce a good enough shot on target to produce a comeback.
So, what does this squad need to turn things around? Simply, confidence in the overall process. Both players and fans should view these early results not as hopeless, but as fuel to push even harder as the season approaches May.
It is still early enough in the season to turn things around in a big way. The potential of this 2025 squad has yet to be fully realized, as Coach Danny Stone hasn't been able to field his best XI on the pitch at the same time.
The boys in blue and orange will need a big result this weekend to keep that confidence moving forward. However, the offense will need to have the same energy they had in the second half of this match, while the defense will need to build a strong relationship with one another to earn a much-needed shutout.
Orange County SC will have the perfect opportunity this weekend. They are back at home once again and will face off against Tulsa FC on Saturday, May 3rd, at 7:00 PM PST.