FIRST HALF:
This week, Orange County SC was back on the road again as they faced off against Colorado Springs FC, the reigning USL Champions, with an identical starting lineup to last week.
Throughout the first ten minutes, it was an even match between the two sides— a constant back and forth in possession. The County Boys had an excellent chance in the 8th minute after Nicola Ciotta showed off his pace on the right side, forcing Colorado to foul him. The free kick resulted in a corner kick, and OCSC looked dangerous, but couldn't find the net.
The Switchbacks responded well, however, and immediately took complete control of the match. They got a few attacking sequences that put a lot of pressure on Orange County's back line.
In the 24th minute, Colorado Springs had a brilliant, chipped pass into the box, where Zachary Zandi masterfully controlled it to create a one-on-one chance with Colin Shutler. However, Ciotta came barreling in and knocked the Zandi down, leaving a questionable moment of whether a penalty was deserved or not. But the referee decided the challenge was clean. Orange County SC escaped a sure-fire goal, but they were beginning to show cracks under the constant pressure.
Ciotta made another risky tackle just outside the box on the left side, this time gifting a free kick in a dangerous spot. The Switchbacks crossed it in, but the ball went too wide, and went out for a goal kick.
Unfortunately, OCSC faced a massive blow before the half ended when captain Tom Brewitt had to come off the pitch due to injury. Vuk Latinovich made his return in his place.
The half ended with neither side getting on the scoresheet; however, Colorado Springs Switchbacks no doubt had the upper hand.
SECOND HALF:
In order to give his squad an offensive boost in the second half, Danny Stone elected to make a substitution. Byrce Jamison came on to the pitch in place of Mouhamadou War.
One of the most significant issues in the opening 45 minutes was the squad's poor passing and turnovers in the midfield, which it seemed fully understood and worked to fix. They moved forward on the pitch with much better momentum and precision, getting into the final third a handful of times early in the half.
Kevin Partida was the recipient of a bad tackle in the 57th minute. This forced another substitution, and Ashton Miles entered the match.
“Shutout Shutler” has returned. Photo courtesy of Orange County SC
The Switchbacks exploded in the box soon after, though, and got a fantastic shot from the center. Shutler dove to his right and made a brilliant save to keep the shot away. It ended up being ruled offside, but it was still amazing to see Shutler make such a great save.
Just a minute later, the County Boys won the ball in the midfield and got the ball up to Jamison on the right side. He did exceptionally well to hold on to the ball after being crowded by three defenders. The ball eventually went out for a corner, where Stephen Kelly sent in the cross. Miles got the first touch on it, and Nico Benalcazar provided the finishing touch to open the scoreline to 1-0 Orange County.
After the goal, the boys in orange and black were able to maintain some of that attacking momentum as they continued to push into the final third. Jamison seemed to be the answer in this match as he lit up the right side with quick pace and spectacular dribbling.
It was almost a 2-0 lead after an OCSC corner kick got the ball to Ethan Zubak in the center. He connected a header that had a big bounce off the ground and toward net. The Colorado keeper, Adam Beaudry, made a fantastic save to keep things from getting out of control for his side.
The Switchbacks got another incredibly dangerous free kick just outside the box after a bad tackle from Latinovich in the 82nd minute. Quenzi Huerman stepped up and sent a rocket of a shot that barely went over the crossbar.
Tristan Trager and Pedro Guimaraes were Danny Stone’s final substitutions for the evening.
Colorado nearly had their equalizer in stoppage time as they were able to force their way through the back line, yet Ciotta came in with a massive clearance that absolutely secured all three points for his team.
OVERVIEW:
Orange County SC hasn't had the best of luck on the road this season, but with a second away win against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, that luck has changed. This was a team performance as every element of the squad had critical moments that earned the victory.
The first half was a bit shaky for the boys in orange and black; they had a couple of chances, but mostly absorbed so much pressure that it felt inevitable that Colorado would find a goal. Yet the defense remained strong, even with the loss of captain Tom Brewitt; they never lost composure. Nicola Ciotta was a standout in this match both defensively and offensively. He made some silly mistakes and risky fouls, but he always made up for them in huge ways.
Bryce Jamison and Ousmane Sylla were the main standouts in this match, each was brilliant with the ball on their feet and created a ton of chances for the team in the second half. Jamison's inclusion as a second-half substitute completely changed the pace of the match, while Sylla showed complete control in the midfield, leading his team into the final third countless times.
This was a massive win for Orange County SC, not only because they seem to have finally found their stride on the road, but also as it propelled them to fifth place in the table and only two points away from third place. They still have one more away match before they are back home. Next Saturday, they face off against FC Tulsa on August 23rd at 5:30 PM PST.