FIRST HALF
As for Orange County SC’s game plan at the start of the match, Danny Stone kept things nearly identical to last week, with only one significant change to the lineup: Thomas Amang, who made his first start since June.
Monterey Bay FC started things out hot, pushing for their first goal in four matches by sending in two attempts just outside the box within the opening minutes. In both instances, they won the ball in the midfield and passed it up to Xavi Gnaulati, who shot straight into the arms of Colin Shutler.
The County Boys started out rough, and giving the ball away repeatedly. However, by the 10th minute, they seemed to find their rhythm as a squad. They were able to pass all around the pitch, using the whole team to get into the final third.
Cameron Dunbar also looked lively. After Pedro Guimaraes made a strong tackle on the left side, he got the ball to Dunbar in the center, who was able to dribble through a couple of defenders and take a shot from the top of the box. Unfortunately, the shot was blocked before testing MBFC keeper Carlos Herrera.
Monterey Bay had most of the possession in the first half. They did well, attacking through the middle to get into the final third, then passing it wide to try and spread Orange County's defensive line thin. However, Markus Nakkim and Dillon Powers were able to clear away the crosses before Shutler could really be challenged.
The best opportunity of the half was for the home team, who nearly opened the scoreline off a set piece. Five yards outside the box, Walmer Martinez crossed the ball in, and Carlos Guzman was able to head it toward goal. The shot had Shutler beat, but the crossbar kept it out, keeping things level.
The boys in orange and black made a few solid plays that got them into the final third. However, they could not create dangerous enough chances or even a shot on goal to challenge Herrera, and the half ended at 0-0.
SECOND HALF
Orange County's best chance came immediately as the second half started. They pressed fast and high against Monterey’s defense. After an interception in the midfield, the ball was sent to Ryan Doghman at the top of the box. He pushed forward with a great touch and sent a rocket with his left foot, looking for the far post, but Herrera made a brilliant diving save.
Ten minutes later, OCSC got a free kick ten yards outside the box. Seth Casiple stepped up to take it and chipped the ball toward the back post, where Amang was open for an easy tap-in. Unfortunately, he mistimed the header and wasted the opportunity.
The biggest challenge on Shutler all night came in the 60th minute. After some excellent passing through the middle to break down OCSC's defense, Gnaulati took the shot again, sending the ball low toward the corner and forcing Shutler to the ground to make the save.
Stone made a few smart substitutions later in the half that changed the pace of Orange County’s offense, most notably the introductions of Chris Hegardt and Ryan Flood.
In the 79th minute, the County Boys shows how clinical they can be when working together as a unit. Moving up the field with a fantastic awareness of the space around them, the squad passed it left to right, utilizing every player in the midfield to push things forward. Scott, Hegardt, Flood, and Lambe exceptionally navigated the holes in their opponent’s defense. Doghman ended the sequence with a volley attempt, but the shot went straight into Herrera's arms, ending the beautiful sequence in disappointment.
OCSC got one final opportunity in added time with a corner kick from Flood. He sent a perfect ball to the center of the box, where Zubak connected a header toward the far corner of the net, but Herrera made a fantastic stop to keep things level and ended the match in a draw.
OVERVIEW
After last week’s victory, this was not the kind of performance that fans were hoping to see when every point matters. Besides a few good moments when the squad’s chemistry linked up, Monterey Bay was the team most in control of the pace of play. It was primarily thanks to the defense, especially Markus Nakkim and Dillon Powers, who combined for six clearances and five interceptions. They shut down Monterey’s attack whenever possible and kept Shutler from being challenged except from outside the box.
Ryan Doghman is still doing well in a more attacking-focused position, which is only possible with the trust in the young star Pedro Guimaraes, who once again held his own on defense with some crucial tackles on the left side.
But in all honesty, there was little to be excited about from either side of this match. It truly felt like a matchup between two teams at the bottom of the table. And with Orange County barely holding on to the eighth place, they desperately need to step it up offensively in the coming weeks if they want to keep their playoff aspirations alive.
Thankfully, the next match will be at home against a team that Danny Stone knows all too well. Orange County SC will face off against Phoenix Rising FC on Wednesday, September 25th, at 7:30 PM PST.