Orange County SC and Phoenix Rising FC sure do have a lot in common for teams that despise one another. Together, they make up two of the three most recent conference champions, all of whom are towards the bottom of the table, fighting for their chance to make the playoffs.
The last time that these two teams faced each other came all the way back in early June, with Phoenix winning 2-1. Since then, both clubs have gone through a significant number of changes. The biggest of these is who is standing on the touchline. Orange County SC interim head coach Danny Stone gets to face off against his former employers for the first time.
After a 5-6-6 start to the year that was a bit expected, Stone and Phoenix agreed to part ways. Then through a series of Orange County’s own coaches also leaving and Stone being a part of the coaching staff, we now get the scenario that is placed ahead of us.
There is a lot to unpack with this game ( and not much to say about the last one) but the biggest concern for Orange County is still getting as many points as they can.
THE OPPONENT - PHOENIX RISING FC
On an interim basis for Phoenix is Diego Gomez who has seemed to right the ship just a bit. They are playing a bit better the past couple of weeks with only a single blemish being a 0-2 loss against Sacramento. Besides that they have held teams scoreless in five of their last six games and had a resounding 4-0 defeat over San Antonio FC their last time out.
Phoenix has taken the next step forward and looks poised to make the postseason again and look to defend their USL title. For a team that is only seventh in the West, Phoenix has conceded the least amount of goals in the league.
Orange County, for comparison, has let in 42.
However Phoenix are still seventh because they have only scored 27 goals. It is a different formula to winning games than what we have seen from Phoenix, who in recent memory, have been known for scoring goals ad nauseam.
At the moment Phoenix are only seven points back of Las Vegas for fourth spot in the Western Conference so will look to defeat anyone who stands in their way from this point until the end of the season. Orange County is going to be one of those hurdles.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
If it was not for Phoenix’s four goal outburst against San Antonio, then we would spend our time talking about how a team ranked in the bottom eighth in scoring is able to be in the playoff mix.
Dariusz Formella is just one of the strikers for Phoenix Rising that may just have to start producing just a bit more if they are to repeat as champions. They are not a team that necessarily needs to score a lot of goals to win games. But someone like Formella, who only has scored five goals all year, has the capacity to contribute more. Phoenix this year has lacked a true goal scoring threat, with only two players having 30 shots on goal.
Defense wins championships, until it breaks just once.
On the orange side of things, Colin Shutler is far and away the best player for Orange County SC. The fact that Shutler this season has been able to notch eight clean sheets speaks a lot to just how many times he has literally stolen points for OC. With clean sheets in his last two games, Colin Shutler is quietly cementing himself into an OC legend.
THE MATCH UP
Meeting for the 34th time overall, these two teams seem destined to stand in the way of one another. Two teams who have been intertwined within the lore of the other, for better, and for worse. Phoenix Rising are seventh in the West with 36 points but have a very important game in hand on the rest of the direct competition.
Orange County for comparison are 8th in the West with 32 points; just one point above both FC Tulsa and San Antonio FC. Any loss that OC sustains along the way could be catastrophic.
WHAT TO KNOW
Game - vs Phoenix Rising FC (USL Championship)
When - September 25, 7:30 PM PST
Where - Championship Soccer Stadium (Irvine, CA)
OCSC Form - DWLLL
PHX Form - WLWWD
All-Time Matchup - 9-9-15 (33 Matchups)
TV - Bally Sports SoCal, ESPN+