Orange County led off the second half of the season with an emphatic win on the road in Colorado Springs. This week, they look for another road win to jump back into the top half of the table.
OC is now on 22 points, occupying 13th place. The Bold are on 26 points, in sixth place. Now past the halfway point in the season, the table is still tight. Almost every team is still in playoff contention. A win for OC could see the team rise as high as eighth place on Saturday.
The win in Colorado was one of the best team performances of 2019 for OCSC. Defense, midfield, and attack worked together well despite the conditions and held out for a crucial away win to start off the second half of the season.
The Bold sit in sixth but have only put in a dominant performance once this season: a 5-0 victory against Colorado. Last week they were shut out against Copa Tejas rivals San Antonio FC by a score of three goals to nil. These results are outliers: many of their games are tight affairs, with all but one of their wins coming by a single goal.
An experienced side, Austin Bold will be a challenge for OCSC. Speed and confidence from their last match are likely be the keys to victory for Orange County.
Christian Duke leads the line of players thanking supporters after a 2-0 victory over Swope Park Rangers in August 2018. Photo courtesy of Liza Rosales/Orange County SC.
Christian Duke has completed his return from injury and featured in the 18 man squad in Colorado. The midfielder is likely to see his first competitive minutes of 2019 in the coming weeks. Walker Hume is currently suspended following the match in Colorado, while newcomers Danny Crisostomo and Vinicius are both one yellow card away from a one-match suspension.
The match kicks off at 5:30pm PST at Bold Stadium at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. The game will also be broadcast live on ESPN+ in the United States.
Highlights:
OCSC has scored two or more goals in 11 of their 18 matches, including the first match against the Bold.
Austin have scored 17 of their 23 goals inside the opposition’s penalty area.