Match Preview: Orange County SC vs El Paso Locomotive

On what should be an eventful Saturday night, the reigning defending champions will feel right at home as they host El Paso Locomotive at Championship Soccer Stadium as both teams are looking to elevate themselves in the Western Conference.

Irvine, CA - OCSC is currently in 10th place in the USL Championship Western Conference, with 12 points from nine games. On the other hand, El Paso has been on a winning streak that has landed them in 6th place in the Western Conference, with 16 points in 12 games. Both teams have a bit of momentum going for them after both had poor performances at the beginning of the season.

Orange County is trying to pull themselves together at the right time as they have had two wins, two draws, and only one loss in their last five USL championship games. This includes a convincing 5-1 victory over FC Tulsa last Friday. Although the whole team thrived, it was an outstanding performance by the California native, Milan Iloski, whose first half hat-trick sealed the deal for the OCSC. 

As Orange County has finally found their rhythm, El Paso Locomotive has been on a hot-streak of their own the last five games with an impressive four wins and one loss record. This includes a well-earned 1-0 victory over the formidable Sacramento Republic FC who is now in 7th place in the Western Conference. 

With the sudden news last night that the talented UK defender, Harry Brockbank has left El Paso after appearing in 12 games with the club, the sudden departure may affect the team in tonight's game. Meanwhile, OCSC will be without Danny Acosta, who recently suffered an ACL injury and will not return for the remainder of the season.

The game will be played Saturday, May 21 at 7:00 pm Pacific at Championship Soccer Stadium at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California. For those watching at home, the match is available on ESPN+ and Bally Sports SoCal for viewers in the United States.

Potential Line Ups:

OCSC: 

GK: Patrick Rakovsky

Defense: Brent Richards, Michael Orozco, Albi Skendi

Midfield: Seth Casiple, Daniel Pedersen, Mikko Kuningas, Alex Villanueva

Forwards: Sean Okoli, Erick Torres, Milan Iloski

El Paso Locomotive:

GK: Evan Newton

Defense: Chapa Herrera, Andrew Fox, Yuma, Eder Borelli

Midfield: Diego Luna, Eric Calvillo, Dylan Mares

Forwards: Christiano Francois, Luis Solignac, Aaron Gomez