Orange County SC celebrate goal against New Mexico United | Photo courtesy of Orange County SC
Irvine, Calif. (April 6, 2019) - After a brief trip to Texas to face expansion side El Paso Locomotive FC, Orange County returns home to host a Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC team that has been solid early on.
Orange County is hoping that they can continue their recent positive results against Colorado Springs and as a result, earn their first victory of the season. In 2018, they were victorious in both matches against their Western Conference foes. In both those matches, they were able to score early, and hold on to their lead. The match in Colorado Springs saw Michael Seaton score his quickest goal of the season in the 2nd minute.
The return of Seaton to the lineup against El Paso is a great sign for Orange County. The Jamaican missed the previous 2 matches, and although they have some flexibility on offence, his ability to put the ball in the back of the net has been missed. Darwin Jones has been an exciting watch for OC fans this season, but has had to play more in the middle of the field instead of his preferred wide position in Seaton’s absence.
Colorado Springs has been one of the more solid Western Conference teams early on in the season. Their 7 points in 4 matches puts them in 4th place behind early season surprises Tulsa Roughnecks FC, New Mexico United, and Portland Timbers 2. Last week against Phoenix Rising FC, they were able to earn a 2-2 draw behind a Player of the Week performance by 16-year-old goalkeeper Abraham Rodriguez. The draw against Phoenix was the first match this season that they gave up more than 1 goal, in what has been a solid defensive start to the season.
Earning a full 3 points against Colorado Springs will be a tough order for Orange County, but a return of Seaton to the starting 11 and an improved defensive effort should give them a great chance at kickstarting a solid run, and moving up the table.
The match kicks off at 7pm Pacific Time at Championship Soccer Stadium. You can purchase tickets here.
Highlights
Daniel Crisostomo is the only OC player that has played every minute this season. He leads the team in passes with 159 on 84.3% accuracy,
Shane Malcom leads Colorado Springs in shots on target with 7. He has 3 goals in those 7 shots.
Orange County SC will be hosting a Japanese Whisky Tasting at the match. For more info or to purchase tickets, click here.