Orange County Looks to Add to Rocky Season for Switchbacks
Independence Day match is the second game of the series.
Orange County SC midfielder Aodhan Quinn. | Photo courtesy of Orange County SC/Liza Rosales
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 4, 2019) - Orange County’s halfway mark of the 2019 season featured a late loss, but the club now heads to Colorado to face the Colorado Springs Switchbacks.
Orange County currently sits on 19 points, while the Switchbacks sit a few places back on 14 points. Both have played 17 matches in 2019, and both are still well within distance of the playoff places. Last weekend, the Switchbacks were on the wrong side of a 5-0 blowout in Austin.
Orange County’s performance against Los Dos was a great improvement on the previous weeks’ performances. While the match ended in a loss following two mistakes, the coaching staff stressed that it was a clear step in the right direction. OCSC ran out as 2-0 victors in April, and a similar result is the goal for the reverse fixture.
Despite a red hot start to the season, the Switchbacks have struggled. Monday saw the club relieve Steve Trittschuh of his managerial duties after four and a half seasons. Still, Colorado Springs has the advantage of playing at altitude and many of the players will likely be looking to impress new management as they head into the second half of the season.
Former OCSC goalkeeper Andre Rawls is the current netminder for the Coloradan side. He has appeared in nine matches for the side thus far.
New signings Michael Orozco and Edson Alvarado both played the full ninety last week against Los Dos. Their additions provide some additional depth and quality in an important part of the season. Midfielder Christian Duke has returned to training after a long break, though he is unlikely to feature in Colorado. The match provides a great opportunity to build on progress and earn the team’s first road win to start off the second half of the season.
The match kicks off at 6:00pm at Weidner Field in Colorado Springs. The game will also be broadcast live on ESPN+ in the United States.
Highlights:
OCSC averages a goal scored every 61 minutes.
The Switchbacks have conceded an average of 1.8 goals per game in 2019.