March 18th, Match #2 - Orange County SC vs Tampa Bay Rowdies
2021 USL Final Rematch Makes West Coast Debut
Orange County continues their 2023 campaign Saturday, March 18th at home against the Rowdies of Tampa Bay.
After suffering defeat in their opening matchup against Louisville City, Orange County now shifts its focus to another Eastern Conference powerhouse in that of the Tampa Bay Rowdies.
Post-Match Review: Veteran vs Fresh Sqaud
Heads Up, Lads
Orange County SC 1-3 Louisville City FC: Community Player Ratings
Orange County SC Sweep Preseason Doubleheader
In their final tune-up games of the 2023 preseason, OCSC took victories in both of their March 4 matchups against Los Angeles FC 2 and UC Santa Barbara.
Two games being played resulted in two different Orange County sides: both good enough to come away with victories. In the early game against LAFC2, Orange County featured a line-up that gives us a good indication of who we will see come March 11 in the season opener. Included in this XI were first teamers Milan Iloski, Daniel Pedersen, Alex Villanueva, Andrew Fox, Colin Shutler, along with an Academy player in Brady Elliott.
Do Preseason Results Matter?
Let’s be honest, we always want to win games. Whether it is for league position or bragging rights, a good win puts everyone in a positive mood.
However, one thing is very apparent: preseason is a period where the final result does not matter as much as playing time and getting ready for the regular season. The preseason is rather defined by teams testing out different lineups and formations against mostly local teams both professional and not.
USL Championship Power Rankings Watch: Week 11
USL Championship Power Rankings Watch: Week 2
After two crazy weeks of USL Championship action in the books, the power rankings list has changed even more. Teams that were early season favorites on the top of the list in the preseason (Louisville City FC, Phoenix Rising FC, Nashville SC, Indy Eleven) have all dropped points in the early season, and thus have dropped from their initial rankings. Other teams have taken advantage by not dropping points, and have moved to the top of the list (Saint Louis FC, OKC Energy FC, North Carolina FC, Tampa Bay Rowdies).
