POST-MATCH REVIEW: THREE MORE TO GO
POST-MATCH REVIEW Oakland Roots: BOUNCED BACK
October 4th, Match #32 - Orange County SC vs Oakland Roots SC
If there were ever a must-win game that did not result in elimination, this would be the game.
This game has the dubious honor of not just being a much needed win for playoff positioning but OC, in simple terms, needs to win a game. This season has had the highest of highs and lowest of lows all before a playoff game has even started. What a coincidence it is then that the game in question can propel Orange County SC back into the playoffs after a one-year hiatus. Last week OC were able to tough out a point in the desert with a 1-1 effort against Phoenix Rising FC. That matchup actually gave Phoenix a postseason spot but not OC even though they are even on points.
There are only three games remaining in the 2023 regular season and they will all take place in the Golden State. Orange County officially sit 5th in the Western Conference but are even on points with 4th-place Phoenix with 48 and two points behind 3rd-place San Diego. The top four teams in each conference will play the first round of playoffs at home. OC are hungry for a win but the team they are facing might be a bit more desperate.
POST-MATCH REVIEW: SIN CITY SMACKDOWN
WIth their 8th straight victory comes another reminder that Orange County SC are the team to beat. It was a relaxing win for Orange County over the last place Las Vegas Lights that came on an unusually cold desert night. It was another dominant offensive performance that saw five different goal-scorers for the Orange and Black.
August 16th, Match #24 - Orange County SC vs Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
Orange County SC are about to embark on their toughest three-game stretch of the entire season. This will see them play not only the top two teams in the Eastern Conference but also sees a trip to Sacramento to face the first place Republic one week from Saturday. With just how tight the playoff picture is for the Western Conference, there is not much room to falter. This comes even as OC have arguably been the best team in the league for the last month or so. The Black and Orange have done enough to make up for their poor start to the season and are facing the best teams at the right time.
The first of three feats of strength is that of Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. The current USL league leaders, the Riverhounds are on a modest three-game win streak. They will however make the cross-country trip on a short weekend to Orange County, a place they have not been to since the 2013 season.
As for OC, who are themselves undefeated in their last four, they are coming back from a much deserved one week break. It will be 10 days since Orange County last played a match which was the 3-1 victory down in San Diego.
POST-MATCH REVIEW: THE SUMMER OF WINS
Orange County SC was back on their home turf this weekend as they continued their winning streak with the defeat of New Mexico United. Since the summer began, OCSC has won seven of their last nine matches, putting them in 6th in the Western Conference.
FIRST HALF:
Back home after three weeks of away games, Orange County SC had the momentum to come out of the gate strong this Saturday. With a sold-out stadium of thousands of fans cheering on the boys in orange, it’s no surprise that they completely dominated the first half of the match.
The critical element to this came from the midfield's ability to keep an aggressive push forward by Kyle Scott and Seth Casiple, eventually leading to the first strike on goal of the game. The squad built up possession in the middle, pulling the attention away from the wings, and opened Owen Lambe on the right side. Lambe took the ball and sent a beautiful cross where Ryan Doghman found the header. Goalkeeper Alexandros Tambakis blocked it, but the setup was lovely to see so early.
POST MATCH REVIEW: BOUNCED BACK ON THE ROAD
FIRST HALF
Loudoun United welcomed Orange County to their home field with some quick and robust pressure immediately after the first whistle blew. In only the 2nd minute of the match, a fantastic pass right into the middle of the box to Jackson Hopkins led to the first shot on goal for the game. He sent it to the bottom left post, but Colin Shutler made a diving save to keep the home team from an early lead.
The boys in orange and black also had a lot of aggressive energy on the pitch, but overcommitting on their tackles and a few poor passes allowed Loudon to completely dominate an attacking possession for the first fifteen minutes of the match. Dillon Powers may have saved the whole pace of the game early with a crucial tackle in the box after Jake Morris set himself up for a dangerous opportunity.
Thankfully that was all the time it took for the tides to change, and in the fifteenth minute, OCSC made their first critical attack. During a vital counterplay, Ryan Doghman sent a long ball over the heads of the Loudon back line right to the feet of Marc "Sparky" McNulty. Sparky controlled the ball, made a genius touch to get around the keeper, and scored with his shot into an open net giving Orange County SC an important lead.
July 1, Match #18 OCSC vs Monterey Bay FC
After a scorching June, OCSC continued their winning ways with a dominating 3-1 win against Monterey Bay FC, a team that hasn't lost since a match in over a month.
Orange County welcomed a sellout crowd to Championship Stadium to kick off the month of July, and OCSC’s 10 year anniversary.
POST-MATCH REVIEW: EARLY ATTACKS EARN THREE POINTS
An amazing celebration of Pride Night at Championship Stadium saw Orange County SC welcome Rio Grande Valley FC Toros to their only home game of June.
FIRST HALF
Under the leadership of Morten Karlsen, Orange County SC has gradually performed stronger each week, and they looked to continue that trend against the Toros. The defensive form of the orange & black squad has been excellent in the past few games; however, they have unfortunately not had the same success with the offense. As a result, fans have been worried about this team's ability to find a solid finishing touch and were cautiously optimistic that everything would finally come together in this match.
In the 4th minute, Kyle Scott and Milan Iloski gave fans exactly what they had hoped for. After capitalizing on a mistake, Scott took a turnover at the half line and broke through the Toros' defensive line with Milan beside him for support. Scott pushed the ball forward to Milan for a 1v1 with RGV keeper Carlos Merancio where he easily found the back corner of the net, giving OCSC an incredibly early lead.