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.
April 29th, Match #8 - Orange County SC @ New Mexico United
With OC bumped from the Open Cup, all of their attention now shifts to the league.
Through seven league games, Orange County have only played a fellow Western Conference opponent in only two of those games. The start of the season has seen new matchups along with sophomore showdowns but now OC will set to duel with a more familiar Western Conference opponent, New Mexico United.
Orange County so far into league play currently sit in 9th on 6 points which is one short of the playoff line while their counterparts New Mexico sit further back at 11th on 4 points.
Hartford Athletic 1-1 Orange County SC: Player Ratings to the Theme of Insurance Commercial Characters
Orange County SC returned from their cross-country trip to Hartford with 1 point, leaving them with just 3 points in 4 matches. That’s not quite the start the team (and most of the fans) were hoping for when the season kicked off a little under a month ago. Anyway, in honor of OC’s trip to Hartford, the “Insurance Capital of the World”, here are their player rankings
Orange County SC 1-1 Tampa Bay Rowdies: Player Ratings to the Theme of Leprechauns
This past Friday was St. Patrick’s Day, and to celebrate, Orange County SC hosted their first of four Beer fests at Championship Soccer Stadium on Saturday night. Oh, and the team also hosted Tampa Bay Rowdies (a year too late). The result: a lot of fans out of the stands, and a 1-1 draw. Orange County looked the more dominant team on the pitch, but too many missed opportunities to put the game away allowed Tampa Bay the opportunity to steal a point, which they did in the 82nd minute.
Orange County 1-3 Louisville City FC: Player Ratings to the Theme of Rappers
Orange County SC opened the season with a 1-3 loss to Louisville City FC this past Saturday. Although there were some highlight moments and a few players looked good, most of the team looked like a team playing their first game of the regular season, while one looked a little shaky at times. Let’s look at the player ratings for this match.
