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’s first away game of the season saw them travel east to face off against Hartford Athletic, for the first time in club history, at the Trinity Health Stadium in Hartford, CT. A strong battle between these two teams ended with Orange County’s third tie in a row at 1-1.
After a winless month of March, Orange County SC opens up April with a first-time visit to the Constitution State, when they take on Hartford Athletic.
First Time Matchup For Pair of Winless Teams
At this point of Orange County’s campaign, it is hard to expect what side we will see this coming Saturday. While Orange County have looked much improved from last season, they have still yet to earn their first victory on the season.
In fact, Richard Chaplow’s side have not won a USL contest in 8 consecutive contests dating back to last season. Their opponent is Hartford Athletic, a respectable side who are looking to make the postseason for the first time since 2020.
Orange County opened up their Western Conference schedule with a 2-2 draw against Las Vegas Lights, securing their team’s 2nd point of the season after a tough March at home.
Orange County had a shaky first half performance. But in the second half, they looked more like the team we expect moving forward. Orange County will look forward to Hartford Athletic in their first road game of the 2023 season. Before we preview that game, let’s take one final look back at the team’s final community rankings for the month of March.
POST-MATCH REVIEW: FIRST WESTERN CONFERENCE BATTLE
On Saturday night, Orange County SC had their first Western Conference matchup of the 2023 season against the Las Vegas Lights. It was an incredibly aggressive and offensive performance from both sides that ended the evening with a 2-2 draw.
Orange County opens up Western Conference play at home this Saturday, March 25 against the Lights of Las Vegas.
Orange County has a very strong chance at earning their first victory of the 2023 season. They will look to accomplish this at the expense of fellow Western Conference rivals Las Vegas Lights FC who will be looking to qualify for the USL playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
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.
