September 15th, Match #29 - Orange County SC vs Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

September 15th, Match #29 - Orange County SC vs Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

No, Orange County cannot clinch a playoff spot just yet. 


Orange County can however make the race to clinch the best record in the West much more interesting than it already is with a win on Friday. There really is a lot to unpack in this game preview so before discussing the upcoming game, we will first talk about possibly the biggest news of the season. Orange County’s all-time leading scorer Milan Iloski has agreed to a permanent transfer to Danish side FC Nordsjælland. It is a five year deal that will begin in January of 2024; which means that Milan will remain with Orange County for this regular season and subsequent postseason. It is a tough pill to swallow to see one of the best players in club history move on from Southern California but ultimately it should be a positive move as it is just another of the many profitable transfers of OC players to top-flight European clubs. 


POST-MATCH REVIEW: A DRAW ENDS THE STREAK

POST-MATCH REVIEW: A DRAW ENDS THE STREAK

Back in their gold kits in support of Childhood Cancer Awareness month, Orange County SC took to the field with the hope of getting an early lead. In the first couple of minutes, Brian Iloski earned a corner kick and sent the ball toward the box, but El Paso cleared it away quickly.

Kevin Partida showed some impressive aggression early on. He held onto his mark after getting beat once on the line and never let up. His push eventually led to a foul just outside the 18-yard line, but Thomas Amang cleared the free kick away and gave possession back to OCSC.

El Paso had the second offensive chance by passing it up the center after another free kick. They took a shot, but Orange County's central defense cleared it out, keeping young keeper Juan Santana from being challenged. One element that has kept the team in such strong form has been the center defenders, Dillon Powers and Markus Nakkim, who are a constant wall in preventing any danger from reaching their keeper.

September 9th, Match #28 - Orange County SC vs El Paso Locomotive FC

September 9th, Match #28 - Orange County SC vs El Paso Locomotive FC

There is a bit of a saying in sports where teams wish to get the opportunity to play meaningful home games late in the season. This is definitely a game that fits that criteria. As part of the surge up the standings that OC has found themselves comes the chance to beef up the numbers by playing teams who may be floundering and trying to find their footing before the final stretch. El Paso can also fit that criteria as a team. 

While we all know about the turn of form that Orange County were able to pull off, the Locomotive have found themselves on the other end of it. In their last 12 games, El Paso have won once. Now one might think that they could be drawing a lot of games but that is not the case either as they have drawn 3 of them. Between the last game they drew and their only win in that span,

which came two weeks ago, they had lost five consecutive games. This is a team that has completely fallen off the tracks but will be hungry to get points. 


POST-MATCH REVIEW: SIN CITY SMACKDOWN

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. 


POST-MATCH REVIEW: BEST IN THE LEAGUE

POST-MATCH REVIEW: BEST IN THE LEAGUE

POST-MATCH REVIEW: BEST IN THE LEAGUE

Orange County SC took to the road this weekend to face off against one of the best teams in the league, Sacramento Republic FC. In front of over 20K fans at an opposing team's stadium, Orange County proved once again that they can beat anyone, anywhere.

San Diego Loyal Deserved Better

San Diego Loyal Deserved Better

If you follow sports with the expectation of a championship, you’re going to be disappointed almost every single season. Contrary to popular belief, sports aren’t about trophies won or merchandise bought. Sports are about the memories we make with those closest to us. 5, 10, 20 years down the road, you won’t remember all the specifics of a game, but you’ll remember the feeling you had when you got to experience something special with family and friends. When the catalyst of those memories is suddenly ripped away, it can feel like a part of you has died.

August 26th, Match #26 - Orange County SC @ Sacramento Republic FC

August 26th, Match #26 - Orange County SC @ Sacramento Republic FC

Orange County SC with a win on Saturday can break a club record for most consecutive wins in the regular season. Orange County SC can further solidify a guaranteed home playoff game on Saturday. Orange County SC will face off against Sacramento Republic FC, the Western Conference leaders in points and longtime USL rival. 

The month of August has been the toughest stretch of the season by a wide margin with each opponent being in the top five of their respective conference (San Diego, Pittsburgh, and Charleston). The last opponent OC will face in August, Sacramento, will continue this trend as they are first in the Western Conference at 48 points. OC will enter the contest tied for third in the West with 40 points. 

Orange County SC will have to go for 3 points without their leading scorer Milan Iloski. Iloski picked up his fifth yellow card of the season against Charleston which resulted in a one game suspension. The forward depth, which has been good for OC this season, will have a big task at hand. 

POST-MATCH REVIEW: WE CAN'T BE STOPPED

POST-MATCH REVIEW: WE CAN'T BE STOPPED

Orange County SC is looking better than ever as they completely dominated Charleston Battery this Saturday night. Not only did they defeat the top two teams in the Eastern Conference in one week, but they also earned their sixth win in a row. This squad cannot be stopped.  

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