October 21st, WC QF - Orange County SC vs El Paso Locomotive FC
For the first time in 691 days, Orange County Soccer Club will play in a postseason game.
It is one of the most impressive single-season turnarounds that the USL has seen in recent memory. After only winning one of their first ten league games of the year, the Orange and Black have stormed through the league to clinch the number two seed in the Western Conference as well as number four overall in the USL. It truly is a testament to the work of Morten Karlsen and his technical staff for the turnaround that OCSC experienced. More often than not, the bounces on and off the field have gone in favor of Orange County and the 2023 USL playoffs are the perfect chance for OC to win another title.
Of course there are 15 other teams who have a chance at the title as well. Thus in the first round of the playoffs, Orange County will host a team that they have yet to beat this year: El Paso Locomotive FC.
POST-MATCH REVIEW: ONE FOGGY NIGHT IN MONTEREY BAY
On a foggy night in Monterey Bay, Orange County SC traveled up north with one more chance in the regular season to move up the table into second place. They secured just that with a 1-0 victory over Monterey Bay FC and guaranteed they will be the second seed in the playoff race that kicks off next Saturday.
October 14th, Match #34 - Orange County SC @ Monterey Bay FC
Orange County SC are returning back to the playoffs after a one year hiatus for a chance at a league-tying second title. It was a jolt by Morten Karlsen that led the club on an absolute tear since the month of June that has shot the club up into the top 4 of the West. Since Summer began, Orange County has gone 14-4-2 in 20 games. It has been an Orange Summer that has rewarded the club handsomely with the transfer of Korede to Europe, multiple coach of the month honors for Karlsen, and the announcement that OC will get to play in OC for at least five more years.
With all this going on, the playoffs are just around the corner and OC are one of the contenders. But before all that they must play one more game and it will be another California derby against the newest club in the state, Monterey Bay FC. All the pressure will be on MBFC who are in desperation mode if they are to clinch a postseason spot. They are not in control of their own destiny and will ultimately have to hope both New Mexico AND Oakland lose their games. Oh and Monterey Bay must beat Orange County.
The Numbers Behind The USL Power Shift
Professional soccer in the United States has a number of unique traits that are not apparent in any of the other prestigious soccer nations. Perhaps the most geographic of them is the implementation of conferences. The idea of conferences is found in all of the other American sports leagues but is also quite common in non-league soccer around the world.
What makes conferences important in American soccer is they determine who will make the playoffs. Like other professional sports leagues in America, clubs are placed into groups based on their geographic proximity and are in direct competition with the others in their group to qualify for the postseason. The USL Championship has gone through a number of different formats including a single table, multiple divisions, and now two conferences with varying numbers of teams qualifying for the postseason.
POST-MATCH REVIEW: SWEET REDEMPTION
These two teams were clearly hungry for a win, and that passion quickly turned into aggression as the match kicked off. In just 11 minutes of play, two yellow cards were handed out to Orange Count's Seth Casiple and San Antonio's Connor Maloney. The physical clashes between both squads would only get more heated as the game continued.
The first chance on goal came from a free kick taken by Brian Iloski, who has been brilliant in his set-piece placements lately. He curved a cross into the box that got deflected towards the post where Milan Iloski was waiting to head the ball toward the net; unfortunately, the aim wasn't quite right, and the attempt went straight into Nick Marsman’s arms.
Orange County SC - City of Irvine - Great Park Championship Soccer Stadium Use Proposal
After an uncertain 2022, it appears that the city of Irvine and Orange County Soccer Club are set to be long term partners.
This Tuesday (October 10), the Great Park Board and the City Council will vote on a proposal that will keep OCSC in Championship Stadium for five years with the potential for an additional five year extension.
October 7th, Match #33 - Orange County SC vs San Antonio FC
The September slide has come to an end as the Orange & Black open the month of October with a convincing 3-1 win. The win did a lot for OC in the grand scheme of things as it leapfrogged the club into a tie for third in the West as well as leaving Orange County with their own destiny to clinch a postseason game at home.
After last week, each team in the USL have completed 32 matches meaning each club will only have this weekend and the next to go up or down. Likewise only two remaining playoff spots remain in both the Eastern and Western Conference and only 3 teams in the entire USL are mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
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.