Orange County Soccer Club vs. Sacramento Republic FC
2017 USL Regular Season (Week 29)
Orange County Great Park Championship Soccer Stadium Irvine, CA
Wednesday, October 4, 2017 – 7:30 PST
Irvine, Calif. (October 4, 2017) – Orange County Soccer Club look to exact revenge on Wednesday night when they take on Sacramento Republic FC at Orange County Great Park Championship Soccer Stadium. The second meeting between the teams this season, Wednesday’s match promises an electrifying playoff-like atmosphere as Orange County SC are in pursuit of a spot in the USL playoffs.
The fixture comes on the heels of a 2-1 loss against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on Saturday, September 30th. Despite another phenomenal performance by Orange County SC goalkeeper Charlie Lyon and Irvin Parra’s 8th goal of the season, a resilient Orange County SC could not find a leveler. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC broke out early, with Kim Tae-Seong capitalizing on a corner kick in the 22nd minute of the match, scoring his first career goal. Six minutes later, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC forward Kevaughn Frater, reacting off a long ball from Luke Vercollone and broke free to fire past Charlie Lyon, and score the second goal of the night. Orange County SC proved they weren’t giving up without a fight. On the 55th minute, Orange County SC’s Rodrigo Pacheco sent in a deep cross from the right-hand side for Irvin Parra to nod in at the far post. Orange County SC thought they had tied the game when Jerry Van Ewijk found Victor Pineda unmarked in the box however Pineda saw his close-range header rattle off the crossbar and cleared away.
Wednesday’s fixture against Sacramento Republic FC will prove an intense one as Orange County SC seeks a rematch from the April 1st 4-0 loss against Sacramento. The last time these two teams met, Orange County SC created a host of opportunities in the first half, but couldn’t cash in. During the match, Orange County SC’s Duke Lacroix broke through the backline and found himself in space and one-on-one with the keeper, he fired a shot hard and low but goalkeeper Evan Newton was unfortunately equal to the task and made the quick save. Sacramento Republic FC would come back in the 21st minute when Sammy Ochoa pounced on a rebound. Ochoa would go on to score the second of the night when he tapped in a deflected shot from Wilson Kneeshaw from 2 years out. Eight minutes later, Kneeshaw fired a goal in from 10 yards out for the third goal of the night. The final goal of the night came in added time, when substitute Harry Williams latched onto a long ball in behind the Orange County SC defense to round Lyon and finish into an empty net.
Orange County will look to bounce back on Wednesday night and take the playoff race into the final week, as they look to make it 3 consecutive appearances in the end of year post season showpiece. And can take inspiration from their last victory over the Republic in the 2016 Western Conference Quarter Final.
Orange County SC will celebrate their final regular season home match and first Fan Appreciation Night presented by Hoag on Saturday, October 7th at 7:00 PM at the Orange County Great Park’s Championship Soccer Stadium. The first 2,000 fans in attendance will receive an Orange County SC rally towel courtesy of Hoag.
About Orange County Soccer Club:
The Orange County Soccer Club is Orange County’s Professional Soccer Team. The club was one of 12 founding members of the new United Soccer League (USL) in its inaugural 2011 season. The predecessor club Orange County Blues were the 2015 Western Conference Regular Season Champions and have reached the Western Conference semi-finals of the USL Playoffs in back-to-back seasons. The club’s brand-new owner, James Keston, is the Chief Investment Officer of LARO Properties, and will actively oversee all operations of the USL club in Orange County. Keston is dedicated to transforming the club into a world-class professional soccer organization that focuses on the fans, players, and youth clubs of Orange County.
Contact: Kelly Salmieri: VP, Marketing & Community Relations, kelly@https://www.orangecountysoccer.com, 805.844.0856