The County Boys didn’t quite get the turnaround match they got the last time they were at ONEOK Field in Tulsa, OK, but they battled to a well earned point in a draw with FC Tulsa on Friday, August 9. After not recording a shot on target in their last match, they recorded five tonight to go along with 17 shots in total, their highest in a single match this season.
The Black and Orange earned the games first chance in the second minute when midfielder Chris Hegardt drew a free kick on the left side of the pitch. The ensuing free kick from captain Markus Nakkim went wide to the left.
Next Wave midfielder Ben Norris earned the next chance of the match in the 17th minute. Midfielder Kyle Scott switched play into the path of defender Owen Lambe on the right. Lambe then found forward Cam Dunbar, who quickly found Norris in the box. Norris’ shot was saved by the Tulsa goalkeeper, but it was the first shot on target for OCSC in over 100 minutes.
They did not have to wait that long for their next shot on target, which came in the 34th minute courtesy of Dunbar. He used some fancy footwork to work his way into a shooting position in the box on the right hand side, but his attempt was saved by Johan Penaranda.
On the ensuing corner, Lambe played a cross into the middle of the box that found the head of Nakkim, but the captain’s header was saved again by Penaranda.
Scott and Hegardt had a nice combination play in the 41st minute, after Norris won the ball in the midfield. Scott carried the ball towards the box, finding Hegardt on the left as he entered the box. Hegardt played the ball right back to Scott, but the Englishman was unable to get enough behind the shot and it was saved calmly by Penaranda.
FC Tulsa threatened for the first time late in the half in the 44th minute, when defender Owen Damm found midfielder Diogo Pacheco. Pacheco’s effort from the left side of the box was saved by goalkeeper Colin Shutler down to his right. Shutler’s save sent the two sides into the halftime team talks level at 0-0.
The second half action began in the 49th minute, when chaos ensued in front of Penaranda’s net. Lambe sent in a free kick from near the corner flag that forward Ethan Zubak rose to head towards goal, but his effort rang off the crossbar. The rebound made its way to Zubak, but his shot was blocked off the line by Tulsa captain Bradley Bourgeois.
As the ball was recycled back out to Kyle Scott, he found Hegardt on the wing who sent a cross back into the back post that Nakkim sent back across goal and was again cleared off the line. He headed the ball back towards the middle, but Penaranda claimed the ball and somehow, the Black and Orange left that sequence without a goal.
Shutler again kept FC Tulsa off the board in the 57th minute, when he made a save down to his left after forward Phillip Goodrum found some space near the penalty spot.
The Black and Orange had the last chance of the match in the 84th minute when midfielder Dillon Powers played a ball over the top for substitute Chrisitian Sorto. Sorto collected the ball just outside of the box on the right, and played Lambe into the box. Lambe’s right-footed shot from just outside the six-yard-box was again saved by Penaranda.
After a well deserved point in a hard fought match, the County Boys return home to The Champ on Saturday, August 17 as they host El Paso Locomotive FC on Sounds of OC Night! A limited number of tickets are still available, grab yours today!
MILESTONES AND FACTS:
Orange County SC recorded 17 shots, their highest single match total in the 2024 USL Championship season.
Goalkeeper Colin Shutler returned to the starting lineup after missing the last three matches due to injury. He recorded his sixth clean sheet of the season.
Orange County SC have now been kept off the scoreboard in their last three matches, a run of 305 minutes. Only a four match stretch in 2014 is longer.
| TEAM | FIRST HALF | SECOND HALF | FULL TIME |
| OCSC | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TUL | 0 | 0 | 0 |
SCORING SUMMARY:
N/A
DISCIPLINE SUMMARY:
ORANGE COUNTY SC
66’ Ben Norris
FC TULSA
85’ Edwin Laszo
90 +1’ Owen Damm
ORANGE COUNTY SC LINEUP:
Colin Shutler (GK); Ryan Doghman (Ryan Flood 46’), Andrew Fox, Markus Nakkim (C), Owen Lambe; Dillon Powers, Ben Norris (Ashish Chattha 71’), Kyle Scott, Chris Hegardt (Christian Sorto 80’); Ethan Zubak, Cameron Dunbar
Unused subs: Duran Ferree (GK); Jordan Chavez, Pedro Guimaraes, Bryce Jamison
Head Coach: Paul Hardyman
Possession: 54% | Shots: 17 | Shots On Goal: 5 | Corners: 3 | Fouls: 14 | Offsides: 0 |
FC TULSA LINEUP:
Johan Penaranda (GK); Owen Damm, Alexis Souahy, Bradley Bourgeois (C), Harvey St. Clair (Patrick Seagrist 84’); Andrew Booth (Blaine Ferri 59’), Edwin Laszo, Diogo Pacheco, Stefan Stojanovic (Boubacar Diallo 59’), Faysal Bettache (Milo Yosef 59’); Phillip Goodrum
Unused Subs: Michael Creek (GK); Anthony Harper, Santiago Sanchez, Sebastian Sanchez, Rashid Tettah
Head Coach: Mario Sanchez
Possession: 46% | Shots: 12 | Shots On Goal: 3 | Corners: 3 | Fouls: 24 | Offsides: 1 |
FC TULSA LINEUP:
Johan Penaranda (GK); Owen Damm, Alexis Souahy, Bradley Bourgeois (C), Harvey St. Clair (Patrick Seagrist 84’); Andrew Booth (Blaine Ferri 59’), Edwin Laszo, Diogo Pacheco, Stefan Stojanovic (Boubacar Diallo 59’), Faysal Bettache (Milo Yosef 59’); Phillip Goodrum
Unused Subs: Michael Creek (GK); Anthony Harper, Santiago Sanchez, Sebastian Sanchez, Rashid Tettah
Head Coach: Mario Sanchez
Possession: 46% | Shots: 12 | Shots On Goal: 3 | Corners: 3 | Fouls: 24 | Offsides: 1 |
Orange County SC @ FC Tulsa
2024 USL Championship | Matchday 23
Date: August 9, 2024
Venue: ONEOK Field (Tulsa, OK)
Weather: Those County Roads kits are nice, eh??