NEWS

ORANGE COUNTY SC FALLS 3-2 IN HEARTBREAK FASHION TO LAS VEGAS LIGHTS FC

Orange County SC dropped an agonizing 3-2 defeat to Las Vegas Lights FC at Championship Stadium in Irvine, CA on Saturday, August 31. The County Boys saw two first half goals from forward Ethan Zubak, but it was not enough for the three points.

Las Vegas had the first chance of the night in the fifth minute as midfielder Joseph-Claude Gyau sent a cross in the center of the box to midfielder Christian Pinzon. Pinzon connected with a header that just went over the top crossbar.

The Black and Orange took the lead in the 11th minute when forward Bryce Jamison led an attack through midfielder Chris Hegardt. Hegardt fired a shot from the center of the box that was blocked, but the ball found its way to midfielder Seth Casiple. Casiple beautifully lofted the ball over the top of the defense to forward Ethan Zubak. Zubak slid the ball in the back of the net putting OCSC up 1-0.

The County Boys continued on the front foot in the 19th minute as forward Cameron Dunbar crossed the ball into the center of the box, again finding Hegardt. Hegardt played the ball across the six yard box finding Zubak who tapped home from close range for his second of the night, putting the Black and Orange up 2-0.

Las Vegas countered in the 39th minute as the ball was played into the box to forward Khori Bennett. Bennett drew a foul, being taken down from behind by OCSC defender Dillon Powers in the box, resulting in a penalty kick for Las Vegas. Bennett stepped up to take the ensuing penalty kick, driving the ball into the bottom right corner of the net cutting the OCSC lead to 2-1.

OCSC had one more chance before the half in the 41st minute as Hegardt again led the attack. He found Dunbar in the left side of the box with plenty of space. Dunbar struck a rocket towards goal that was saved by Las Vegas goalkeeper Raiko Arozarena, keeping the 2-1 OCSC lead heading into the break.

The County Boys had the first chances of the second half in the 48th minute. Zubak led the charge again, finding space in the center of the box. He struck one towards goal that was saved away at the last minute by Arozarena. His shot was followed up by a nice move from Dunbar on the left side of the box, however, his shot went just wide left of the post.

Las Vegas broke through the OCSC back line again in the 63rd minute when midfielder Jean-Claude Ngando played the ball in behind the defense to Bennett. Bennett fired from the center of the box with his right foot and OCSC goalkeeper Colin Shutler just got a hand to it, but he couldn’t keep the ball out of the net, evening the score at 2-2.

The Lights found the go ahead goal in the 87th minute when substitute forward Vaughn Covil got the ball on the left side of the box. He fired a shot that deflected off Shutler and into the back of the net, giving Las Vegas the 3-2 victory.

The County Boys are off next week before returning home to The Champ for Local Heroes Night on Saturday, September 14! A limited number of tickets are still available, grab yours today.

MILESTONES AND FACTS:

Forward Ethan Zubak scored his fifth and sixth goals of the season tonight, giving him the team lead on the season.

TEAM	FIRST HALF	SECOND HALF	FULL TIME
LVL	1	2	3
OCSC	2	0	2

SCORING SUMMARY:

11’ Ethan Zubak (OCSC)

19’ Ethan Zubak (OCSC)

39’ Khori Bennett – PK (LVL)

63’ Khori Bennett (LVL)

87’ Markus Nakkim – OG (LVL)

DISCIPLINE SUMMARY:

ORANGE COUNTY SC

6’ Kyle Scott

37’ Dillon Powers

LAS VEGAS LIGHTS FC

76’ Charles Adams

90+3’ Joseph-Claude Gyau

ORANGE COUNTY SC LINEUP:

Colin Shutler (GK); Ryan Flood, Dillon Powers, Markus Nakkim (C), Owen Lambe; Seth Casiple (Ben Norris 59’), Chris Hegardt (Christian Sorto 59’), Kyle Scott; Bryce Jamison (Thomas Amang 74’), Ethan Zubak, Cameron Dunbar

Unused subs: Duran Ferree (GK), Jordan Chavez, Ashish Chattha, Ashton Miles, Ben Norris, Kevin Partida, Nico Ruiz, Christian Sorto

Interim Head Coach: Danny Stone

LAS VEGAS LIGHTS FC LINEUP:

Raiko Arozarena (GK); Grayson Doody, Maliek Howell, Joe Hafferty, Shawn Smart (Ousman Jabang 62’); Jean-Claude Ngando, Valentin Noël (Emrah Klimenta 90+3’), Andre Fortune (Charlie Adams 31’); Christian Pinzon (Vaughn Covil 62’), Khori Bennett, Joseph-Claude Gyau (Solomon Asante 90+3’)

Unused Subs: Austin Wormell (GK), Coleman Gannon

Head Coach: Dennis Sanchez

Orange County SC vs. Las Vegas Lights FC

2024 USL Championship | Matchday 26

Date: August 31, 2024

Venue: Championship Stadium (Irvine, CA)

Weather: Heartbreak Hotel

ORANGE COUNTY SC PARTS WAYS WITH HEAD COACH PAUL HARDYMAN

Orange County SC today parted ways with head coach Paul Hardyman, assistant coach during the 2021 USL Championship title winning season.

The former Sunderland and Portsmouth defender had been in charge for 10 matches since taking over as head coach in June when Morten Karlsen departed OCSC to accept a coaching position in the Danish Superliga, Denmark’s Top Division.

Hardyman joined Orange County as part of their partnership with Scottish Premiership side Rangers in 2021 and was instrumental in helping OCSC build out its Academy and Youth infrastructure upon his arrival. In addition, Hardyman joined the OCSC first team staff as Richard Chaplow’s assistant for the second half of the 2021 title winning season.

“We are grateful to Paul for all he has achieved and given to this club over the past years,” James Keston, CEO and majority owner of OCSC said.
“Paul was an integral part of the technical staff that helped us to our championship victory in 2021 and will forever be part of the club’s history, thanks both to his contributions as a coach for our first team and as a key part of our groundbreaking player development model. Paul used his vast experience in European football to help build and professionalize our structure, and he has made innumerable vital contributions to the development of some of our young players who are now succeeding at the highest level in Europe.

“Unfortunately, the results and performances this season since Paul took over as head coach have not been at the level either he or we as a club would have hoped for, so we have agreed that now is the right time for Paul to move on. We wish Paul and his family all the very best for the future.

“In addition, we thank Paul for generously requesting that a portion of his severance pay be donated to the Orange County Soccer Club Foundation, to which Paul gave countless hours of his time and energy in helping drive the Foundation’s ‘Soccer For All” Programs.’”

First assistant head coach Danny Stone, who has previously served as head coach of Phoenix Rising FC and OKC Energy, will take over as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

Orange County SC enters Saturday’s match in eighth place in the Western Conference Standings with nine matches remaining, including six at home. They play this Saturday against Las Vegas Lights FC at 7:00 PM at Championship Stadium.

NEXT WAVE DEFENDER PEDRO GUIMARAES CALLED IN TO USYNT U-17 CAMP FOR VACLAV JEZEK TOURNAMENT

Orange County SC can confirm the United States Youth National Team roster selection of defender Pedro Guimaraes for the upcoming U-17 Vaclav Jezek Tournament in Mikulov, Czechia from August 30-September 9. Fresh off his USL Championship debut, Guimaraes now heads to Central Europe for the first camp of the new cycle for the U-17s, after being one of two players to feature in every U-16 camp for this age group last year.

The Aliso Viejo resident is the lone USL Championship player to be selected to the roster. The promising left-back has previously appeared for the U-15 squad, where the USYNT won the U-15 CONCACAF Championships.

The USYNT U-17 squad will face Germany, Czechia, and Slovakia as part of the tournament in Mikulov. Fellow Next Wave member Bryce Jamison appeared at this tournament last year prior to making the U-17 World Cup roster. Guimaraes will return from international duty at the completion of the tournament.

Congratulations Pedro on your first U-17 international call-up! Everyone at Orange County SC wishes you the best of luck.

OPEN LETTER FROM THE OWNER

As the majority owner of Orange County Soccer Club, I am proud of what we have built and the results we have achieved over the past decade, both on the field and in the global transfer market. Our result on Saturday night in Charleston was not up to the standards we have set for ourselves. The string of results over the past month have been some of the poorest I have seen as Club owner. With over a thousand committed season ticket holders and now thousands of new owners, we have a larger and more engaged group than ever before holding us to account. We hear you. And we need to do better.

You can expect a different performance next week. Like all of you, I expect to see a level of commitment in the coming games worthy of our fans, a performance to show you the pride our players have in our crest and our club.

Despite the heaviest defeat in club history on Saturday, we sit in 8th place in the Standings, at the edge of the playoffs. As you saw in our 2021 championship run – and as Phoenix showed last year – it is how you finish the season that counts. There are a lot of points still available, and even a home playoff game is still possible. I will be at Championship Soccer Stadium on Saturday night to support the 11 players we put out on the pitch. I hope to see you all there with me, screaming your heads off and letting them know OC is our County.

The Playoffs for OCSC start on Saturday night at the Champ. Now, more than ever, we need you. Every game matters, every goal matters and every fan matters.

Thank you for your support, in the good times and in the tough times.

James A. Keston
CEO & Majority Owner

ORANGE COUNTY SC DEFEATED ON THE ROAD IN CHARLESTON

In their final East Coast road trip of the season, Orange County SC suffered their most lopsided loss of the season in a 6-0 defeat to the Charleston Battery at Patriots Point Soccer Stadium in Mt. Pleasant, SC on Saturday, August 24.

The Black and Orange threatened early in the 3rd minute after midfielder Chris Hegardt won a free kick. Defender Ryan Doghman sent in the ensuing free kick from a dangerous position into the box that captain Markus Nakkim headed wide right and out of play.

In the 5th minute things took a turn for the worst when Doghman conceded a penalty and was shown a straight red card, putting the County Boys down to 10 men. USL Championship Golden Boot Race leader Nicholas Markanich scored the penalty in the 7th minute to put Charleston 1-0 up.

Goalkeeper Colin Shutler kept the scoreline at 1-0 with a save at full stretch in the 36th minute, keeping out a rocket from Charleston midfielder Juan Torres that seemed destined for the top corner.

The Battery added a second goal in the 39th minute, when midfielder Arturo Rodriguez scored off a right-footed volley from outside the box into the bottom right corner. Charleston took that 2-0 lead into the halftime break.

Shortly after halftime in the 48th minute, Markanich added his second goal of the night off a left-footed volley in the box and Charleston took a 3-0 lead.

In the 62nd minute Charleston defender Mark Segbers was shown a straight red card for a foul on Nakkim and Charleston was also brought down to 10 men for the remaining 28 minutes of the match.

However, the Black and Orange were unable to slow down the Battery, striking for two goals in quick succession just 10 minutes after 10-v-10 play began, with substitute MD Myers scoring his first of the night in the 72nd minute and Markanich completing his hat trick in the 75th minute. Myers would add a second in the 89th minute just before stoppage time and Charleston led 6-0.

The lone shot on target for OCSC came in the third minute of stoppage time after substitute Jordan Chavez headed a ball on target inside the box that was saved by Charleston goalkeeper Adam Grinwis.

The County Boys return home to The Champ on Saturday, August 31 as they host Las Vegas Lights FC during our Labor Day Beer Fest! Come sample over 50 different flavors of beer, cider and seltzer from around the County! A limited number of tickets are still available, grab yours today.

MILESTONES AND FACTS:

Orange County SC has now been held scoreless for 452 straight minutes.

Tonight, OCSC allowed the most goals in a single match since August 24, 2019 (6-2 L @ Real Monarchs)

Defender Pedro Guimaraes made his USL Championship debut tonight, coming on for Ryan Flood in the 76th minute.

TEAM	FIRST HALF	SECOND HALF	FULL TIME
OCSC	0	0	0
CHS	2	4	6

SCORING SUMMARY:

7’ Nicholas Markanich (CHS)

39’ Arturo Rodriguez (CHS)

48’ Nicholas Markanich (CHS)

72’ MD Myers (CHS)

75’ Nicholas Markanich (CHS)

89’ MD Myers (CHS)

DISCIPLINE SUMMARY:

ORANGE COUNTY SC

5’ Ryan Doghman – RED

77’ Seth Casiple

CHARLESTON BATTERY

62’ Mark Segbers – RED

ORANGE COUNTY SC LINEUP:

Colin Shutler (GK); Ryan Doghman, Andrew Fox (Jordan Chavez 58’), Markus Nakkim (C), Owen Lambe (Ashton Miles 58’); Dillon Powers, Ben Norris (Christian Sorto 76’), Chris Hegardt (Ethan Zubak 58’); Bruce Jamison, Ryan Flood (Pedro Guimaraes 78’), Cameron Dunbar (Seth Casiple 58’)

Unused subs: Duran Ferree (GK)

Head Coach: Paul Hardyman

CHARLESTON BATTERY LINEUP:

Adam Grinwis (GK); Nathan Dossantos (Josh Drack 78’), Graham Smith, Leland Archer (C) (Samuel Biek 82’), Mark Segbers; Chris Allan (Emilio Ycaza 63’), Jay Chapman, Arturo Rodriguez (Robbie Crawford 66’); Juan Torres, Jackson Conway (MD Myers 63’), Nicholas Markanich (Prince Saydee 78’)

Unused Subs: Daniel Kuzemka (GK), Enzo Mori (GK); Ezekiel Soto

Head Coach: Ben Pirmann

Orange County SC @ Charleston Battery

2024 USL Championship | Matchday 25

Date: August 24, 2024

Venue: Patriots Point Soccer Stadium (Mt. Pleasant, SC)

Weather: Gotta dig deep, everything still to play for…

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE ORANGE COUNTY SC FACES THE BATTERY IN CHARLESTON

Kickoff: Saturday, August 24 (4:30 PM PDT)

Where: Patriots Point Soccer Stadium (Charleston, SC)

How to Watch: KCAL 9, CBS Sports Golazo Network

After a frustrating result at home against El Paso, the Black and Orange head on the final East Coast road trip of the season when they head to Patriots Point Soccer Stadium in Charleston, SC for a matchup with the Charleston Battery. Despite their recent run of form, The County Boys still occupy a playoff spot in the Western Conference. A positive result in The Holy City could be just what the team needs to lead their charge to the playoffs…

FORTRESS PATRIOTS POINT

The Charleston Battery enter Saturday’s contest in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference. The 2023 USL Championship Runners-UP have returned with a vengeance in the 2024 USL Championship season, behind current USL Championship Golden Boot race leader, forward Nicholas Markanich. The 24-year-old forward currently sits on 21 goals to go along with five assists prior to Saturday’s contest. He has scored in two of their previous three matches, and five straight matches at home. Not only do the Battery have the league’s highest goal scorer and the second most potent offense (51 GF), they also have the stingiest defense in the East (24 GA). Much of the Battery’s success can be attributed to their defense of Patriots Point this season, as Charleston holds the second best record at home so far in 2024 (LOU 11-1-0). The Battery are 9-1-1 on their home pitch this season and have outscored their opponents 32-7.

2024 Regular Season Record: 14-7-4 (2nd in USL-C Eastern Conference)

Goals Scored: 51 I Goals Allowed: 24 I Clean Sheets: 11

Players to Watch

F Nicholas Markanich

M Aaron Molloy

SEARCHING FOR A SPARK

As they head east for the final time in 2024, Orange County SC enter Saturday’s contest in 7th place in the Western Conference, holding on to one of the final playoff spots as the USL Championship season enters the home stretch. It’s been well documented that the County Boys have endured a rough stretch, but their previous outing at home to El Paso showed that it is not for lack of opportunity. They generated 14 chances created, with midfielder Chris Hegardt generating a match-high four chances last Saturday and defender Owen Lambe creating three. If they are to end their 362 minute scoreless streak, they need to convert a few of these opportunities on Saturday.

Players to Watch

F Cameron Dunbar

M Chris Hegardt

All-time record

Orange County SC is 1-1-1 all-time against the Charleston Battery.

Previous Matchup: 2023 USL Championship

Orange County SC 2 – 0 Charleston Battery (Championship Stadium, Irvine, CA)

Scoring summary: Brian Iloski 45 +1’, Owen Lambe 62’ (OCSC)

BEGIN YOUR LABOR DAY WEEKEND WITH BREWS!

Orange County SC’s fourth Beer Fest installment of the season, our Labor Day Beer Fest, is coming to The Champ next Saturday, August 31 as the County Boys host Las Vegas Lights FC. Come taste over 50 different flavors of beer, seltzer and cider from around the county! Tickets are going fast, so grab yours today at orangecountysoccer.com/beerfest!

THE KITS ARE HERE!

The 2024 County Roads and Classic kits from our official outfitter at hummel are now back in stock! Our jet black kit features a road map of Orange County in orange on the front of the kit and our Orange home kit with black accents are now back in stock in all sizes. Grab your County Roads kit and Classic kit at the stadium on Saturday or at ocscshop.com today, and Rep the County!

FLEX ON ‘EM

Did you miss out on your chance to join Orange County SC’s Season Ticket Holder Family, but still want to attend multiple of OCSC’s remaining home matches at The Champ? Then our 10 ticket Flex Packs are exactly what you need! They’re the best way to attend multiple matches with a friend, or bring out the whole squad and use all 10 in one match! The choice is yours, it’s…flexible. Head to orangecountysoccer.com/flex-packs for more information.

ORANGE COUNTY SC FALLS TO EL PASO 1-0 AT HOME

Orange County SC fell 1-0 to El Paso Locomotive FC on Saturday, August 17 at Championship Stadium in Irvine, CA. The County Boys had four shots on target, but were unable to convert in the end.

The County Boys had the first chance of the night in the 15th minute as defender Owen Lambe won a free kick in the attacking half of the pitch. Lambe sent in the ensuing free kick finding captain Markus Nakkim in the center of the box. Nakkim headed the ball down and away, wide left of the frame.

El Paso had an opportunity in the 22nd minute as captain Eric Calvillo found midfielder Robert Coronado just outside the box. Coronado fired one from distance that OCSC goalkeeper Colin Shutler just got a fingertip to, knocking the ball out of play.

The Black and Orange found themselves on the attack again in the 37th minute as midfielder Kyle Scott led the charge and found midfielder Chris Hegardt just outside the box. Hegardt fired a rocket from distance that was saved by El Paso goalkeeper Jahmali Waite.

OCSC nearly found a spark just before the half, as defender Ryan Doghamn lofted the ball to Hegardt in the box. Hegardt gathered and blasted a strike right at the center of the goal that beat the keeper, but was cleared off the line by, sending both teams into the break tied 0-0.

The Black and Orange had their best chance of the second half in the 51st minute when Hegardt played the ball across the pitch to substitute Ryan Flood. Flood unleashed a powerful shot towards goal with his left foot that was saved by Waite.

El Paso threatened in the 55th minute as forward Tumi Moshobane found forward Amando Moreno on the left side of the pitch. Moreno fired a right-footed shot from outside the box that was saved in the bottom left corner of the net by Shutler.

El Paso got the ball in behind the OCSC defense in the 64th minute forcing a foul from behind from Scott resulting in a penalty for El Paso. Calvillo stepped up to take the ensuing penalty kick, sending the ball into the bottom left corner of the net for the first goal of the game, putting El Paso up 1-0.

The County Boys had a chance in the 76th minute as Hegardt found forward Cameron Dunbar on the right side of the box. Dunbar sent in a shot with his right foot that was saved in the bottom left corner of the net by Waite.

The Black and Orange again pushed forward in the 83rd minute as substitute forward Bryce Jamison lofted the ball to Zubak on the left side of the box. Zubak headed the ball just over the bar. The Boys were unable to find an answer in the end, as they fell 1-0.

The County Boys are on the road next week against Charleston Battery FC but will return home to The Champ on Saturday, August 31 as they host Las Vegas Lights FC during our Labor Day Beer Fest! Come sample over 50 different flavors of beer, cider and seltzer from around the County! A limited number of tickets are still available, grab yours today.

MILESTONES AND FACTS:

This is the fourth straight game where OCSC has failed to score a goal, extending their goal drought to 403 minutes.

Midfielder Kyle Scott was shown a yellow card tonight making him unavailable for next week’s contest in Charleston due to Yellow Card Accumulation.

TEAM	FIRST HALF	SECOND HALF	FULL TIME
ELP	0	1	1
OCSC	0	0	0

SCORING SUMMARY:

64’ Eric Calvillo – PK (ELP)

DISCIPLINE SUMMARY:

ORANGE COUNTY SC

33’ Ben Norris

54’ Chris Hegardt

69’ Bryce Jamison

71’ Kyle Scott

EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC

80’ Miles Lyons

89’ Amando Moreno

ORANGE COUNTY SC LINEUP:

Colin Shutler (GK); Ryan Doghman (Bryce Jamison 65’), Andrew Fox, Markus Nakkim (C), Owen Lambe; Dillon Powers (Nico Ruiz 86’), Ben Norris (Ryan Flood 45’), Kyle Scott, Chris Hegardt (Seth Casiple 81’); Ethan Zubak, Cameron Dunbar (Christian Sorto 81’)

Unused subs: Duran Ferree (GK); Ryan Ayoub, Jordan Chavez, Pedro Guimaraes

Head Coach: Paul Hardyman

EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC LINEUP:

Jahmali Waite (GK); Ricky Ruiz, Noah Dollenmayer, Brandan Craig, Wahab Ackwei, Miles Lyons; Robert Coronado, Eric Calvillo (C); Andy Cabrera (Bolu Akinyode 78’) Amando Moreno (Nick Hinds 89’), Tumi Moshobane (Ricardo Zacarias 78’)

Unused Subs: Ramon Pasquel (GK); Mario Rodriguez, Stiven Rivas, Joaquin Rivas

Head Coach: Wilmer Cabrera

Orange County SC vs. El Paso Locomotive FC

2024 USL Championship | Matchday 24

Date: August 17, 2024

Venue: Championship Stadium (Irvine, CA)

Weather: Off-pitch tonight

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE ORANGE COUNTY SC BATTLES WITH EL PASO ON SOUNDS OF OC NIGHT

Kickoff: Saturday, August 17 (7:00 PM PDT)

Where: Championship Stadium (Irvine, CA)

How to Watch: At The Champ, Bally Sports SoCal, CBS Sports Golazo Network

Fresh off their first road result in over a month, Orange County SC return to center stage at The Champ as they host El Paso Locomotive FC for Sounds of OC Night on Saturday, August 17 at 7:00 PM. The County Boys are currently in possession of one of the last remaining playoff spots in the West, but with how tight the race is, points are at a premium. Like a backstage pass at a Great Park Live concert…

OUT OF TUNE

El Paso Locomotive FC enter Saturday’s contest in 12th place in the Western Conference. They have struggled to put together any sort of run so far this season. Through 23 matches, they have compiled only 16 points, have scored the least amount of goals in the USL Championship (18) and have allowed the most goals in the Western Conference (35, only Hartford and Miami have allowed more). However, they have seen an uptick in performance since the arrival of new head coach Wilmer Cabrera. Cabrera has led them to three wins and two draws in 12 matches. They are coming off a 2-0 midweek loss to Sacramento Republic FC and now head down the Golden State as they desperately try to keep their playoff hopes alive. A positive for the Locomotive? They have performed better on the road this season than they have at home, with three of their four wins coming away from Southwest University Park.

2024 Regular Season Record: 4-4-15 (12th in USL-C Western Conference)

Goals Scored: 18 I Goals Allowed: 35 I Clean Sheets: 3

Players to Watch

M Eric Calvillo

F Amando Moreno

ATTEMPTING TO LEAVE NO DOUBT

Orange County SC enter Saturday’s contest in 7th place in the Western Conference, holding on to one of the final playoff spots as the USL Championship season enters the home stretch. In their final 11 matches of the season, seven of them will be contested at the friendly confines of Championship Stadium. It also helps that they have the second kindest strength of schedule remaining in the Western Conference, per Dan Weiss of SAFC on X. However, a favorable schedule means nothing if you can’t turn that into results. After a gritty performance on the road against Tulsa last Saturday that earned them their first road point in over a month, OCSC will now look to carry that momentum into a home match with El Paso, a side they have earned a result against in each of their previous two matches.

Players to Watch

D Markus Nakkim

F Ethan Zubak

All-time record

Orange County SC is 2-3-4 all-time against El Paso Locomotive FC.

Previous Matchup: 2023 USL Championship Playoffs

Orange County SC 1 – 0 El Paso Locomotive FC (Championship Stadium, Irvine, CA)

Scoring summary: Milan Iloski 45 +1’ (OCSC)

GET READY TO ROCK AND ROLL!

Orange County SC is proud to be hosting the School of Rock Santa Ana for a pregame concert in the Fan Zone on Saturday! They will begin their performance at 6:10, so make sure that you’re in the gates early! Enjoy $9 Margarita specials during the entire concert leading up to kickoff!

THE KITS ARE HERE!

FLEX ON ‘EM

ORANGE COUNTY SC EARNS A HARD FOUGHT POINT IN GOALLESS DRAW WITH FC TULSA

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

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

FC TULSA LINEUP:

Unused Subs: Michael Creek (GK); Anthony Harper, Santiago Sanchez, Sebastian Sanchez, Rashid Tettah

Head Coach: Mario Sanchez

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??

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE ORANGE COUNTY SC HEADS TO THE OIL CAPITAL OF THE WORLD TO FACE FC TULSA

Kickoff: Friday, August 9 (5:30 PM PDT)

Where: ONEOK Field (Tulsa, OK)

How to Watch: ESPN+

As they are still trying to find some consistency, Orange County SC hits the road again for a match under the Friday Night Lights with FC Tulsa at ONEOK Field in Tulsa, OK on Friday, August 9 at 5:30 PM. Last year it was a combination of three points and team bonding in a tornado shelter postgame that helped get the Black and Orange on their way from 11th to 2nd in the table. Can they capture some of that magic again Friday? (Minus the tornado part…)

EVERYTHING’S COMING UP (PATINA) GREEN

FC Tulsa enter Saturday’s contest in 10th place in the Western Conference. However, FC Tulsa is in prime position to make a run into the postseason. While they are in 10th heading into Friday, they are only two points behind Monterey Bay FC and the 8th spot in the West. Couple that with the fact that they have three matches in hand on the majority of the current Western Conference playoff field and if they can take care of business in those games, they’ll be in a much different (and better) spot than they are in now. They are on a good pace recently, having lost just one time in their last eight matches (4-3-1) after a 3-1 victory over SAFC. Saturday’s match begins a stretch of seven current playoff opponents in a month’s time, so they’ll need to continue this pace they are on in order to take advantage of those matches in hand.

2024 Regular Season Record: 6-7-6 (10th in USL-C Western Conference)

Goals Scored: 21 I Goals Allowed: 27 I Clean Sheets: 5

Players to Watch

F Phillip Goodrum

M Blaine Ferri

DOES LIGHTNING STRIKE TWICE?

It struck more than a few times the last time Orange County SC paid a visit to the Oil Capital of the World, but that’s not the kind of lightning we are talking about. After a 1-0 defeat to NCFC at The Champ last Saturday, the Black and Orange now have 12 matches left to solidify their playoff spot and advance higher up the table. Last year it was a trip to ONEOK Field and a 3-0 victory that gave the County Boys their first road win of the season, and at the time their first win outside of the state in over a year, that propelled their rise from the conference cellar to a stretch of 11 wins in 12 matches and a 2nd place regular season finish in the West. They’ll turn to some familiar faces, like forwards Bryce Jamison and Ethan Zubak and last week’s Bass Pro Shops Man of the Match, defender Owen Lambe, as well as some new ones like midfielder Chris Hegardt to try and right the ship and finish the season strong. It all started in Tulsa last year…who’s to say that can’t happen again?

Players to Watch

M Chris Hegardt

D Owen Lambe

All-time record

Orange County SC is 7-1-4 all-time against FC Tulsa.

Previous matchup: 2024 USL Championship

Orange County SC 1 – 0 FC Tulsa (Championship Stadium, Irvine, CA)

Scoring summary: Sofiane Djeffal 27’ (OCSC)

GET READY TO ROCK AND ROLL!

Orange County SC returns home to Championship Stadium on Saturday, August 17 for Sounds of OC Night as the County Boys take on El Paso Locomotive FC at 7:00 PM! A limited number of tickets are still available, get yours here!

THE KITS ARE HERE!

FLEX ON ‘EM

NEWS

Orange County SC Newsletter