Know Your Opponent: Orange County SC

Two California rivals with the fate of the group hanging in the balance.

Sacramento and Orange County will meet up in the penultimate match for both clubs in the group stage. Both teams are in similar positions in the league standings, with the Republic just inside the playoff line and Orange County just outside. And both of these teams will look to use this match to build some momentum as we continue through the summer stretch. Coming into this one, Sacramento was in a three-way tie atop the group with Las Vegas Lights and Monterey Bay. Las Vegas has played one more match than the other two. Orange County has yet to register a point in this competition, having lost both of their matches. The two teams have already met once this season, with Orange County emerging victorious in a 2-1 win. If you want to read my match recap or listen to the podcast episode, you can click those links.

Orange County SC

Manager: Danny Stone

Formation: 4-1-4-1

Regular Season W-L-D: 5-6-1 (9th in USL Western Conference), 0-2-0 (7th in USL Cup Group 1)

Last 5 Games: LWLLW

Previous USL Cup Results: L 1-3 vs. Las Vegas, L 2-3 @ Monterey Bay

Players to Watch: Cameron Dunbar, Ethan Zubak

Top Goalscorers: Ethan Zubak - 3 goals

Top Assists: Tristan Trager, Ryan Doghman, Nico Benalcazar - 2 assists each

Top Yellow Cards: Kyle Scott - 5 yellow cards

Top Red Cards: Ryan Doghman - 1 red card

It will be interesting to see how both managers treat this match. Sacramento is fighting to stay on top of the group. And Orange County finds itself at the bottom. The question will be what kind of lineup each team puts out. Will we see a first-team lineup or a more rotated squad?

Zubak opens the score 💪#ForCounty | #OCvSAC pic.twitter.com/mu7dipjAWg

— Orange County SC (@orangecountysc) April 13, 2025

Way to be there 👊#ForCounty 🍊 pic.twitter.com/eIaV4gv2cg

— Orange County SC (@orangecountysc) June 15, 2025

Ok, so for the attack. Orange County has a similar goalscoring record to the Republic, with both teams on 17 goals for the season, on only four more shots, 148 vs. 144. Their buildup play seems to focus on holding possession just outside the opponent's box and sending players forward to try and connect in dangerous positions. Look for Christopher Hegardt to be the trigger that finds players like Ousmane Sylla, Cameron Dunbar, and Ethan Zubak. Nico Benalcazar leads the team in shots taken with 16 so far on the season. The thing is, he's taking those shots from the right back position. So he and Ryan Doghman, who plays on the opposite flank, will look to move forward into the opposing half. The Orange County attack is built on quick passing to break down the defense and finding connections to create dangerous positions. So, the Republic backline will have to keep their heads on a swivel to keep track of all the runners that are heading straight for them.

A 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚 counter ends with Adam Larsson doubling @MontereyBayFC's lead! 🌊#USLJägermeisterCup pic.twitter.com/AyqPQYUPF5

— USL Jägermeister Cup (@USL_Cup) June 1, 2025

I mentioned in the previous section that Orange County plays with their wingbacks in advanced positions. But, they play with a back 4 system. So, if you can catch Orange County with a quick turnover, you can be heading in the opposite direction with only two centerbacks in front of you. They have only kept one clean sheet so far in the league, which came in their last match against El Paso. They're also tied for 8th in the league in goals conceded, with 20 goals scored against them. Vuk Latinovich and Tom Brewitt are their current centerback pairing, with Colin Shutler being their choice in net. Danny Stone hasn't rotated their keeper in this competition, unlike Neill Collins' system of bringing in Jared Mazzola for the cup matches. When Sacramento isn't on the break, they will have to maintain constant pressure on this defensive unit and continue trying to poke holes, because space will be afforded to them. It will involve forcing them into unfavorable matchups and creating mistakes in their defensive rotations. It's Orange County's record so far versus their most recent result. Is the game against El Paso a sign of things to come for Orange County? Or is it just an outlier, and Orange County returns to their early-season form?

Republic's Way to Victory: Both teams will look to use this match as a momentum builder, with Sacramento and Orange County aiming to string together a couple of wins. The last match for Orange County, their defense shut out an exciting El Paso side. And for Sacramento, their attack returned to form, getting two against Rhode Island. Which one's form will hold strong? We've seen the Republic take on teams that are supposedly struggling in defense recently, such as Birmingham. However, hopefully, the Sacramento attack can expose an Orange County back four versus Birmingham's and Mark Briggs' back five. Both sets of defenses will have to stay on their toes to keep track of all the attackers, and whoever can do the better job will come away with the win.