Kickoff: Saturday, June 28 (7:00 PM PDT)
Where: Championship Soccer Stadium (Irvine, CA)
How to Watch: ESPN+, KCAL+, FanDuel Sports Network
Available in the U.K: USL on YouTube
OCSC enters its third match of the Jägermeister Cup looking for its first win in the group stage and a lifeline in the tournament. To have any chance of advancing in the tournament, OCSC needs to win both of its remaining matches, and they will need a strong offensive performance to improve in the standings based on goals scored. While not technically eliminated, OCSC will need to rely on outside factors, and advancing will require OCSC to win their remaining group stage matches and potentially depend on the results of other matches within their group.
OCSC is healthy, and fans should expect to see all the star players, some “Next Wave” talent, and the OC debut of Scottish midfielder Stephen Kelly. With goals scored as the tournament tiebreaker and a possible pathway for OCSC to qualify as a wildcard team, fans should expect an aggressive, attack-focused OCSC lineup looking to score early and often.
Orange County SC will return to the Champ on July 19th for Local Heroes Night and an in-conference match against Las Vegas Lights FC. For tickets, click HERE.
BEEN THERE DONE THAT
OCSC is very familiar with Sacramento, having faced them 28 times, the 4th most of any two teams in the USL Championship modern era. The last time these two clubs faced each other, Sacramento Republic FC became the sixth team to be credited with two own goals in the same USL Championship regular season game in its 2-1 defeat on April 12th, with goalkeeper Danny Vitiello and midfielder Blake Willey each being awarded own goals in the loss. Things haven’t been much better for Sac Republic since the April meeting with OC, and despite currently sitting one spot above OCSC on the table, OC has a game in hand on Sac and only sits one point behind.
Fans can expect the same high-pressing attack from Sacramento and the same standout players. Look for Danny Vitiello to do what he does best in goal, and the offensive duo of Russell Cicerone and Cristina Parano to lead the attack. Former League One Golden Boot winner Trevor Amann, who has a knack for scoring goals versus OC, should also make an appearance for Sac.
Sacramento Republic FC 2024 USL Championship Regular Season Record: 13-10-11
Goals Scored: 46 I Goals Allowed: 34 I Clean Sheets: 16
Players to Watch:
F Cristian Parano
GK Danny Vitiello
SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS…
Orange County SC should be well-rested after the bye week and still confident from the three-nil victory in El Paso. The return of a healthy Ethan Zubak was key to the victory, as the #9 scored a brace in the win. Cameron Dunbar and Nico Benalcazar also had standout performances in the victory and will feature on Saturday night. The most important outcome of the El Paso match was the return of “Shutout Shutler,” who secured his first clean sheet and road victory of the 2025 season. Shutler, along with the OCSC defense, will need to control the game tempo, maintain discipline, and control the midfield to disrupt Sacramento’s rhythm.
This is a cup match, so fans should expect to see some of the ”Next Wave” players in the rotation. OCSC 2 is in season, and the talented squad has shown very well in recent games. Last week, the 2’s defeated Capo FC by a score of 6-0. Ben Barjolo leads OCSC 2 in goals with 3. he scored a brace in the game against Capo FC. Gavin Kurnik, Nicola Ciott, and Cheik Koné may also see some playing time on Saturday
OCSC’s keys to victory will be: defensive discipline, set-piece execution, counter-attacking, and clinical finishing.
OCSC 2024 USL Championship Regular Season Record: 13-11-10
Goals Scored: 38 I Goals Allowed: 45 I Clean Sheets: 15
Players to Watch:
F Ethan Zubak
GK Colin Shutler
All-time Record:
Orange County SC is 11-11-6 all-time against Sacramento Republic FC (Last 5 against Sacramento Republic FC – 2-2-1)
Previous Matchup: 2025 USL Championship
Orange County SC 2-1 Sacramento Republic FC (April 12th, 2025 – Championship Soccer Stadium, CA)
Scoring Summary: 18’ OCSC – Danny Vitiello (OG) / 48’ OCSC – Blake Willey (OG) / 56’ SAC – Juan Sebastián Herrera