Kickoff: Saturday, May 13 (8:00 PM PST)
Where: CSUEB Pioneer Stadium (Hayward, CA)
How to Watch: ESPN+
Orange County SC heads to Northern California for the first time this year to square off with the Oakland Roots at CSUEB Pioneer Stadium in Hayward, CA on Saturday, May 13 at 8:00 PM. Be sure to tune into ESPN+, the streaming home of the USL Championship, for a later kickoff, scheduled for 8:00 PM.
STRONG ROOTS IN DEFENSE
Oakland Roots Sports Club is in 7th place in the USL Championship Western Conference after eight matches. The Roots have become known for their 3-4-3 formation, featuring aggressive wingbacks in possession and a high press in defense. Their defense has held firm this season, allowing just over one goal per game. This is largely due to the play of goalkeeper Paul Blanchette, as the Palo Alto native is second in the league in saves with 31.
2023 Regular Season Record: 3-2-3 (7th in USL-C Western Conference)
Goals Scored: 11 | Goals Allowed: 9 | Clean Sheets: 3
Players to Watch
GK Paul Blanchette
F Johnny Rodriguez
GROUNDWORK FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON
In their first match under head coach Morten Karlsen, Orange County SC showed a marked difference in play at Championship Stadium last Saturday. For just the third time this year, OCSC won the possession battle, and did so by completing nearly 500 passes against San Diego. The team did so by playing less of their former long ball style of offense that they had formerly deployed. Something to keep an eye on as the season continues.
All-time record:
Orange County SC is 4-1-1 against Oakland Roots SC.
Previous Matchup: 2022 USL Championship Season
Oakland Roots SC 3 – 2 Orange County SC (Laney College Football Field, Oakland, CA)
Scoring Summary: Erick “Cubo” Torres (PK) 32’, Albi Skendi 65’ (OCSC), Ottar Magnus Karlsson 9’, 90 + 5’, Juan Carlos Azocar 90 + 3’ (OAK)
HE’S COMING HOME
This match will be a special one for midfielder Ashish Chattha, as he will be playing in the Bay Area for the first time as a professional. Chattha grew up in Fremont, CA, just 15 minutes away from the campus of Cal State East Bay. The local lad has appeared in all nine matches so far this season and has started in seven matches.
COME ENJOY “WHISKY WEDNESDAY” WITH US!
Orange County SC is proud to host the second of our Drinks With Us series, “Whisky Wednesday” presented by ImPex Beverages Inc., prior to our midweek match with Sacramento Republic FC on Wednesday, May 17. This exclusive one hour tasting event features samplings of top-shelf scotch from Scotland! A limited number of seats are still available to this pre-match party! You can get yours at https://orangecountysoccer.com/drinkswithus.
FLEX PACKS
Get your 10-game Orange County SC Flex Packs for the upcoming 2023 season. When you buy 9 tickets, you get a 10th for free! You can spread out the ten tickets across multiple games or bring out the whole crew for a game at the Champ. Flex packs can be purchased at https://www.orangecountysoccer.com/flex-packs/.