Orange County SC won their third consecutive match on Saturday, July 1 as they defeated Monterey Bay FC 3-1 in front of a sold out crowd at Championship Stadium for their 10th Anniversary celebration.
The game began quickly, as forward Marc “Sparky” McNulty nearly had a goal in the eighth minute, but his shot just drifted wide of the left side of goal.
OCSC had their first shot on target of the night in the ninth minute, when Sparky played forward Brian Iloski into the box, but the elder Iloski’s shot was saved by Monterey Bay goalkeeper Antony Siaha.
Entering the 35th minute, Hugh Roberts III scored Monterey’s first goal with a header following a corner, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead.
The Black and Orange had a few more chances to level the match going into halftime, but Monterey Bay was able to hold onto the lead going into halftime.
As the teams came out for the second half, goalkeeper Colin Shutler made his first save of the night in the 53rd minute, when he kept out a right-footed shot from MBFC midfielder Sam Gleadle near the top of the box.
Orange County SC finally broke through Monterey’s defense in the 70th minute. Sparky played a ball over the top for substitute forward Thomas Amang, who then beat Siaha with a cheeky finish just minutes after being subbed on. The two sides were level with just under 20 minutes to go.
Defender Owen Lambe put Orange County in the lead for the first time in the 78th minute. Substitute Ashish Chattha played a ball into the box for Lambe, who calmly collected the ball and rifled a shot that squeezed through Siaha. It is Lambe’s first goal for the club and OCSC led 2-1.
The Black and Orange claimed all three points when Amang scored his second goal of the night on a penalty kick in the first minute of injury time, resulting in a final score of 3-1.
Orange County SC returns to action next Saturday, July 8 in Edinburg, TX to face Rio Grande Valley FC. You can stream the matchup on Bally Sports SoCal and ESPN+. OCSC will return to The Champ on Saturday, July 29 when they face New Mexico United on Family Game Night! This is also our Touch-A-Truck event! Grab your tickets here today!
MILESTONES AND FACTS:
Tonight marked the first win over Monterey Bay FC in club history (1-2-0).
Forward Thomas Amang scored his second and third goals of the 2023 USL Championship campaign.
Defender Owen Lambe scored his first goal in an Orange County shirt, and first goal in the USL Championship, tonight.
Midfielder Ashish Chattha earned his first professional goal contribution with an assist tonight on defender Owen Lambe’s goal.
Tonight marked the final game in the career of goalkeeper Cody Cropper, as he is retiring after 134 professional appearances.
Tonight marked the final game in an Orange County shirt for captain and midfielder Daniel A. Pedersen, who will be returning home to Denmark following tonight’s match.
| TEAM | FIRST HALF | SECOND HALF | FULL TIME |
| MBFC | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| OCSC | 0 | 3 | 3 |
SCORING SUMMARY:
35’ Hugh Roberts III (MBFC)
70’ Thomas Amang (OCSC)
78’ Owen Lambe (OCSC)
90+1’ Thomas Amang – PK (OCSC)
DISCIPLINE SUMMARY:
ORANGE COUNTY SC
32’ Dillon Powers
83’ Milan Iloski
MONTEREY BAY FC
47’ Adrian Rebollar
56’ Walmer Martinez
64’ Mobi Fehr
74’ Morey Doner
ORANGE COUNTY SC LINEUP:
Colin Shutler (GK); Ryan Doghman, Markus Nakkim (C), Dillon Powers, Owen Lambe; Seth Casiple (Andrew Fox 85’), Kevin Partida, Kyle Scott (Ashish Chattha 70’), Brian Iloski (Thomas Amang 55’); Sparky McNulty (Korede Osundina 85’), Milan Iloski (Daniel A. Pedersen 85’)
Unused subs: Cody Cropper (GK), Alex Villanueva
Head Coach: Morten Karlsen
Possession: 51% | Shots: 25 | Shots On Goal: 11 | Corners: 9 | Fouls: 11 | Offsides: 1 |
MONTEREY BAY FC LINEUP:
Antony Siaha (GK); Hugh Roberts (C), Kai Greene, Morey Doner, Walmer Martinez (Grant Robinson 66’); James Murphy, Mobi Fehr, Adrian Rebollar (Jesus Enriquez 84’); Alex Dixon (Nevello Yoseke 78’), Sam Gleadle (Simon Dawkins 84’), Christian Volesky (Sean “Ugo” Okoli 78’)
Unused subs: Carlos Herrera (GK), Chase Boone, Nevello Yoseke
Head Coach: Frank Yallop
Possession: 49% | Shots: 8 | Shots On Goal: 2 | Corners: 5 | Fouls: 12 | Offsides: 4 |
Orange County SC vs. Monterey Bay FC
2023 USL Championship | Matchday 18
Date: July 1, 2023
Venue: Championship Stadium (Irvine, CA)
Weather: 3 goals, 3 points, 3 wins in a row…1 heckuva way to celebrate your 10th anniversary!