Kickoff: Saturday, October 28 (7:00 PM PST)
Where: Championship Stadium (Irvine, CA)
How to Watch: At The Champ, Bally Sports SoCal, ESPN+
After their 1-0 Quarterfinal victory over 7th seeded El Paso Locomotive FC, Orange County SC moves into the Western Conference Semifinals where they will face the 6-seed Phoenix Rising FC on Saturday, October 28 at Championship Stadium in Irvine, CA at 7:00 PM. We encourage all fans to arrive early with gates opening at 5:30 PM for a Pregame Playoff Party in the True Path Fan Zone!
RISING UP CALIFORNIA AND INTO THE SEMIS
Phoenix Rising FC enters the Western Conference Semifinals as the 6th seed in the USL Championship Western Conference. The Rising came out on top in a 4-3 extra time thriller, upsetting the 3-seed San Diego Loyal SC on the road at Torero Stadium last Sunday. A brace from forward Dariusz Formella to go along with goals from midfielder Panos Armenakas and forward Daniel Trejo showed the firepower this offense is capable of. The Rising can struggle at times finding some consistency, as their four goals last Saturday equaled their total from their final five regular season matches. Goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo ended the regular season with seven clean sheets and recorded 102 saves, second in the USL Championship, and added four more last Saturday.
2023 Regular Season Record: 12-12-10 (6th in USL-C Western Conference)
Goals Scored: 54 | Goals Allowed: 41 | Clean Sheets: 7
Players to Watch
F Dariusz Formella
GK Rocco Rios Novo
OCSC DEFENSE SHINES IN THE QUARTERS
Orange County SC heads into the Western Conference Semifinals as the 2nd seed in the USL Championship Western Conference, after they defeated 7-seed El Paso Locomotive FC 1-0 last Saturday. Club goal scoring record holder Milan Iloski scored his first USL Championship Playoffs goal of his career, and the defense secured their third straight clean sheet. Led by captain Markus Nakkim and Dillon Powers in central defense, the Black and Orange did not allow El Paso a single shot on target. This was the third time they have limited an opponent to zero shots on target in a match this season. They will have their hands full with the Rising’s potent attacking potential, but they will get an additional boost with the return of midfielder Kevin Partida this Saturday, who served a red card suspension in the Conference Quarterfinals. Partida’s motor and relentless energy as the anchor in the midfield bring a lot of value to the team week in and week out. OCSC will also have forward Marc “Sparky” McNulty once again eligible for selection, after he too has served his red card suspension. Sparky has seven goal contributions on the season.
Players to Watch
D Ryan Doghman
M Kevin Partida
All-time record:
Orange County SC is 9-13-9 all-time against Phoenix Rising FC, including 0-1 in the playoffs.
Previous Matchup: 2023 USL Championship
Phoenix Rising FC 1 – 1 Orange County SC (Phoenix Rising Stadium at 38th and Washington, Phoenix, AZ)
Scoring summary: Milan Iloski 61’ (OCSC), Emil Cuello 81’ (PRFC)
BECOME AN OWNER OF OCSC!
Orange County SC has over 400 new owners in their community investment round, which gives Orange County SC fans and soccer fans around the world the unique opportunity to own their own piece of Orange County SC! Become an owner and participate in OCSC’s collective success on the Republic page.
SECURE YOUR SEAT FOR 2024!
The only way to secure your seat for every Orange County SC home match in 2024 is by becoming a season ticket holder! Becoming a season ticket holder comes with special benefits, like your own entrance at The Champ, a ticket to one away game of your choice and much more! Deposits for the 2024 season are now open! Place yours today at orangecountysoccer.com/season-tickets.