Kickoff: Saturday, August 3 (7:00 PM PDT)
Where: Championship Stadium (Irvine, CA)
How to Watch: At The Champ, Bally Sports SoCal, ESPN+
The County Boys Return to Championship Stadium in Irvine, CA as they host North Carolina FC for the first time in club history on Get Fit Night at 7:00 PM PDT. The Black and Orange are looking to get back into the win column again at home, facing an opponent who has struggled on the road so far this season.
STRUGGLES AWAY FROM THE NEST
North Carolina FC enter Saturday’s contest in 9th place in the Eastern Conference. This is their second stint in the USL Championship (2018-2020) after spending three seasons in USL League One (2021-2023). The 2023 USL League One Champions have not had the same success they enjoyed last year after moving back up into the Championship. They currently sit below the playoff line in 9th place, after a 2-1 loss last week on the road against Rhode Island FC, ending a three game unbeaten stretch (1-0-2). They have not won back-to-back matches all season and are just 1-6-2 away from WakeMed Soccer Park. Former San Diego Loyal forward Evan Conway leads the side with seven goals so far this season.
2024 Regular Season Record: 5-8-7 (9th in USL-C Eastern Conference)
Goals Scored: 26 I Goals Allowed: 24 I Clean Sheets: 7
Players to Watch
F Evan Conway
M Louis Perez
LOOKING TO BOUNCE BACK TO WINNING SHAPE
Orange County SC dropped a harsh 3-0 decision on the road last weekend to the Legion in Birmingham, but the final scoreline did not accurately reflect the match. The Black and Orange had a golden chance sent back by the post and conceded two goals while pushing for the equaling goal late on. Goalkeeper Tomás Gómez recorded six saves on the night. Now, they return home to The Champ where they have won three out of their last four, including two straight. Each of those previous two wins has come on the back of a loss, so while they might still be looking to find some consistency, their ability to bounce back has been on display. They will look to do so again behind their active leading goal scorers forwards Bryce Jamison and Ethan Zubak leading the pack, but they have demonstrated that goals can come from anywhere. As their defense provided both goals in their last win at The Champ, a 2-0 triumph over SAFC.
Players to Watch
F Bryce Jamison
M Kyle Scott
All-time record:
This is the inaugural meeting between Orange County SC and North Carolina FC.
GET READY TO ROCK AND ROLL!
Orange County SC heads on the road next Friday, but returns home to Championship Stadium on Saturday, August 17 for Sounds of OC Night as the County Boys take on El Paso Locomotive FC at 7:00 PM! A limited number of tickets are still available, get yours here!
THE KITS ARE HERE!
The 2024 County Roads and Classic kits from our official outfitter at hummel are now back in stock! Our jet black kit features a road map of Orange County in orange on the front of the kit and our Orange home kit with black accents are now back in stock in all sizes. Grab your County Roads kit and Classic kit at the stadium on Saturday or at ocscshop.com today, and Rep the County!
FLEX ON ‘EM
Did you miss out on your chance to join Orange County SC’s Season Ticket Holder Family, but still want to attend multiple of OCSC’s remaining home matches at The Champ? Then our 10 ticket Flex Packs are exactly what you need! They’re the best way to attend multiple matches with a friend, or bring out the whole squad and use all 10 in one match! The choice is yours, it’s…flexible. Head to orangecountysoccer.com/flex-packs for more information.