Sacramento and OCSC met for the 28th time on Saturday night in front of a packed house, ready to celebrate Gnarly’s birthday party. The game was a tightly contested competition with Orange County SC edging out Sacramento Republic FC with a 2-1 victory.
The game started at a fast pace, with teams trading counterattacks. The game’s first big chance came in the 4th minute when Ousmane Sylla’s strike went just wide of the net.
In the 8th minute, Bryce Jamison sped down the field but blasted his shot over the bar. Orange County SC kept up the pressure in the 10th minute, as MacKinnon linked up with Ethan Zubak, whose on-target effort was parried away by Sacramento goalkeeper Danny Vitiello.
Sacramento responded in the 12th minute with their first shot on target, comfortably saved by Orange County SC goalkeeper Colin Shutler.
OCSC responded with a counter of their own on another Jamison breakaway in the 15th minute, but his cross to Zubak was just out of reach, resulting in a goal kick for Sacramento.
OCSC wasn’t done with its attack, and in the 18th minute, Kyle Scott started another counterattack with a pass to Ryan Doghman, who then delivered a perfectly placed ball to Ethan Zubak, leading to the first score of the game, OCSC up 1-0 —OCSC’s first goal in 3 games.
Despite Sacramento’s efforts to respond, Orange County’s defense held firm, with their goalkeeper making a crucial save to preserve the lead. Heading into halftime, Orange County led 1-0, though Sacramento showed signs of life late in the half.
The second half began with the same intensity as the first, as Bryce Jamison unleashed a powerful right-footed shot on target in the 48th minute. The ball deflected off Sacramento defender Blake Willey, who slid in an attempt to block it, resulting in an own goal that put Orange County SC ahead 2-0.
Sacramento Republic FC responded with renewed purpose, pushing for a goal, and their persistence paid off when Sebastian Herrera’s header from the center of the box narrowly slid past Shutler and into the left corner, putting Sacramento on the board 1-2.
In the 76th minute, Colin Shutler and the OCSC defense fought off a flurry of point-blank shots on target, finally deflecting the ball out of play, leading to a Sacramento corner kick. Shutler was shaken up on the play but was okay and remained in the game, and the corner kick was cleared, allowing OCSC time to regroup and counter.
Sacramento pressed desperately in the final minutes, but Orange County’s defense stood tall, securing the three points at home.
OCSC will join the 3rd round of the US Open Cup on Tuesday when the Orange and Black travel to Lancaster, CA, to face off against USL League One rivals AV Alta FC. The teams faced each other for the first time in the pre-season, with OCSC defeating the newcomers 1-0 in a very physical match. For tickets and more information, please visit HERE.
MILESTONES AND FACTS:
Lyam MacKinnon made his first ULS Championship start for OCSC
| TEAM | FIRST HALF | SECOND HALF | FULL TIME |
| OCSC | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| SAC | 0 | 1 | 1 |
SCORING SUMMARY:
18’ Ethan Zubak (Assist Ryan Doghman)
48’ Own Goal Blake Willey
56’ Sebastian Herrera
DISCIPLINE SUMMARY:
ORANGE COUNTY SC
13’ Yellow Card Kyle Scott
61’ Yellow Card Ousmane Sylla
72’ Yellow Card Chris Hegardt
87’ Yellow Card Grayson Doody
90+4 Yellow Card Colin Shutler
SACRAMENTO REPUBLIC FC
42’ Yellow Card Dominik Wanner
57’ Luis Fernandes
ORANGE COUNTY SC LINEUP:
Colin Shutler (GK); Grayson Doody, Tom Brewitt (C), Nicholas Benalcazar, Ryan Doghman, Kyle Scott (89’ Ashton Miles), Kevin Partida, Lyam MacKinnon (78’ Vuk Latinovich), Ousmane Sylla (62’ Chris Hegardt), Bryce Jamison (62’ Mouhamadou War), Ethan Zubak,
Unused subs: Tetsuya Kadono (GK); Benjamin Barjolo, Pedro Guimaraes, Cameron Dunbar, Gavin Karram,
Interim Head Coach: Danny Stone
Possession: 41% | Shots: 11 | Shots On Goal: 3 | Corners: 0 | Fouls: 13 | Offsides: 3 |
SACRAMENTO REPUBLIC FC LINEUP:
Danny Vitiello (GK); Ryan Spaulding (65’ Rayan Djedje), Jared Timmer (65’ Chibuike Ukaebu), Freddy Kleemann, Michelle Benitez, Blake Willey (71’ Rodrigo Lopez), Luis Felipe Rodrigues, Cristian Parano, Russell Cicerone, Dominik Wanner, Lewis Jamieson (45’ Juan Herrera)
Unused subs: Jared Mazzola (GK); Aaron Edwards, Tyler Clegg
Head Coach: Neill Collins
Possession: 59% | Shots: 17 | Shots On Goal: 5 | Corners: 3 | Fouls: 14 | Offsides: 2 |
Orange County SC v. Sacramento Republic FC
2025 USL Championship | Matchday 5
Date: April 12, 2025
Venue: Championship Soccer Stadium, Irvine, CA