Kickoff: Saturday, June 7th (7:30 PM PDT)
How to Watch: Golazo, Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video
Available in the U.K.: USL on YouTube
Orange County SC heads to the desert looking for 3 points in Phoenix. If there is any club in the league that OC considers a true rival, Phoenix is it. The two clubs have faced off more times than any other teams in the USL Championship, with 32 regular-season meetings and 2 playoff meetings since 2011. Matches between OCSC and Phoenix never disappoint, and Saturday’s match shouldn’t be any different. Expect a fast-paced, physical rivalry match between two teams with a lot of history. Phoenix and OCSC have not drawn any of their last three head-to-head matches, so someone will likely leave Saturday night with 3 points.
OCSC will stay on the road for a couple more games before returning to The Champ on June 28th to celebrate Christmas in June when the club faces Sacramento Republic FC. For tickets, clickHERE.
HOT IN THE DESERT
Phoenix might be one of the hottest teams in the West, going undefeated in their last 5 with three wins and two draws. They also just got two points in a penalty shoot-out victory against New Mexico in the Jägermeister Cup. Former OCSC goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky earned the starting goalkeeper position and has returned to old form with 18 saves and 2 clean sheets. Along with a stout defense, Phoenix boasts a powerful attack, with three players tied for the club lead with three goals each. Watch out for Hope Avayevu, who leads the club in goals (3), shots (14), and assists (4).
Phoenix Rising FC 2024 USL Championship
Regular Season Record: 11-14-9 (8th Place in the West)
Goals Scored: 33 | Goals Allowed: 39 | Clean Sheets: 13
Players to Watch:
M Hope Avayevu
GK Patrick Rakovsky
KEEP IT CLEAN
OCSC heads to the desert looking for its first away win and clean sheet of 2025. Everyone on the team knows the importance of bringing home points from this road trip, and the lack of clean sheets looms large over the defense. The defense continues to build chemistry and grow together. If everyone is healthy, OC should be stingy in the defensive third; if not, look for Nico Benazcalar to step up and lead. The OCSC midfield should continue to dominate the middle of the field with Kevin Partida controlling pace and possession. With Bryce Jamison away on international duty, Cameron Dunbar will lead the attack from the wings with Lyam MacKinnon and Ousmane Sylla looking for chances in the box. Ethan Zubak should be available for a shift on Saturday night. The last time he faced Phoenix, he dropped a brace on them. Right now, Ethan is 3 goals away from 40, and he hopes to reach that milestone as fast as he can.
Don’t expect to see many changes in the OCSC lineup, formation, or play style in game 11. Coach Stone’s mantra is “Stay the Course,” and OCSC will need to stay the course on Saturday if they are going to leave the desert with 3 points.
OCSC 2024 USL Championship
Regular Season Record: 13-11-10
Goals Scored: 38 I Goals Allowed: 45 I Clean Sheets: 15
Players to Watch:
F Cameron Dunbar
GK Colin Shutler
All-time Record:
Orange County SC is 10-15-9 all-time against Phoenix Rising FC (Last 5 against PHX- 1-3-1)
Previous Matchup: 2024 USL Championship
Orange County SC 2-0 Phoenix (September 25th, 2024, Irvine, CA)
Scoring Summary: OCSC Ethan Zubak 7’ & 39’