Orange County SC welcomed New Mexico United to Championship Soccer Stadium for the club’s first Beer Fest of the season, as a lively and vocal crowd backed the home side from the opening whistle with chants and sustained energy throughout the night.
OCSC came out on the front foot, displaying early tenacity and controlling the majority of possession, which led to several promising attacking opportunities.
However, New Mexico United struck first after Orange County goalkeeper Alex Rando was adjudged to have fouled Niall Reid-Stephen inside the penalty area. Reid-Stephen converted from the spot with a left-footed effort down the middle.
Despite conceding, OCSC maintained control of possession and continued to press forward in search of an equalizer.
In the closing moments of the first half, Orange County SC pushed for an equalizer, but a potential handball by Zico Bailey inside the New Mexico penalty area went uncalled, denying the hosts a prime opportunity. The half concluded with OCSC trailing 1–0.
Orange County SC entered the second half of the match looking to join the scoresheet and remain undefeated in the USL Championship. While the Orange & Black remained a defensive force, they were unable to find the same luck offensively.
The score remained 1-0 after six minutes of added extra time, leaving OCSC with their first loss in the regular season.
Despite being goalless, the County Boys carried the game throughout the match. Orange County ended with 59% possession to New Mexico’s 41%. OCSC took 12 shots with one target, while New Mexico took 4 shots, with Reid-Stephen’s penalty kick being the only shot on target.
The club is back in action on Wednesday, April 8th, for Pups on the Pitch, so bring your best friend and enjoy a midweek match against San Antonio FC. Fetch your tickets HERE.
MILESTONES AND FACTS:
| TEAM | FIRST HALF | SECOND HALF | FULL TIME |
| OCSC | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NMU | 1 | 0 | 1 |
SCORING SUMMARY:
ORANGE COUNTY SC
NEW MEXICO UNITED
32’ Niall Reid-Stephen (PK)
DISCIPLINE SUMMARY:
40’ Yellow Card – Chris Hegardt (OCSC)
52’ Yellow Card – Christopher Gloster (NMU)
62’ Yellow Card – Lyam MacKinnon (OCSC)
75’ Yellow Card – Ousman Jabang (NMU)
ORANGE COUNTY SC LINEUP: (4-3-2-1)
Alex Rando (GK); Tom Brewitt (C), Tyson Espy (80’ Grayson Doody), Nico Benalcazar, Mouhamadou War, Stephen Kelly, Kevin Partida (80’ Jamir Johnson), Marcelo Palomino (64’ Ousmane Sylla), Chris Hegardt (85’ Garrison Tubbs), Lyam MacKinnon, Ethan Zubak (64’ Yaniv Bazini)
Unused subs: Tetsuya Kadono (GK); Apollo Marinch, Oliver Kurnik, Efren Solis
Head Coach: Danny Stone
Possession: 59% | Shots: 12 | Shots On Goal: 1 | Corners: 5 | Fouls: 11 | Offsides: 2 |
NEW MEXICO UNITED LINEUP: (4-2-3-1)
Kristopher Shakes (GK); Ousman Jabang (C), Maliek Howell (60’ Will Seymore), Niko Hämäläinen, Chris Gloster, Valentin Noël, Cullen Wilkerson (80’ Arturo Astorga), Cristian Nava (73’ Jake LaCava), Niall Reid-Stephen (80’ Greg Hurst), Luther Archimède (73’ Justin Rennicks), Zico Bailey
Unused Subs: Raiko Arozarena (GK); Dayonn Harris
Head Coach: Dennis Sanchez
Possession: 31% | Shots: 4 | Shots On Goal: 1 | Corners: 4 | Fouls: 16 | Offsides: 2 |
Orange County SC v. New Mexico United
2026 USL Championship Match 5
Date: April 4, 2026
Venue: The Champ, Irvine, CA