Following a brief rain delay, Orange County SC wasted little time asserting itself, taking the initiative from the opening whistle despite the challenging heat and humidity at Pitbull Stadium. Neither the demanding travel schedule, the sweltering South Florida conditions, nor an early deficit could slow the Black and Orange, who delivered another resilient road performance to defeat Miami FC 4-2. The victory extended OCSC’s impressive run of form and kept Orange County atop the USL Championship Western Conference standings.
The visitors controlled possession through the opening stages, moving the ball with purpose and dictating the tempo while looking to break down Miami’s defense.
Despite Orange County’s positive start, it was the home side that found the breakthrough in the 14th minute. Alessandro Milesi reacted quickest to a loose ball inside the penalty area and showed composure to loft his finish over the goalkeeper, giving Miami FC a 1-0 lead against the run of play.
Rather than letting the early setback derail their approach, OCSC responded with confidence and composure. The Black and Orange continued to control possession, creating a series of dangerous attacking opportunities while forcing Miami deeper into its own half. As the opening period wore on, the match became increasingly physical, but Orange County remained disciplined and focused, refusing to be drawn away from its game plan.
The visitors’ persistence was rewarded in first-half stoppage time. In the 45th minute, Jamir Johnson delivered a perfectly weighted ball into the penalty area, where Yaniv Bazini timed his sliding run to perfection and guided the finish into the back of the net to level the match at 1-1.
Buoyed by the equalizer, Orange County continued to push for a second goal before the halftime whistle. A late corner kick created another dangerous opportunity in front of the Miami goal, but just as OCSC looked poised to complete the comeback, the referee blew for halftime, sending the two sides into the break deadlocked at one goal apiece.
Orange County SC opened the second half with the same confidence and composure it displayed to close the first, controlling possession and patiently building attacks while continuing to dictate the tempo. The Black and Orange consistently pushed the ball into the attacking third, forcing Miami to defend for extended stretches.
OCSC nearly earned a penalty in the 53rd minute when Yaniv Bazini was brought down inside the penalty area by Miami defender Daltyn Knutson. Despite strong appeals from the Orange County players, the referee waved play on, allowing the hosts to escape what appeared to be a dangerous challenge without conceding a spot kick.
The missed call did little to slow Orange County’s momentum. Just minutes later, the visitors found the breakthrough they had been threatening throughout the match. Lyam MacKinnon finished off a well-worked attacking sequence, finding the back of the net to complete the comeback and give OCSC a deserved 2-1 lead as the pressure on the Miami defense finally paid off.
Orange County SC extended its advantage in the 60th minute with another clinical attacking move. Nico Benalcázar threaded a perfectly weighted through ball into the path of Yaniv Bazini, who timed his run to perfection before calmly slotting his finish past the goalkeeper. The goal completed Bazini’s brace on the night and capped off Orange County’s impressive comeback, giving OCSC a commanding 3-1 lead.
Miami FC pulled a goal back in the 82nd minute when Mathieu Ndongo rose above the defense to meet a pinpoint cross from Diego Mello, powering a header from the right side of the six-yard box into the upper center of the net to cut Orange County SC’s lead to 3-2.
Orange County SC was forced to withstand sustained pressure throughout stoppage time as Miami FC committed numbers forward in search of a late equalizer. The hosts threw everything into the attack, but their aggressive approach ultimately proved costly.
Following a turnover in midfield, OCSC broke away with Ousmane Sylla and Efren Solis racing toward an unguarded goal. Rather than taking the opportunity himself, Sylla unselfishly squared the ball to Solis, who calmly finished into the open net for the first professional goal of his career. The stoppage-time strike put the result beyond doubt, sealing a convincing 4-2 road victory for Orange County SC and capping off an impressive comeback performance in Miami.
OCSC will enjoy a brief break before heading back out on the road to play Rhode Island and Hartford, then return to Championship Soccer Stadium on July 11 for Global Soccer Night and a pregame Uncorked wine event. The match against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC will be OCSC’s final Prinx Tires USL Cup match of the 2026 season. For tickets and more information, click HERE.
MILESTONES AND FACTS:
Efren Solis 1st professional goal
| TEAM | FIRST HALF | SECOND HALF | FULL TIME |
| OCSC | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| MIA | 1 | 1 | 2 |
SCORING SUMMARY:
ORANGE COUNTY SC
44’ Yaniv Bazini – Assist Jamir Johnson
55’ Stephen Kelly – Assist Nico Benalcazar
60’ Yaniv Bazini – Assist Nico Benalcazar
90+4’ Efren Solis – Assist Ousmane Sylla
MIAMI FC
14’ Alessandro Milesi
DISCIPLINE SUMMARY:
35” Riyon Tori – Yellow Card
38’ Stephen Kelly – Yellow Card
39’ Alessandro Milesi – Yellow Card
79’ Efren Solis – Yellow Card
ORANGE COUNTY SC LINEUP: (4-4-2)
Alex Rando (GK); Tom Brewitt (C), Garrison Tubbs, Tyson Espy, Efren Solis, Nico Benalcazar, Stephen Kelly, Marcelo Palomino (46’ Ousmane Sylla), Lyam MacKinnon (78’ Apollo Marinch), Jamir Johnson (63’ Chris Hegardt), Yaniv Bazini (88’ Ethan Zubak)
Unused subs: Tetsuya Kadono (GK); Nicola Ciotta, Oliver Kurnik, Finn O’Brien
Head Coach: Danny Stone
Possession: 46% | Shots: 14 | Shots On Goal: 5 | Corners: 3 | Fouls: 12 | Offsides: 1 | Saves: 2
MIAMI FC LINEUP: (4-3-3)
Felipe Rodriguez (GK); Alessandro Milesi, Angelo Calfo, Daltyn Knutson, Thomas Musto (63’ Mathieu Ndongo), Bachir Ndiaye ()63’ Walid Yacoubou), Tori Riyon (63’ Arney Rocha), Gerald Díaz, Mason Tunbridge (72’ Matías Romero), Joel Soñora, Rodrigo Da Costa (77’ Diego Mello)
Unused Subs: Gavin Gonsalves (GK); Alecx Castro, Arthur Rogers, Brandon Bent
Head Coach: Gastón Maddoni
Possession: 54% | Shots: 15 | Shots On Goal: 4 | Corners: 8 | Fouls: 18 | Offsides: 3 | Saves: 1
Orange County SC v. Miami FC
2026 USL Championship Match 14
Date: June 24, 2026
Venue: Pitbull Field, Miami, FL