Orange County SC traveled to Cardinale Stadium on Saturday night for a Western Conference matchup against Monterey Bay FC. While Orange County entered the match atop the USL Championship standings and Monterey Bay sat at the bottom of the table, the opening 45 minutes reflected a tightly contested battle between two sides with very different motivations.
Monterey Bay looked to set the tone early, controlling long stretches of possession and attempting to dictate the pace of play. Despite seeing more of the ball, the hosts struggled to translate that possession into dangerous scoring opportunities as Orange County remained compact and organized defensively. OCSC consistently won key defensive battles, limiting Monterey’s quality chances while leading the first-half defensive categories, including clearances, interceptions, and tackles won.
The physical nature of the match was evident throughout the opening half. In the 27th minute, Monterey forward Ilijah Paul became entangled with Orange County captain Tom Brewitt while pulling on Brewitt’s jersey. As Brewitt went to ground, Paul was taken down in the process, and the sequence ultimately resulted in Brewitt being shown a yellow card despite the apparent jersey tug that initiated the challenge.
Although Monterey Bay managed to generate a handful of attacking moments, the home side lacked the clinical finishing needed to capitalize. Orange County’s back line remained disciplined, closing down shooting lanes and forcing difficult attempts that never seriously tested the defense.
Orange County created the more dangerous opportunities before halftime. In the 32nd minute, Lyam MacKinnon nearly opened the scoring after finding space inside the penalty area. Still, Monterey goalkeeper Nico Campuzano Jackson came up with an excellent save to keep the match scoreless. Just minutes later, MacKinnon was again denied by Jackson, who produced another strong stop before the OCSC forward was unable to control the rebound for a second attempt.
Despite Monterey Bay’s advantage in possession, Orange County generated the better scoring chances while delivering another disciplined defensive performance. With both goalkeepers standing tall and neither side able to find a breakthrough, the teams headed into halftime locked in a scoreless draw.
Orange County SC wasted little time taking control after the halftime break, striking twice in the opening minutes of the second half to seize the momentum.
In the 47th minute, Yaniv Bazini was brought down in the attacking half, giving OCSC a dangerous set-piece opportunity. Stephen Kelly delivered an inviting free kick into the penalty area, where the ball pinballed through traffic before falling to captain Tom Brewitt. The veteran defender showed composure to settle the loose ball and fired a left-footed finish into the upper-left corner, giving Orange County a 1-0 lead and marking his first USL Championship goal of the season.
Just moments later, Orange County doubled its advantage through relentless attacking pressure. Nicola Ciotta refused to give up on a ball near the end line, driving into the box before sending a dangerous pass across the face of goal. Under pressure, Monterey Bay defender Nico Gordon inadvertently redirected the ball into his own net for an own goal, extending OCSC’s lead to 2-0 and capping a dream start to the second half.
Orange County SC continued to dictate the match, pressing for a third goal to put the result beyond doubt. The visitors controlled the tempo and limited Monterey Bay’s opportunities with another disciplined defensive performance, frustrating the hosts for much of the second half.
Monterey Bay found a late breakthrough in the 88th minute when Ilijah Paul capitalized on one of the home side’s few quality chances, cutting Orange County’s lead to 2-1. Despite the late goal, OCSC remained composed through the closing minutes, seeing out the match to secure another important three points on the road.
Orange County SC is back at the Champ on August 1st to face El Paso Locomotive FC for Margaritaville Night. For tickets and more information, click HERE.
| TEAM | FIRST HALF | SECOND HALF | FULL TIME |
| OCSC | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| MB | 0 | 1 | 1 |
SCORING SUMMARY:
ORANGE COUNTY SC
48’ Tom Brewitt
MONTEREY BAY UNION FC
51’ Own Goal – Nico Gordon
88’ Ilijah Paul
DISCIPLINE SUMMARY:
27’ Tom Brewitt (OC) – Yellow Card
40’ Ilijah Paul (MB) – Yellow Card
58’ Garrison Tubbs (OC) – Yellow Card
ORANGE COUNTY SC LINEUP: (4-4-2)
Alex Rando (GK); Tom Brewitt (C), Garrison Tubbs, Nico Benalcazar, Nicola Ciotta, Efren Solis (79’ Josh Martinez), Ousmane Sylla (86’ Ryan Doghman), Stephen Kelly, Chris Hegardt, Lyam MacKinnon (79’ Ethan Zubak), Yaniv Bazini
Unused subs: Tetsuya Kadono (GK); Finn O’Brien, Joaquin Castro, Jamir Johnson, Apollo Marinch
Head Coach: Danny Stone
Possession: 41% | Shots: 7 | Shots On Goal: 3 | Corners: 1 | Fouls: 14 | Offsides: 1 | Saves: 5
MONTEREY BAY UNION FC LINEUP: (4-4-2)
Jacob Jackson (GK); Zackery Farnsworth, Nico Gordon, Quinton Elliot (74’ Joel Garcia), Fidel Barajas (74’ Stuart Ritchie), Ilijah Paul, Sebastian Lletget, Omari Glasgow, Ryuga Nakamura (57’ Belmar Joseph), Anisse Saidi (57’ Wesley Leggett), Nick Ross (90+3’ Kelsey Egwu)
Unused Subs: Ciaran Dalton (GK): Ballack Villasana
Head Coach: Alex Covelo
Possession: 59% | Shots: 17 | Shots On Goal: 6 | Corners: 3 | Fouls: 17 | Offsides: 3 | Saves: 3
Orange County SC v. Monterey Bay Union FC
2026 USL Cup Championship Match 17
Date: July 25, 2026
Venue: Cardinale Stadium, Seaside, CA