2024 Orange County SC season

The 2024 Orange County SC season is the club's fourteenth season of existence, and their fourteenth consecutive season in the United Soccer League Championship, the second tier of American soccer.

Orange County SC
2024 season
ManagerMorten Karlsen (until June 25)
Paul Hardyman (interim, since June 25)
StadiumChampionship Soccer Stadium
Irvine, California
USL ChampionshipWestern Conference: 8th
U.S. Open CupRound of 32
Highest home attendance5,000 (March 23, against Miami FC)
Lowest home attendanceLeague: 3,537 (June 1, against Detroit City FC)
All Competitions: 1,749 (May 7, against Loudoun United FC)

Orange County experienced a coaching change in the middle of the season, with head coach Morten Karlsen transferring to coach in Denmark, and lead assistant coach Paul Hardyman being promoted to Interim Head Coach.[1]

Season Summary

During the offseason, Orange County experienced two major changes. In the January transfer window, the 2023 Orange County season leading goal scorer, Milan Iloski, brother of Brian Iloski, made a transfer to Danish Superliga team FC Nordsjælland.[2][3] Additionally, interim head coach Morten Karlesn signed a multi-year contract with Orange County during the offseason to become the official head coach of Orange County.[4]

In their season opener, Orange County drew 2–2 with the Sacramento Republic FC away in Sacramento,[5] with Colin Shutler scoring a header during a corner kick three minutes into stoppage time. With his header, Shutler became the first Orange County, and only the third ever USL Championship goalkeeper, to score in a match.[6][7]

Orange County had a hot start to the season, not losing their first six games. However, after losing six of the next nine games, Orange County held a 6-6-2 record in the Western Conference in late June,[8] resulting in Head Coach Karlsen making a transfer to Danish Superliga team Lyngby BK, with head assistant coach Paul Hardyman being promoted to interim head coach as the team searched for a new head coach.[9][10][11]

Roster

As of 24 June 2024[12]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  USA Colin Shutler (Captain)
2 DF  USA Owen Lambe
3 DF  USA Charlie Asensio
4 MF  FRA Sofiane Djeffal
5 DF  USA Dillon Powers
6 DF  ENG Andrew Fox
7 FW  USA Cameron Dunbar
8 MF  USA Seth Casiple
9 FW  USA Ethan Zubak
10 MF  USA Brian Iloski
11 FW  USA Bryce Jamison
14 DF  USA Ryan Flood (on loan from Phoenix Rising FC)
15 MF  USA Ashish Chattha
17 FW  SLV Christian Sorto
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 MF  USA Kevin Partida
20 GK  USA Duran Ferree (on loan from San Diego FC)
21 FW  CMR Thomas Amang
22 DF  USA Joseph Buckley
23 DF  NOR Ryan Doghman
24 FW  USA Benjamin Barjolo
25 MF  USA Ryan Ayoub ([A])
26 MF  USA Kyle Scott
27 FW  USA Marcus Lee
29 GK  USA Juan Santana ([A])
30 DF  NOR Markus Nakkim
32 FW  USA Nicolás Ruiz
33 DF  USA Ashton Miles
34 MF  USA Ethan Loomis
35 MF  USA Ben Norris ([A])

Technical Staff[13]

Role Name
President of Soccer Operations & General Manager Peter Nugent
Interim Head Coach Paul Hardyman
Assistant Coach Didier Crettenand
Goalkeeping Coach Victor Nogueira
Performance Data Analyst Amanda Preciado
Performance Consultant Dan Guzman
Head Academy Scout Shawn Beyer
Team Operations Coordinator Mario Lemus

Competitions

Exhibitions

In preparation for the 2024 USL Championship season, Orange County played in seven pre-season friendlies, mainly against collegiate and fellow USL Championship teams.[14]

February 3 Preseason Orange County SC 2-1 Loyola Marymount Lions Irvine, California
11:00 AM War 77'
Zubak 85'
Report 87' Stadium: Great Park Field 10
Attendance: 0
February 24 Preseason Phoenix Rising FC v Orange County SC
1:00 PM
Note: Game not played

USL Championship

Standings

Pos Team Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts Qualification
6 Phoenix Rising FC 16 5 5 6 17 16 +1 21 Playoffs
7 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 15 6 6 3 20 18 +2 21
8 Orange County SC 15 6 6 3 19 21 2 21
9 Las Vegas Lights FC 17 4 7 6 21 28 7 18
10 FC Tulsa 14 4 5 5 17 25 8 17
Updated to match(es) played on June 26, 2024. Source: USL Championship Standings
Rules for classification: 1) head-to-head points; 2) head-to-head goal differential; 3) points-per game within conference; 4) total wins; 5) total goal differential; 6) total goals scored; 7) points earned against top four Conference finishers; 8) disciplinary points; 9) coin toss or drawing of lots

Match results

On December 18, 2023, the USL Championship released the regular season schedule for all 24 teams.[15]

All times are in Pacific Standard Time.

March

March 9 1 Sacramento Republic FC 2-2 Orange County SC Sacramento, California
7:00 PM Amann 28', 77',  79'
Jauregui  40'
Mazzola  51'
Ricketts  90'+3'
Report Partida  35'
Casiple 42'
Djeffal  45'+2'
Shutler  90'+3', 90'+6'
Stadium: Heart Health Park
Attendance: 11,569
Referee: Alexis Da Silva
Note: Colin Shutler's header was the first goal by a goalkeeper in Orange County SC's history.
March 16 2 Pittsburgh Riverhounds 0-2 Orange County SC Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
4:00 PM Hogan  71'
Biasi  81'
Report Iloski 3'
Miles  24'
Doghman  60'
Amang  64'
Dunbar 76'
Shutler  84'
Stadium: Highmark Stadium
Attendance: 5,125
Referee: Matthew Thompson
March 23 3 Orange County SC 2-2 Miami FC Irvine, California
7:00 PM Partida  29'
Miles 33'
Amang 70'
Report Mitrano  8'
Gavilanes 12', 45'+4'
Genzano  58'
Botta  60'
Biek  90'+7'
Stadium: Championship Soccer Stadium
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Jeremy Scheer
March 30 4 Orange County SC 1-0 FC Tulsa Irvine, California
7:00 PM Djeffal 27'
Chattha  40'
Lambe  56'
Iloski  68'
Report Portillo  31'
Diallo  36'
Ponce  45'+4'
Seagrist  49'
Stadium: Championship Soccer Stadium
Attendance: 3,573
Referee: Trevor Wiseman

April

April 6 5 Memphis 901 FC 0-2 Orange County SC Memphis, Tennessee
1:00 PM Lopes  43' Report Iloski 61'
Amang 63'
Djeffal  76'
Partida  86'
Fox  90'+4'
Stadium: AutoZone Park
Attendance: 2,316
Referee: Thomas Snyder
April 13 6 San Antonio FC 0-0 Orange County SC San Antonio, Texas
5:30 PM Taintor  25'
Haakenson  68'
Report Sorto  19'
Miles  79'
Amang  82'
Partida  89'
Stadium: Toyota Field
Attendance: 6,957
Referee: Natalie Simon
April 20 7 Orange County SC 0-2 Sacramento Republic FC Irvine, California
7:00 PM Dunbar  29'
Amang  34'
Scott  70'
Report Amann 1'
Fernandes  22'
Sanchez 25'
Desmond  30'
Cicerone  52'
Timmer  58'
Ross  90'+4'
Stadium: Championship Soccer Stadium
Attendance: 4,200
Referee: Abdou Ndiaye
April 27 8 Orange County SC 2-0 Monterey Bay FC Irvine, California
7:00 PM Amang  6'
Scott  21'
Sorto  24'
Djeffal  52'
Shutler  65'
Zubak  82'
Report Lara  25'
Rebollar  54'
Stadium: Championship Soccer Stadium
Attendance: 4,588
Referee: Deshun Beard

May

May 11 9 Louisville City FC 3-0 Orange County SC Louisville, Kentucky
4:30 PM Harris 19'
Morris  32'
Serrano 68'
Wilson  86'
Report Iloski  23'
Scott  42'
Colin Shutler  68'
Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium
Attendance: 10,239
May 18 10 Oakland Roots SC 2-1 Orange County SC Hayward, California
7:00 PM Reid 31' (pen.),  43'
Margvelashvili 90'+4'
Report Amang 21'
Scott  55'
Zubak  67'
Lee  88'
Stadium: Pioneer Stadium
Attendance: 3,651
Referee: Servando Berna Rico
May 25 11 Orange County SC 0-2 Loudoun United FC Irvine, California
7:00 PM Chattha  41'
Scott  88'
Miles  90'+5'
Report Valot 34'
Erlandson  51'
Skundrich  72'
Ryan 90'+6' (pen.)
Stadium: Championship Soccer Stadium
Attendance: 4,342
Referee: Natalie Simon

June

June 1 12 Orange County SC 3-2 Detroit City FC Irvine California
7:00 PM Amang 40',  90'+5'
Scott  56', 57'
Fox  65'
Jamison  78'
Report Carroll  8', 19'
Amoo-Mensah  14'
Diop 67' (pen.)
Rutz  90'+3'
Stadium: Championship Soccer Stadium
Attendance: 3,537
Referee: Nabil Bensalah
June 8 13 Phoenix Rising FC 2-1 Orange County SC Phoenix, Arizona
8:00 PM Formella 6', 87'
Hernández  22'
Fuenmayor  51'
Rito  83'  84'
Report Miles  45'+1'
Zubak  57'
Lambe  59'
Chattha  79'
Stadium: Phoenix Rising Soccer Stadium
Attendance: 5,032
Referee: Ricardo Montero
June 15 14 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 4-2 Orange County SC Colorado Springs, Colorado
6:00 Hanya 19', 82'
Williams  52'
Foster 63', 86'
Damus  89'
Report Flood  42'
Jamison 48', 61'
Doghman  80'
Shutler  82'
Stadium: Weidner Field
Attendance: 8,023
Referee: Brad Jensen
June 22 15 Indy Eleven 0-1 Orange County SC Indianapolis, Indiana
4:00 PM Ofeimu  40'+8'
Williams  52'
Report Zubak 25',  42'
Sorto  35'
Chattha  73'
Stadium: Michael A. Carroll Stadium
Attendance: 9,490
Referee: Joe Surgan

July

August

September

October

U.S. Open Cup

As a member of the USL Championship, Orange County entered the U.S. Open Cup in the Round of 32.[16] It was announced by the U.S. Soccer Federation on April 18, 2024, that Orange County would face off against fellow USL Championship team Loudoun United FC at home.[17]

May 7 Round of 32 Orange County SC 1-2 Loudoun United FC Irvine, California
7:00 PM Nakkim  11'
Scott  51'
Chattha  60'
Amang 62'
Report Leggett 22', 64'
Martinez  26'
Turner  37'
Hughes  59'
Stadium: Championship Soccer Stadium
Attendance: 1,749
Referee: Omeed Azadpour

References

  1. Staff, USLChampionship com (2024-06-25). "Orange County SC announces departure of Head Coach Morten Karlsen to Danish SuperLiga club Lyngby Boldklub". USL Championship. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  2. Burke, Elias. "Orange County SC's Milan Iloski moves to Nordsjaelland, continuing trend in USL". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  3. "Orange County SC's Milan Iloski headed to Europe after USL season". Orange County Register. 2023-09-13. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
  4. "Orange County SC removes interim label for coach Morten Karlsen". Orange County Register. 2023-11-10. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  5. "Sac Republic FC draws with Orange County in season opener, 2-2". FOX40. 2024-03-10. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  6. Macht, Daniel (2024-03-10). "Sacramento Republic FC's 2024 season opener ends with 2-2 shocker". KCRA. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  7. "ORANGE COUNTY SC DRAWS 2-2 WITH SACRAMENTO REPUBLIC FC IN OPENING MATCH OF 2024". Orange County SC. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  8. "Indy Eleven vs Orange County SC - Final Score - Standings - June 22, 2024". FOX Sports. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  9. "Orange County Soccer Club coach Morten Karlsen departs for new job in Denmark". Orange County Register. 2024-06-25. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  10. "Morten Karlsen er Lyngbys nye cheftræner - Lyngby Boldklub". lyngby-boldklub.dk (in Danish). 2024-06-25. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  11. "ORANGE COUNTY SC AND LYNGBY BK AGREE TO TERMS AS HEAD COACH MORTEN KARLSEN HEADS TO DENMARK". Orange County SC. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  12. "Roster". Orange County Soccer Club. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  13. "Technical Staff". Orange County SC. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  14. "Preseason Central". uslchampionship.com. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
  15. Staff, USLChampionship com (2023-12-18). "USL Championship Unveils 2024 Regular Season Schedule". USL Championship. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  16. Rueter, Jeff. "U.S. Open Cup draw: NYCFC II is only MLS Next Pro team in last 32". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  17. Staff, USLChampionship com (2024-06-25). "Orange County SC announces departure of Head Coach Morten Karlsen to Danish SuperLiga club Lyngby Boldklub". USL Championship. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
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