Glendora, (Calif). 18th May, 2017. Orange County SC booked their place in the 3rd round of the U.S. Open Cup with a comprehensive 5-2 victory over FC Golden State Force last night. The club will now face L.A. Wolves in the next round of the competition.
Orange County took to the field last night looking to cement their place in the 3rd round of the U.S. Open Cup for the first time since 2013. They got off to a flying start in the 6th minute when Gustavo Villalobos picked up the ball on the edge of the opponents box and fired a strike in off the post to hand Orange County an early lead. 10 minutes later, Orange County doubled their lead when Monday Etim broke down the right hand side and unleashed a powerful strike across the keeper into the far corner, to score his first professional goal of his career.
Golden State managed to pull a goal back from the penalty spot just minutes after Orange County’s second, after Beto Navarro was adjudged to have handled in the box. In the 25th minute, Orange County were awarded a penalty of their own when Ami Pineda’s free kick hit an outstretched Golden State hand. Dutch winger, Jerry Van Ewijk stepped up to slot home the penalty into the roof of the net, for his fourth goal of the season.
One minute into the second half Wuilito Fernandes scored the goal of the game with a thunderous strike into the top corner from thirty yards out, to give Orange County a 4-1 lead. Just moments after Golden State reduced Orange County’s lead to two once more, when they pounced on a mix up in the Orange County defence and fired past Beyers. Orange County restored their three goal cushion on the 55th minute when Wuilito Fernandes claimed his second goal of the night, following a pull back from the by-line to the 6 yard line, leaving Fernandes with a simple finish. Orange County saw out the game without concern, however they will be without Salomon Wbias-Nava for the next round after he received a red card late into the second half following an altercation with a Golden State player.
Orange County will now take on L.A. Wolves in the 3rd round of the U.S. Open Cup at Azusa Pacific University Soccer Field on the 31st May. The winners of that clash will go on to face off against MLS side, L.A. Galaxy. Orange County return to USL action this Saturday when they travel to Oklahoma to take on the OKC Energy FC.