Kickoff: Saturday, August 19 (7:00 PM PST)
Where: Championship Stadium (Irvine, CA)
How to Watch: At The Champ, Bally Sports SoCal, ESPN+
Orange County SC has a quick turnaround as they host Eastern Conference’s second seed, the Charleston Battery, on Saturday, August 19 at 7:00 PM PST at Championship Stadium in Irvine, CA following their 1-0 shut out of Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Saturday’s match is presented by Hoag and also features our End of Summer Beerfest! Only a limited number of tickets still remain! Get yours, here.
DEFENSE HAS BEEN HOGGING ALL THE POWER
The Charleston Battery enter Saturday’s contest in second place in the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference, as it stands. After the Black and Orange did Charleston a favor defeating the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Wednesday, they will look to gain some more ground on their Eastern Conference title foes at The Champ on Saturday. Their defense has kept teams off the board recently, allowing one goal or less in their previous three matches. However, their offense can’t seem to find the end result of late, scoring just two goals in that same stretch, going just 1-1-1. Over the course of the season, these results have been largely flipped. Their offense has scored 35 goals, good for 3rd in the East, and their defense has allowed 33 goals, 6th worst in the East. So, which Charleston will we get when they hit the pitch on Saturday? Your guess is as good as mine.
2023 Regular Season Record: 12-6-7 (2nd in USL-C Eastern Conference)
Goals Scored: 35 | Goals Allowed: 33 | Clean Sheets: 8
Players to Watch
M Fidel Barajas
F Augustine Williams
STREAKING TOWARDS A CLUB RECORD
Following their 1-0 victory over Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC midweek, Orange County SC have extended their current win streak to five matches and have now won nine of their last 11. No one in the league has claimed more points in that stretch. Forward Milan Iloski scored his 11th goal of the season, bringing him into a tie for fifth place in the USL Championship Golden Boot race. Goalkeeper Colin Shutler saved the only three shots on target that Pittsburgh was able to muster, after a brilliant performance from the Black and Orange defense led by a Man of the Match showing by defender Dillon Powers. It is Shutler’s seventh clean sheet of the season, moving him into a tie for sixth place in the league. If Morten’s men can win their sixth straight match on Saturday, it will match a club record win streak set previously in 2019.
Players to Watch
F Milan Iloski
GK Colin Shutler
All-time record:
Orange County SC is 1-3-2 all-time against the Charleston Battery.
Previous Matchup: 2021 USL Championship
Charleston Battery 0 – 0 Orange County SC (Patriots Point Soccer Stadium, Mt. Pleasant, SC)
Scoring summary: N/A
MILESTONE ECLIPSED: ANDREW FOX
After coming on as a substitute in Wednesday’s match against Pittsburgh in the 46th minute, defender Andrew Fox recorded his 100th USL Championship appearance on Saturday! After spending three seasons with El Paso, this is Fox’s first year with Orange County and has made 14 USL Championship appearances with the club so far this season, as well as two appearances in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Congratulations on 100 appearances, Andrew Fox!
CALLING ALL HEROES!
The Black and Orange head on the road for their next two matches, but will return home to Championship Stadium at the Great Park in Irvine on Saturday, September 9 when they face El Paso Locomotive FC on Heroes Night! These tickets will sell out, so grab yours today! Tickets can be purchased here.
JUST FOUR REGULAR SEASON HOME MATCHES REMAIN!
There are just FOUR regular season home matches left in the 2023 USL Championship regular season after tomorrow’s match! With sellouts on our previous two Saturday home matches, and a third expected tomorrow, don’t miss out on our last few regular season home games and help us pack The Champ! Get your tickets here.