Orange County SC Edged 2-1 by Sacramento on Late Strike
USL Orange County SC

Orange County SC Edged 2-1 by Sacramento on Late Strike

Published on October 2, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Orange County SC News Release


Sacramento Republic opened the match with little urgency, clearly comfortable with their place in the standings and with eyes already fixed on Saturday night's Jägermeister Cup Final. Head coach Neill Collins opted to rotate heavily, fielding a lineup that featured just two regular starters while giving the bulk of his first team a night of rest.

Orange County SC opened the match cautiously, content to hold possession and methodically build out from the back. But Sacramento pressed with intent, and forward Dominik Wanner nearly punished the slow start on a quick transition, forcing Colin Shutler off his line to make a desperate save. The rebound fell to Blake Willey, who had an open look, but he blasted his effort high over the bar, letting OCSC off the hook.

The reprieve didn't last long. Just minutes later, Sacramento surged forward again, and Shutler was called into action once more. With the ball ricocheting dangerously around the penalty area, Wanner pounced on the loose chance and this time made no mistake, slotting home the opening goal in the 7th minute to put Republic in front.

After conceding early, Orange County SC steadied itself and began to grow into the match, finding opportunities on the break. Both Cameron Dunbar and Bryce Jamison tested Sacramento's backline with dangerous efforts that bent just wide, close enough to rattle the Republic defense and remind them of the firepower OCSC can unleash in transition.

Growing in confidence, Orange County began to dictate the tempo, breaking up Sacramento's midfield rhythm and carving passes through the center of defense. The momentum had clearly shifted, with Republic pinned back, but the halftime whistle came too soon for OC, who went into the break still chasing an equalizer.

Just six minutes after the restart, Dunbar darted into the box and went down under pressure, with the ensuing scramble catching a Sacramento defender for a handball. The referee pointed straight to the spot, and up stepped Ethan Zubak, who buried the penalty with authority, smashing it into the back of the net for his 11th goal of the season and pulling Orange County level.

By the 70th minute, Sacramento looked to regain control, bringing on fresh legs with a series of tactical substitutions that immediately pushed Orange County onto the back foot. OC responded in kind, introducing Tristan Trager in place of Bryce Jamison to inject more energy into the attack. The adjustment paid off as Orange County steadied itself, testing Danny Vitiello with a stinging shot that forced a sharp punch save, followed moments later by a scramble in the box off the ensuing corner that nearly found the equalizer.

As the match ticked toward its conclusion, OCSC made its final changes in the 89th minute, highlighted by the professional debut of 16-year-old Tyson Espy, a proud moment for the Dana Point native.

The drama only intensified in stoppage time when a perfectly weighted through ball sent Ethan Zubak charging toward goal, colliding heavily with Vitiello as both fought for the ball. In the dying moments, Orange County earned one last corner, and in a move reminiscent of their dramatic past meetings with Sacramento, goalkeeper Colin Shutler sprinted forward to join the attack. This time, however, fortune did not favor the visitors.

Orange County returns to Championship Stadium on October 4th for an Uncorked match against El Paso Locomotive FC. For tickets, click HERE.

Milestones:

Tyson Espy from Dana Point, CA, made his professional debut

TEAM FIRST HALF SECOND HALF FULL TIME

OCSC 0 1 1

SAC 1 1 2

SCORING SUMMARY:

7' Dominik Wanner - SAC

52' Ethan Zubak - OCSC - (P)

87' Khori Bennett -SAC (Assist Jack Gurr)

DISCIPLINE SUMMARY:

ORANGE COUNTY SC

45+1 Ashton Miles - Yellow Card

90+2 Ethan Zubak - Yellow Card

SACRAMENTO REPUBLIC FC

2' Justin Portillo - Yellow Card

60' Aaron Edwards - Yellow Card

ORANGE COUNTY SC LINEUP: (4-4-2)

Colin Shutler (GK); Ashton Miles (89' (Tyson Espy), Vuk Latinovich, Ryan Doghman [C], Stephen Kelly, Cameron Dunbar (89' Mouhamadou War), Bryce Jamison (73' Tristan Trager), Pedro Guimaraes, Ethan Zubak, Malik Pinto (90+2 Cheick Koné), Chris Hegardt (89' Roberto Molina)

Unused subs: Tetsuya Kadono(GK); Kevin Partida, Nicholas Benalcazar, Gavin Karam

Head Coach: Danny Stone

Possession: 56% | Shots: 14 | Shots On Goal: 2 | Corners: 5 | Fouls: 7 | Offsides: 1|

SACRAMENTO REPUBLIC FC LINEUP: (3-4-3)

Danny Vitiello(GK); Lewis Jamieson (70' Khori Bennett), Justin Portillo, Luis Fernandes, Dominik Wanner (70' Cristian Parano), Blake Willey, Aaron Edwards(83' Jack Gurr), Ryan Spaulding (59' Michelle Benitez), Cody Baker, Chibuike Ukaegbu, Jared Timmer (46' Lee Desmond)

Unused subs: Jared Mazzola (GK); Russell Cicerone, Rodrigo Lopez, Nick Ross, Freddy Kleemann, Da'vian Kimbrough

Head Coach: Neill Collins

Possession: 44% | Shots: 13 | Shots On Goal: 7 | Corners: 5 | Fouls: 11 | Offsides: 0 |

Orange County SC v. Sacramento Republic FC

2025 USL Championship | Matchday 25

Date: October 1, 2025

Venue: Heart Health Park, Sacramento

Check out the Orange County SC Statistics

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