Orange County SC Falls, 3-1, to a Hot Phoenix Rising FC

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USL Orange County SC

Orange County SC Falls, 3-1, to a Hot Phoenix Rising FC

June 7, 2025 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Orange County SC News Release


Orange County SC headed to the desert for a rivalry match against Phoenix Rising FC. This was the 33rd meeting between the two clubs, marking the most meetings between two Championship clubs in the league's history, going back to 2011.

At kickoff, with temperatures soaring to 100°F, Orange County SC aimed to douse a sizzling Phoenix Rising. OCSC launched an aggressive high press and targeted former teammate Patrick Rakovsky in goal, but Phoenix countered with a physical, possession-heavy approach to stifle OCSC's chances.

The first half saw intense back-and-forth action until Phoenix's Darius Fromella broke the deadlock in the 21st minute. OCSC pushed for a swift reply, nearly equalizing two minutes later when Mohamadou War's cross found Lyam MacKinnon in front of the goal, but his shot veered left of the target.

Following a 30th-minute water break, OCSC pressed for an equalizer, but Phoenix countered with relentless fouls to disrupt their rhythm. In the 45th minute, an injured Mo War was forced to exit early, with Ousmane Sylla stepping in as his replacement.

Sylla came on strong, controlling the pace and showing his quality, carving up the Phoenix back line. In the 45+2nd minute, he was brought down in the box by a sliding John Scearce, but instead of earning a penalty, he received a yellow card for simulation.

At halftime, Phoenix held a 1-0 lead, with 67% possession, but managed only two shots on target. OCSC, meanwhile, ended the half with just one shot and no significant scoring opportunities.

The second half kicked off with frenzy, as both teams racked up penalties and yellow cards. In the 58th minute, amidst the chaos, OCSC leveled the score as Chris Hegart's pinpoint cross was headed home by Vuk Lutinovich, marking their first goal of the evening.

Phoenix surged back in front in the 67th minute when LA Galaxy loanee Ascel Essengue unleashed a powerful shot past a diving Colin Shutler, who got a hand to it but couldn't keep the ball out of the net.

In the 69th minute, Hegardt unleashed a powerful strike toward the goal, but a diving Rakovsky was able to kill the chance with a good save.

In the 72nd minute, a midfield error handed Phoenix a 3-on-1 break against OCSC, leading to a goal by Charlie Dennis, who slotted a through ball from Dariusz Formella past a diving Shutler. Adding insult to injury, Phoenix's Montgomery escaped punishment after a blatant two-handed punch to Cameron Dunbar's face, leaving the OCSC forward bloodied. Due to the injury, Dunbar was replaced by Ben Barjolo in the 81st minute.

OCSC battled in the waning minutes with Ryan Doghman feeding the ball into the box for Ethan Zubak, but in multiple attempts, the Orange and Balck were unable to convert.

In true USL Championship fashion, the clock hit 90' and 7 minutes of extra time were added to the clock. OCSC had a lot of chances in extra time, but Phoenix was able to hold off the attack, and the final whistle blew in the 100' minute, giving Phoenix Rising a 3-1 victory over OCSC.

OCSC heads to El Paso next week and will then enjoy a week off before returning to The Champ on June 28th to celebrate Christmas in June when the club faces Sacramento Republic FC. For tickets, click HERE.

MILESTONES AND FACTS:

OCSC has not secured a clean sheet in 2025

OCSC has not won an away game in 2025

OCSC has gone 15 games without a clean sheet, tying the club's longest streak at 15

Vuk Latinovich scored his first goal for OCSC

TEAM FIRST HALF SECOND HALF FULL TIME

OCSC 0 1 1

PHX 1 2 3

SCORING SUMMARY:

21' Dariusz Formella - PHX (Assist Noble Okello)

58' Vuk Latinovich - OCSC (Assist Chris Hegardt)

67' Ascel Essengue - PHX (Dariusz Formella)

72' Charlie Dennis - PHX (Assist Dariusz Formella)

DISCIPLINE SUMMARY:

ORANGE COUNTY SC

45' +2 Ousmane Sylla - Yellow Card (Simulation)

50' Chris Hegardt - Yellow Card

53' Kyle Scott - Yellow Card

PHOENIX RISING FC

6' Noble Okello - Yellow Card

35' Collin Smith - Yellow Card

56' Hope Kodzo Avayevu - Yellow Card

60' Ascel Essengue - Yellow Card

70' Mohamed Traore - Yellow Card

ORANGE COUNTY SC LINEUP: (4-1-4-1)

Colin Shutler (GK); Tom Brewitt [C], Vuk Latinovich, Nicholas Benalcazar, Kyle Scott, Ryan Doghman, Kevin Partida, Chris Hegardt, Mouhamadou War(45' Ousmane Sylla), Cameron Dunbar(81' Benjamin Barjolo), Lyam MacKinnon(46' Ethan Zubak)

Unused subs: Tetsuya Kadono (GK); Koa Santos, Ashton Miles, Gavin Karam, Cheick Koné, Nicola Ciotta

Head Coach: Danny Stone

Possession: 39% | Shots: 10 | Shots On Goal: 3 | Corners: 5 | Fouls: 13 | Offsides: 2 |

PHOENIX RISING FC LINEUP: (4-3-3)

Patrick Rakovsky [C](GK); Dariusz Formella, Collin Smith, Ascel Essengue, Mohamed Traore, Braxton Montgomery, John Scearce, Ihsan Sacko(76' Xian Emmers), Hope Kodzo Avayevu(87' Emil Cuello), Noble Okello (76' Carl Sainte), Cyrus Kowall (63' Charlie Dennis)

Unused subs: Jan Vilegas(GK), Tristan Henry(GK); Ryan Flood, Jamison Ping, Pierce Rizzo

Head Coach: Pa-Modou Kah

Possession: 61% | Shots: 10 | Shots On Goal: 5 | Corners: 4 | Fouls: 19 | Offsides: 2 |

Orange County SC v. Phoenix Rising FC

2025 USL Championship | Matchday 11

Date: June 7, 2025

Venue: Phoenix Rising Stadium

Check out the Orange County SC Statistics



United Soccer League Championship Stories from June 7, 2025


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