
Orange County SC Leaps up the Table with Massive 4-1 Victory over Phoenix Rising FC
July 31, 2025 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Orange County SC News Release
Orange County SC defeated rivals Phoenix Rising FC 4-1 in an intense match, extending the club's win streak, catapulting them into fifth place in the Western Conference.
From the first whistle, OCSC matched the physicality of their opponents and sought out multiple chances for a goal. Despite only carrying 45% of possession in the first half, the County Boys took 8 shots, with 2 of them being on target.
Ethan Zubak opened the scoring in the 20' minute with a strike that curved perfectly past Phoenix's Patrick Rakovsky and into the net. Zubak, a new father, celebrated the goal with a cradling pose that his teammates echoed.
The first half ended after a minute of added injury time, leaving the stadium buzzing with excitement, and the team hungry for more goals.
The second half carried on with the same tenacity as OC sought to maintain the lead while Phoenix fought to catch up. Ryan Doghman accepted a pass from Zubak in the 58' minute and sent the ball straight into the bottom right of the net, putting OCSC two goals ahead.
Phoenix continued their meticulous game, with Ihsan Sacko sneaking a header past Colin Shutler in the 68' minute. However, the Orange & Black didn't let the Phoenix rise for too long, and continued to press harder on their foes with renewed vigor.
In the 72' minute, Bryce Jamison answered, carrying a pass from Chris Hegardt towards the box, and slipping the ball through Phoenix's defensive line. Jamison's goal added more flame to the County's fire as they kept their lead.
Although chances were created for Arizona, OCSC disrupted set pieces, held an unshakeable defense, and continued to press for more goals. Phoenix faced an additional loss as Pape Boye received a red card in the 83' minute for violent conduct - fouling Shutler and starting a grapple with multiple OCSC players.
In the final minute of regulation time, Pedro Guimaraes scored his first USL Championship goal of the season on Rakovsky with an assist from Jamison. The Next Wave duo secured the win for Orange County SC.
The match ended after 4 minutes of added injury time. OCSC had 43% of possession to Phoenix's 57% throughout the match. Orange County had 15 total shots with 8 on target, and the Rising with 12 shots to 3 on goal.
OCSC returns to The Champ on August 30th for an Eastern Conference match against Birmingham Legion FC. For tickets, click HERE
Milestones:
Bryce Jamison scored his first USL Championship goal of the season
Pedro Guimaraes scored his first USL Championship goal of the season
TEAM FIRST HALF SECOND HALF FULL TIME
OCSC 1 3 4
PHX 0 1 1
SCORING SUMMARY:
20' - Ethan Zubak, OCSC (Assist Chris Hegardt)
58' - Ryan Doghman, OCSC (Assist Ethan Zubak)
68' - Ihsan Sacko, Phoenix Rising FC (Assist Darius Johnson)
72' - Bryce Jamison, OCSC (Assist Chris Hegardt)
90' - Pedro Guimaraes, OCSC (Assist Bryce Jamison)
DISCIPLINE SUMMARY:
ORANGE COUNTY SC
PHOENIX RISING FC
83' - Pape Boye, Red Card
ORANGE COUNTY SC LINEUP: (4-2-3-1)
Colin Shutler (GK); Tom Brewitt [C], Nicholas Benalcazar, Ryan Doghman, Nicola Ciotta (60' Koa Santos), Kevin Partida, Stephen Kelly, Ousmane Sylla (77' Ashton Miles), Mouhamadou War (60' Bryce Jamison), Ethan Zubak (77' Tristan Trager), Chris Hegardt (86' Pedro Guimaraes)
Unused subs: Tetsuya Kadono (GK); Cameron Dunbar, Cheick Koné, Gavin Karam
Head Coach: Danny Stone
Possession: 43% | Shots: 15 | Shots On Goal: 8 | Corners: 1 | Fouls: 11 | Offsides: 2 |
PHOENIX RISING FC LINEUP: (4-1-4-1)
Patrick Rakovsky[C](GK); Ascel Essengue, Darius Johnson (76' Damian Rivera), Ryan Flood, Braxton Montgomery, Emil Cuello (76' Pape Mar Boye), Xian Emmers (60' Ihsan Sacko), Hope Kodzo Avayevu, Jearl Margaritha (64' Charlie Dennis), Pierce Rizzo (76' Carl Sainte), Dariusz Formella
Unused subs: Triston Henry(GK); Jamison Ping, Alexander Balanzar,
Head Coach: Pa-Modou Kah
Possession: 57% | Shots: 12 | Shots On Goal: 3 | Corners: 7 | Fouls: 16 | Offsides: 0 |
Orange County SC v. Las Vegas Lights FC
2025 USL Championship | Matchday 16
Date: July 30, 2025
Venue: Championship Soccer Stadium, Irvine, CA
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- Postmatch Reaction: Orange County SC 4 - Phoenix Rising 1 - Phoenix Rising FC
- Orange County SC Leaps up the Table with Massive 4-1 Victory over Phoenix Rising FC - Orange County SC
- Rising Suffers 4-1 Defeat against Orange County SC at Championship Soccer Stadium - Phoenix Rising FC
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