Football Season Guide

Orange County made a strong finish last season as they moved into the playoffs via a 7th placed finish in the Western Conference, going undefeated in their last 5 and then shocking Sacramento in the post-season. It was a campaign of inconsistency, with their road record particularly poor. With just 2 away wins all season, it is easy to see where they need to improve ahead of this term. Unlike many of their USL rivals, there’s not been a particularly sizeable turnover of their staff over the course of the winter period. There has been some engineering in the defensive line. Goalkeeper Colin Shutler has departed after a decent season last term in which he kept 7 clean sheets in 28 appearances. Vuk Latinovic has also left from the middle of the defence having been a starter, and understudy Ashton Miles has gone. Interestingly, Orange County have not yet moved to replace either of these departures in the middle of the rearguard, and this is something they are likely to need to address in the weeks ahead. On the other hand, they have signed Alex Rando from New York City and will hope the 24-year-old can perform to at least the standard of Shutler. His record in USL is unimpressive as he has conceded 65 times in 27 games, albeit that was with a poor Las Vegas Lights team five years ago. Little has changed in the heart of the park, where Chris Hegardt will be a key figure. He supplied 10 assists last season, earmarking him as a key figure. Kevin Partida and Stephen Kelly will be more defensive figures in this area. In attack, meanwhile, Ethan Zubak remains the vital figure. He scored 12 goals in 30 appearances last season. OC actually leaned rather heavily on the defence for goals last term, with Ryan Doghman, Pedro Guimaraes, who will join Frankfurt in July, and Nico Benalcazar combining for 10 goals. The Californians are seeking more from the attacking midfield area and have recruited Marcelo Palomino in an attempt to make this happen. He scored 5 goals in Sweden’s top flight last term. Mateo Bunbury and 17-year-old Jamir Johnson are also added to the squad but are likely to be on the fringes. Meanwhile, a long-term injury continues to his Lyam MacKinnon, who is one of their most promising players.