Orange County SC explained

Clubname:Orange County SC
Upright:0.6
Fullname:Orange County Soccer Club
Founded: (as Los Angeles Blues)
Stadium:Championship Soccer Stadium
Irvine, California
Capacity:5,000
Owntitle:Owners
Owner:James Keston
Community Ownership
Coach:Danny Stone
League:USL Championship
Season:2025
Position:6th, Western Conference
Playoffs: Conference Semifinals
American:true
Current:2026 Orange County SC season
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Orange County Soccer Club is an American soccer team based in the Orange County, California city of Irvine. Founded in 2010 as the Los Angeles Blues, the team currently plays in the Western Conference of the USL Championship, the second tier of the American soccer system.

The team plays its home games at Championship Soccer Stadium, located inside Great Park in Irvine.

History

The then Los Angeles Blues were founded by Iranian-American businessman Ali Mansouri in 1998 and announced as a USL Pro expansion franchise on December 7, 2010.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] The team was associated with the United Soccer Leagues W-League team LA Blues, and is part of the larger Orange County Blues organization, which has competed in Los Angeles-area amateur leagues since 1998. They introduced their first three players—goalkeeper Oscar Dautt and midfielders Cesar Rivera and Josh Tudela—at a formal launch event on December 14, 2010.[6]

After an extensive pre-season, the Blues played their first games in the Caribbean over the weekend of April 15–17, 2011, a 3–0 victory over Sevilla Puerto Rico, and a 2–1 victory over Antigua Barracuda. The first goal in franchise history was scored by Cesar Rivera.[7]

In January 2012, the Blues announced the hiring of Steve Donner (formerly CEO of Orlando City) as vice president of business operations to focus on improving marketing for the club and to bring professionalism to the front-office.[8] The first game of the 2012 season reflected these efforts with a 2,432 attendance compared to 696 for the first home game in 2011 (the Blues averaged 382 during the 2011 season).

In September 2016, the team was purchased by American businessman James Keston for $5 million and rebranded to Orange County SC. Keston had unsuccessfully attempted to purchase expansion teams in Major League Soccer for Portland, Oregon, and Seattle in the 2000s.[9] Prior to the 2017 season, Orange County became the USL affiliate of Los Angeles FC in a multi-year deal, which was ended after 2018.[10] [11] The team won the Western Conference Regular Season Title in 2018 with 20 Wins, 8 losses and 6 ties. They defeated Saint Louis FC and Reno 1868 FC before losing 2–1 to Phoenix Rising FC in the Western Conference Final.[12] Thomas Enevoldsen scored 20 goals and was named to the All-League First Team along with Aodhan Quinn.[13]

In the 2021 season, Head Coach Braden Cloutier was dismissed mid-season and replaced by Assistant Coach Richard Chaplow.[14] OCSC went on to finish second in the Pacific Division, and advance to the USL Championship Final, defeating Tampa Bay Rowdies away at St. Petersburg, Florida, 3–1 in regulation.[15]

The 2022 season saw Richard Chaplow earn a last place Western Conference finish, despite Milan Iloski earning the USL Championship Golden Boot award.[16] Orange County SC finished the 2022 season 7-14-13 with 34 points, last in the Western Conference.[17]

The 2023 season also did not start strongly for Orange County, with just one win in eight games, with a 1-4-3 record before the team relieved Chaplow of duties and promoted newly hired assistant coach Morten Karlsen to interim head coach on May 1, 2023.[18] Karlsen led the team to a season-end 2nd place Western Conference placement at 17-11-6, earning two consecutive USL Championship Coach of the Month awards for July and August.[19] Coach Karlsen was appointed as Head Coach on a multi-year contract, announced November 2023.[20]

Orange County lost star forward Milan Iloski during the 2024 January transfer window to Danish Superliga club FC Nordsjælland.[21] [22] The loss of the former Golden Boot winner resulted in Orange County having a mediocre start to their 2024 season, with a record of 6-3-6 by late June.[23] This start contributed to Coach Karlsen making a transfer in the middle of the season to another club in the Danish Superliga, Lyngby BK.[24] He was replaced by the assistant coach, Paul Hardyman,[25] who after being labelled as an interim coach, was promoted to lead as the official coach,[26] before he himself was sacked by the team and replaced by another assistant coach Danny Stone after a six-game winless streak.[27] Under Danny Stone, Orange County was able to rescue their season and clinch a visit to the playoffs, where they were eliminated in the Western conference semi-finals against the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC.[28]

Stadium

In October 2023, it was announced the City of Irvine and Orange County SC had drafted a 5-year agreement for the team to operate Championship Soccer Stadium.[29] On October 23, City Council voted unanimously to approve the deal, striking a stadium naming right clause in the agreement for separate negotiation and later City Council approval.[30] The 5-year agreement includes one 5-year renewal.

Club culture

Rivalry with Ventura County FC

Orange County competes in the 405 Derby against rivals Ventura County FC, formerly known as LA Galaxy II, nicknamed after Interstate-405, an interstate highway that links between Orange County and Los Angeles County.[31] The clubs were in a dispute over who would play at Championship Soccer Stadium in late 2022, after leaked documents showed the Galaxy organization attempted to seize full-time usage of the venue.[32] The rivalry has slowed down as of late, as after LA Galaxy II moved to MLS Next, the third tier of the American soccer system, both teams have only met in pre-season friendlies.[33] [34]

Supporter groups

Orange County has one main supporter group, named the County Line Coalition.[35] A zero-fee supporter group that was founded in 2014 in correspondence with the rebrand from the Los Angeles Blues to the Orange County Blues SC,[36] they mainly sit in the left corner of the general seating bleachers behind the north goalpost, chanting and singing songs adapted to the tune of popular music, like "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver, amongst others.[37]

Mascot

On April 9, 2021, Orange County introduced their new mascot, Gnarly.[38] He is an orange, surf-themed monster that can be typically seen on game day and at various Orange County SC activities around the county.[39]

Players and staff

Front office

Technical staff

Head coaches

Record

Year-by-year

See main article: List of Orange County SC seasons.

This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the club. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Orange County SC seasons.

SeasonLeaguePositionPlayoffsUSOCContinental / OtherAverage attendanceTop goalscorer(s)
DivLeaguePldWLDGFGAGDPtsPPGConf.OverallNameGoals
20212USLC32151074437+7521.632nd7thWNHDNQ3,302 Ronaldo Damus16
202234714134959-10341.0013th23rdDNQR34,230 Milan Iloski22 ♦
202334171164639+7571.682nd5thSFR34,41117
202434131474047-7461.356th14thSFR324,138 Ethan Zubak11
202530101194547-2391.37th13thSFR34,470
1. Avg. attendance include statistics from league matches only.
2. Top goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in league play, playoffs, U.S. Open Cup, and other competitive matches.

Honors

Notes and References

  1. News: Irvine-based soccer team changes ownership. September 8, 2016. Orange County Register. June 1, 2018. June 15, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180615111521/https://www.ocregister.com/2016/09/08/irvine-based-soccer-team-changes-ownership/. live.
  2. News: Blues Purchased by Southern California Businessman Keston. USLSoccer.com Staff. September 8, 2016. United Soccer League. June 1, 2018. April 11, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180411174648/https://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/695245-blues-purchased-by-southern-california-businessman-keston. live.
  3. News: Mehrshad Momeni: Consumed by the Game. August 10, 2011. OurSports Central. June 1, 2018.
  4. News: OC Blues 2015 Player Postmortem: Mehrshad Momeni. Angels on Parade. June 1, 2018.
  5. http://uslpro.uslsoccer.com/home/485304.html LA Blues Set to Play in USL PRO
  6. Web site: Los Angeles Blues Sign First Three Players . December 15, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110713180758/http://www.labluesprosoccer.com/home/487002.html . July 13, 2011 . dead .
  7. Web site: United Soccer Leagues (USL) . April 19, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110423060532/http://uslpro.uslsoccer.com/stats/2011/2175587.html . April 23, 2011 .
  8. Scott French (April 13, 2012). L.A. BLUES: Starting over, with a plan. ESPNLosAngeles.com.
  9. News: Baxter . Kevin . April 25, 2023 . It'll be personal for owner James Keston when Orange County SC takes on Timbers . . September 20, 2025.
  10. News: LAFC, Orange County Blues FC Announce Multi-Year Partnership. USLSoccer.com Staff. December 7, 2016. United Soccer League. December 10, 2017. December 10, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171210175929/http://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/731323-lafc-orange-county-blues-fc-announce-multi-year-partnership. live.
  11. News: LAFC announce end of USL affiliation with Orange County SC. MLSSoccer.com Staff. December 14, 2018. Alicia Rodriguez. December 14, 2018.
  12. News: Record Season for Orange County Ends. Phoenix Rises.. Carson. Merk. OrangeCountySoccer.com. November 4, 2018. December 14, 2018. September 10, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200910155219/https://www.orangecountysoccer.com/news_article/show/965435. dead.
  13. News: Orange County SC Aodhan Quinn and Thomas Enevoldsen Named to 2018 USL All-League First Team. Orange County SC Staff. OrangeCountySoccer.com. November 5, 2018. December 14, 2018. September 24, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200924210904/https://www.orangecountysoccer.com/news_article/show/965976. live.
  14. Web site: Orange County SC dismiss head coach Braeden Cloutier. January 12, 2022. August 20, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210820002529/https://www.angelsonparade.com/2021/8/19/22632730/orange-county-sc-dismiss-head-coach-braeden-cloutier. dead.
  15. Web site: Orange County SC drops Rowdies to win its first USL Championship title - SBI Soccer. January 12, 2022. sbisoccer.com. November 30, 2021. en-US. January 12, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220112191742/https://sbisoccer.com/2021/11/orange-county-sc-drops-rowdies-to-win-its-first-usl-championship-title. live.
  16. Web site: MILAN ILOSKI WINS THE FIRST GOLDEN BOOT IN CLUB HISTORY . February 2, 2024 . Orange County SC . en-US . February 2, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240202185319/https://www.orangecountysoccer.com/news/2022/10/15/milan-iloski-wins-the-first-golden-boot-in-club-history/ . live .
  17. Web site: Standings . February 2, 2024 . uslchampionship.com . en-us . September 30, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200930152115/https://www.uslchampionship.com/league-standings . live .
  18. Web site: CLUB STATEMENT . February 2, 2024 . Orange County SC . en-US . May 10, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230510151413/https://www.orangecountysoccer.com/news/2023/05/01/club-statement-2/ . live .
  19. Web site: HEAD COACH MORTEN KARLSEN BECOMES THE FIRST COACH IN CLUB HISTORY TO WIN USL CHAMPIONSHIP COACH OF THE MONTH . February 2, 2024 . Orange County SC . en-US . February 2, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240202185318/https://www.orangecountysoccer.com/news/2023/08/09/head-coach-morten-karlsen-becomes-the-first-coach-in-club-history-to-win-usl-championship-coach-of-the-month/ . live .
  20. Web site: ORANGE COUNTY SC APPOINTS MORTEN KARLSEN AS HEAD COACH WITH NEW MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT . February 2, 2024 . Orange County SC . en-US.
  21. News: Burke . Elias . Orange County SC's Milan Iloski moves to Nordsjaelland, continuing trend in USL . June 25, 2024 . The New York Times . September 12, 2023 . en-US . 0362-4331 . June 17, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240617223224/https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4856490/2023/09/12/milan-iloski-orange-county-usl/ . live .
  22. Web site: September 13, 2023 . Orange County SC's Milan Iloski headed to Europe after USL season . June 25, 2024 . Orange County Register . en-US . June 24, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240624163137/https://www.ocregister.com/2023/09/13/orange-county-scs-milan-iloski-headed-to-europe-after-usl-season/ . live .
  23. Web site: Indy Eleven vs Orange County SC - Final Score - Standings - June 22, 2024 . June 25, 2024 . FOX Sports . en-US . June 25, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240625215441/https://www.foxsports.com/soccer/usl-championship-indy-eleven-vs-orange-county-sc-jun-22-2024-game-boxscore-133819 . live .
  24. Web site: June 25, 2024 . Morten Karlsen er Lyngbys nye cheftræner - Lyngby Boldklub . June 25, 2024 . lyngby-boldklub.dk . da-DK.
  25. Web site: ORANGE COUNTY SC AND LYNGBY BK AGREE TO TERMS AS HEAD COACH MORTEN KARLSEN HEADS TO DENMARK . June 25, 2024 . Orange County SC . en-US . June 25, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240625161055/https://www.orangecountysoccer.com/news/2024/06/25/orange-county-sc-and-lyngby-bk-agree-to-terms-as-head-coach-morten-karlsen-heads-to-denmark/ . live .
  26. Web site: ORANGE COUNTY SC NAMES PAUL HARDYMAN HEAD COACH FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SEASON . July 21, 2024 . Orange County SC . en-US . July 21, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240721064521/https://www.orangecountysoccer.com/news/2024/07/19/orange-county-sc-names-paul-hardyman-head-coach-for-the-remainder-of-the-season/ . live .
  27. Web site: August 29, 2024 . ORANGE COUNTY SC PARTS WAYS WITH HEAD COACH PAUL HARDYMAN . August 30, 2024 . Orange County SC . en-US . August 30, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240830050555/https://www.orangecountysoccer.com/news/2024/08/29/orange-county-sc-parts-ways-with-head-coach-paul-hardyman/ . live .
  28. Web site: Murray . Nicholas . November 10, 2024 . Zach Zandi lifts Switchbacks to extra time victory against Orange County . November 11, 2024 . USL Championship . en-us.
  29. Web site: October 8, 2023 . Orange County SC - City of Irvine - Great Park Championship Soccer Stadium Use Proposal . February 2, 2024 . Orange & Black SoccerCast . en-US . February 2, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240202215212/https://orangeandblacksoccercast.com/news-1/2023/10/8/orange-county-sc-city-of-irvine-championship-stadium-use-proposal . live .
  30. Web site: October 10, 2023 . Great Park Board Regular Meeting . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240202215212/https://irvine.granicus.com/DocumentViewer.php?file=irvine_abf1f033e995c906f5d334e4952c0a44.pdf&view=1 . February 2, 2024 . February 2, 2024.
  31. Web site: July 21, 2022 . EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW WHEN ORANGE COUNTY SC VISITS LOS DOS . July 27, 2022 . orangecountysoccer.com.
  32. News: Calhoun . Damian . August 8, 2022 . Irvine City Council's plans to discuss use of Championship Soccer Stadium moved off of agenda . August 8, 2022 . The Orange County Register.
  33. Web site: lagalaxy . LA Galaxy II To Join MLS NEXT Pro Beginning In 2023 LA Galaxy . June 24, 2024 . lagalaxy . en . March 31, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230331214639/https://www.lagalaxy.com/news/la-galaxy-to-join-mls-next-pro-in-2023 . live .
  34. Web site: Rodriguez . Alicia . December 6, 2021 . LA Galaxy to enter MLS Next Pro league in 2023 . June 24, 2024 . LAG Confidential . en . June 24, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240624180330/https://www.lagconfidential.com/2021/12/6/22820970/la-galaxy-to-enter-mls-next-pro-league-2023 . live .
  35. Web site: Home County Line Coalition . June 18, 2024 . County LineCoalition . en . June 18, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240618205412/https://countylinecoalition.wixsite.com/supporters . live .
  36. Web site: Supporters Groups . June 18, 2024 . Orange County SC . en-US . June 18, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240618205411/https://www.orangecountysoccer.com/supporters/ . live .
  37. Web site: Supporter Chants . June 18, 2024 . Orange County SC . en-US . June 18, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240618205411/https://www.orangecountysoccer.com/supporter-chants/ . live .
  38. Web site: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE ORANGE COUNTY SC HOSTS SAN ANTONIO . June 18, 2024 . Orange County SC . en-US . June 18, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240618205412/https://www.orangecountysoccer.com/news/2022/04/07/orange-county-sc-hosts-san-antonio/ . live .
  39. Web site: Turner . Andrew . August 13, 2022 . City of Irvine considering options for future use of Championship Soccer Stadium . June 18, 2024 . Daily Pilot . en-US.
  40. Web site: Front Office. Orange County Soccer Club. March 10, 2025.

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