It’s all come down to one final showdown in the Western Conference between Orange County Blues FC (14-9-4, 46 pts) and Sacramento Republic FC (13-8-6,
It’s all come down to one final showdown in the Western Conference between Orange County Blues FC (14-9-4, 46 pts) and Sacramento Republic FC (13-8-6, 45 pts) on Tuesday night. The Blues sit in 2nd place and Republic 3rd, with 1st place and the Western Conference regular season title in sight for both clubs. Kickoff from Anteater Stadium at UC Irvine is set for 7:30 p.m. PT.
OC comes into their final match of the regular season in arguably the best form across USL. Out of the last nine matches, the Blues have won seven, drawn once, and lost once. Most recently, the Blues visited Seattle Sounders FC 2 on Friday night, taking a 1-0 victory via Chris Cortez’s stunning second half volley. They followed that with a trip to Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, drawing 1-1, with Brenton Griffiths scoring his third goal of the season to equalize in the second half.
Sacramento also comes into the match in good form. They defeated Portland Timbers 2 in Providence Park in Portland by a 3-0 score on September 12. Justin Braun scored twice, and former Blues midfielder Rodrigo Lopez scored to lead Republic to victory. On Saturday, Republic FC battled to a 0-0 draw against Arizona United SC at Bonney Field in Sacramento.
With a win or a draw, OC Blues FC will finish the season on top of the Western Conference, achieving one of the lofty goals that Head Coach Oliver Wyss set for his squad at the beginning of the season.
“The players’ work ethic and focus on the pitch these last few weeks have been outstanding. The professionalism and unity this team has shown has put us in this position to win the Western Conference regular season title in front of our enthusiastic fans!,” said Head Coach Oliver Wyss
With the Blues on the verge of making history, fans are encouraged to buy tickets ahead of time, as the match is nearing a sellout. For tickets, call (949) 333-0418 or email [email protected].
Fans not able to make the match can watch the action live on YouTube at YouTube.com/OCBluesFC. For match updates, follow the Blues on Twitter @OCBluesFC, and use the match hashtag, #OCvSAC.
