The second edition of the 405 Derby took place on Saturday, and a clear leader in the season series has emerged. Orange County SC defeated the LA G
The second edition of the 405 Derby took place on Saturday, and a clear leader in the season series has emerged.
Orange County SC defeated the LA Galaxy II 4-0 at their new venue at Orange County Great Park. Jerry van Ewijk scored two first-half goals in three minutes, and added an assist on substitute Wuilito Fernandes’ goal in the second half, while a Galaxy II own goal, their second in two games against Orange County, came in between to give the hosts an emphatic win.
The win was fitting for an important night in OCSC lore, as the temporary venue at Great Park — which will host home games until the permanent structure, also located at the Great Park, is finished this year. An announced crowd of more than 4,000 turned out, an impressive showing considering the habitual lack of attendants at Orange County games last year at Anteater Stadium.
On the field, the performance was Orange County’s most complete to date this season, something head coach Logan Pause admitted after the game.
“I thought it was a really solid performance,” he told Soccer Nation. “Anytime you can beat a quality opponent like the LA Galaxy II 4-0, of course it’s a good performance.
“Of course — I’m being really particular, there’s things that we can continue to work on and improve on, but that’s natural. We’re only five games in to this campaign. Those things will get better.”
On the other side, the slump continued for Galaxy II, who started the season with a win but have since picked up a single point in five games. Head coach Mike Munoz opted to bring more experience into the lineup for this game, starting Ariel Lassiter, Jose Villarreal, Raul Mendiola and Bradford Jamieson, but the USL-experienced first teamers could not gain traction on the night. On one hand, the back five, featuring a considerably inexperienced group at the USL level, were torched early and often by Orange County, but by the time LA were down 3-0 the team was demoralized and the players frequently yelled at one another in frustration from a difficult performance.
Perhaps the best news for Galaxy II is they don’t have to wait a week for their next game, as they’ll host Real Monarchs at the StubHub Center on Wednesday. Orange County, meanwhile have to go back on the road, as they’ll head to Tulsa to take on the Roughnecks on Saturday, hoping they can continue their hot start to the USL season.
