Orange County SC will look to win two games in a row on Saturday when they host Real Monarchs at Orange County Great Park in an August evening clash.

Orange County kept their hopes of reaching the USL Championship playoffs alive with a rousing win last week over Las Vegas Lights, and now the challenge ratchets up, against a Utah side enjoying a fine season firmly above the playoff line thus far.

These teams have yet to meet this season, with their second match scheduled for October. Historically, these teams have had some tight games. Now coached by former MLS defender Jamison Olave, Monarchs are paced in goals by Honduran striker Douglas Martinez, with 10 goals in 16 appearances, followed by USL Championship veterans Maikel Chang (nine goals) and Jack Blake (six goals). Among MLS2 teams, Real Monarchs seem to have melded the twin objectives of serving the first team and trying to win in their own division, and are likely to provide a stiff test for OCSC.

Still, since these teams haven’t met yet this year, it’s hard to gauge how they’ll match up. Will we see a clear winner on one side or another tense encounter? We’ll find out Saturday night.

Tale of the Tape:

Orange County SC: 30 points (7-8-9), 13th place in Western Conference; Goal Difference: +2; Last five games: W-L-D-W-D

Real Monarchs: 35 points (10-7-5), 5th place in Western Conference; Goal Difference: +10; Last five games: D-W-W-L-D

How to Watch Orange County SC vs. Real Monarchs: The game is scheduled to kick off at 7 pm PT at Championship Soccer Stadium. You can watch the stream only on ESPN+.

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