Bye Week is finally behind us, and we are on to a game! Fresno FC has only played five games so far, and we’re dying for some action. This is another “local” game, and I think it would be a great idea to invest in this game to bill it as a derby – Orange County doesn’t seem to be going anywhere like some other, unnamed, local rivals.

The Details

Fresno will take on Orange County at home. It is the first Friday night game of the year, and it should be a firecracker. The game is happening at 7:30 P.M. on Friday, April 26th at Chukchansi Park. Come out wearing your Fuego red because it’s a throwback night in honor of the Fresno Fuego.

On a more serious note, it will also be the memorial for Moises Martinez. Moises was a part of the Fresno FC U23 squad and before that a member of the Fuego. Last October he suffered a brain aneurysm that left him fighting for his life. He recently passed away, and he will be honored during the game.

Orange County Soccer Club

Orange County SC is coming to Fresno. What should we expect?

It’s a mixed bag. Orange County was a title contender last year, so we have a bit of legacy to contend with – they went all the way to the conference finals before losing to Phoenix Rising.

This year they have been more hit or miss. Their current form is 2-3-2, sitting at just 8 points from seven games. They are a single point below us, and we have 2 games in hand. They have managed two wins, 2-0 against Colorado Springs and 4-0 against Tacoma. More telling is their losses, 5-3 to Tulsa. 2-0 to El Paso, and 1-0 to OKC last week.

What we are seeing is an OCSC that hasn’t found its footing yet. They are losing to teams that they should have beaten. They are not the same team as last year, and they are missing their top scorer, Thomas Enevoldsen, who moved to Indy Eleven in the offseason. They haven’t had a problem scoring goals though, it’s keeping them out that has hurt them.

Traveling Blues

Orange County’s away record shows that they are frail when on the road. Their record is 0-2-1 when traveling. Two losses and a tie is not the record of a champion, and their goal differential is telling. They have scored just two goals away from home this season, while they have conceded five.

The Foxes have the opportunity to send a message to the league with this game. We can take advantage of their poor form and send them home worse for wear. Winning three points from this game will put us in the top 5 of the West – it’s our chance to let everyone know that we’re here to win. The ball is in our court though, and the team will have to bring it on Friday.

Goals, Goals, Goals

Orange County is currently sitting at a goal per game ratio of 1.7 – meaning they let in almost 2 goals per game. If we can exploit that there is a good chance we can get something from this game.

So far our most prolific scorers are Johnson and Basuljevic – with two goals apiece. Chavez scored in the last game, but it remains to be seen if it was just a lucky coincidence or the start of positive form in front of goal. We should look to spread OC out and hit them on the counter, something we have been doing well this season – they will be relying on their offense which means we will get the openings we need when they are forward.

Defensively we are one of the best teams in the league at the moment. We should be able to hold their offense off and let in no goals. OKC was able to do it last week, keeping their one-goal lead for 86 minutes of the game.

Prediction

If we can keep their offense at bay and hit them on the counter I think we should win. I think Johnson will be looking for more goals, and I think Chavez or Chaney still have something to prove.

2-0 to the Foxes.

#SomosZorros