The 2018 Orange County SC season was the club's eighth season of existence, and their eighth consecutive season in the
United Soccer League
United Soccer League (USL), formerly known as United Soccer Leagues, is a Association football, soccer league in the United States and Canada. It organizes several men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Men's leagues curren ...
, the second tier of American soccer. Orange County also competed in the
U.S. Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, commonly known as the U.S. Open Cup (USOC), is a Single-elimination tournament, knockout cup competition in men's Soccer in the United States, soccer in the United States of America. It is the oldest ongoing nati ...
. The season covered the period from October 14, 2017, to the beginning of the 2019 USL season.
OCSC won the Western Conference in the regular season, finishing one point ahead of runners-up
Sacramento Republic
Sacramento Republic FC is an American professional soccer team based in Sacramento, California, that plays in the Western Conference of the USL Championship, the second level in US soccer. Co-founded by Warren Smith and Joe Wagoner in 2012, th ...
. It marked the second time in club history that Orange County had topped the conference, after 2015. However, the club would be knocked out in the conference finals by eventual
USL Cup
The USL Championship Final is the post-season championship match of the USL Championship, the second tier of professional men's soccer in the United States. The winner is crowned champion in the same manner as in other North American sports lea ...
runners-up
Phoenix Rising. In the U.S. Open Cup, Orange County were eliminated in the second round by
Golden State Force, failing to win a game in the competition for the fourth time in club history.
2018 marked the first season with
Braeden Cloutier
Braeden Cloutier (born October 3, 1974) is an American soccer coach and former player who is the former head coach of Orange County SC. As a player, he spent five seasons in Major Soccer League and over twelve in various indoor leagues.
Early ...
as the club's head coach, and Cloutier's first season as a professional head coach. The season averaged 3,095 fans per home match, and was the second consecutive season that the average attendance had increased.
Roster
Non-competitive
Preseason
Competitions
USL
Standings
Results summary
Results by round
Match results
In August 2017, the
USL
The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, p ...
announced that the 2018 season would span 34 games, the longest regular season the league had ever run. The expansion was spurred by the addition of six new clubs for the 2018 season:
Atlanta United 2
Atlanta United 2 are the reserve team of the Major League Soccer club Atlanta United FC. The team plays in the USL Championship, the second tier of American soccer. The team was established on November 14, 2017 and began their first professiona ...
,
Fresno FC
Fresno Football Club was an American professional soccer team based in Fresno, California. Founded in 2017, the team was a member of the USL Championship, a second-tier league in the American Soccer Pyramid. Their first game took place on March ...
,
Indy Eleven
Indy Eleven is an American professional soccer team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 2013, the team made its debut in the North American Soccer League in 2014, before moving to the United Soccer League in 2018. The franchise plays it ...
,
Las Vegas Lights,
Nashville SC
Nashville Soccer Club is a Major League Soccer team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The team began play in the league in 2020 as a continuation of the USL club of the same name and plays its home matches at Geodis Park. It is principally owned ...
, and
North Carolina FC
North Carolina FC is an American professional soccer team in Cary, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh. Founded in 2006, the team plays in USL League One, the third tier of the American league system.
The team has played its home games a ...
.
On January 14, 2018, the league announced home openers for every club. Orange County opened the season with a home match against
Phoenix Rising, marking the first season-opening match to ever be played at
Championship Soccer Stadium
Championship Soccer Stadium is a 2,500 seat soccer-specific stadium at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California, Irvine, California. The stadium serves as the permanent home of Orange County SC of the second tier USL Championship league ...
. In
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
, the club played its first four matches on the road before getting to open the new stadium on May 6.
The schedule for the remainder of the 2018 season was released on January 19. Orange County played three times against both
LA Galaxy II
LA Galaxy II is an American professional soccer team based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, United States founded in 2014. It is the reserve team of the LA Galaxy. The team competes in MLS Next Pro, the third tier of the United Sta ...
and Phoenix. They played every other Western Conference team twice.
Postseason
U.S. Open Cup
Statistics
Appearances and goals
Disciplinary record
Clean sheets
Transfers
In
Loan in
Out
Awards
USL Team of the Week
USL Player of the Week
Postseason
;USL All-League First Team
* FW
Thomas Enevoldsen
Thomas Enevoldsen (born 27 July 1987) is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a forward. He made eleven appearances for the Denmark national team scoring one goal.
Club career AaB
Enevoldsen was born in Frejlev, a suburb to ...
* MF
Aodhan Quinn
Aodhan Quinn (born March 22, 1992) is an American professional soccer player who currently plays for Phoenix Rising FC in the USL Championship.
Career
Early career
Quinn played college soccer at Bradley University in 2010 and at the University ...
Kits
See also
*
Orange County SC
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 second tier USL Championship.
The team plays its home games at ...
*
2018 in American soccer
The 2018 season was the 106th season of competitive soccer in the United States.
National teams
Men's
Senior
=Results and fixtures=
Friendlies
=Goalscorers=
Goals are current as of November 20, 2018, after match against .
=M ...
*
2018 USL season
The 2018 USL season was the eighth season of the United Soccer League and second under Division II sanctioning. The previous season, the USL had provisional Div. II sanctioning from the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) along with th ...
References
{{2018 in American soccer
Orange County SC seasons
Orange County SC
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 second tier USL Championship.
The team plays its home games at ...
Orange County SC
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 second tier USL Championship.
The team plays its home games at ...
Orange County SC
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 second tier USL Championship.
The team plays its home games at ...