Any way you want it: Orange County SC 1, Reno 1868 FC 0

Orange County SC have officially made their best run in club history, winning their second straight USL Cup Playoffs game of the season after dispatching Reno 1868 FC 1-0 on Saturday night at Orange County Great Park in the Western Conference semifinal.

Orange County head coach Braeden Cloutier named an unchanged side from the one that rolled 4-0 last week in the playoff opener over Saint Louis FC, and while the run of play from this one was substantially different — Orange County SC took the lead but were forced to spend much of the rest of the game defending that narrow edge — they took care of business and have reached the Western Conference final for the first time in their history.

It was also a measure of revenge of sorts for Orange County, as the last team they had lost to was this Reno side, and just two weeks ago, in the regular-season finale. This time, when it really counted, OCSC came through with the quality they have been building all season to stymie the Nevada outfit and find a way to win and advance.

The game’s only goal came in the 29th minute, when Michael Seaton found Aodhan Quinn making a run up the left channel, passed it to him, and the midfielder made no mistake with his angled finish.

Reno had an edge in possession but Orange County had the advantage in terms of shots on the night, although Reno pumped the ball into the box late to try and find a hail mary goal.

The win means Orange County SC will have a chance to vanquish another tricky opponent this season, Phoenix Rising FC, with a place in the USL Cup final on the line. The game against Phoenix will be at home at Orange County Great Park next Saturday night, so get your plans squared away to watch the SoCal side look to continue their special season.

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