The Bull & Its Horns: Back to Back with Orange County

So Nice, Do It Twice

RGVFC has not played Orange County SC yet this season, but by 7/23, they will have played them twice. The clubs meet in the Valley midweek in the USL-ESPN match of the week, before reconvening Saturday in Southern California.

The Good Guys: Rio Grande Valley FC Toros (6-7-2)

RGVFC has been off since their 4-0 loss to Swope Park Rangers on July 8th. They will return home looking to settle into some consistency. There has been major defenses lapses in a few recent outings, but the attack has been poor for much of the season. The club is still looking for someone to spark the offense.

Conductor Charlie Ward is now in Houston, but the gamechanging talent they need may already be on the roster. In the matches he’s played this season, Camilo Monroy has been electric. He takes on defenders and forces fouls or defensive mistakes. His lack of match time is due to injury, and maybe he will be recovered after some time off. Ruben Luna serves as the club’s primary striker, but he does not factor much into the match if he’s not receiving service.

The Bad Guys: Orange County SC (5-4-3)

Thankfully for the Toros, Orange County is not a juggernaut coming down to South Texas this season. In 2016, when they were known as OC Blues, the club upset top seeded Sacramento Republic FC in the playoffs opening round.

In the offseason, they lost one of their stars, Trevin Caesar, to Republic FC. Their attack has suffered a similar fate as the Toros, with only 19 goals in 12 matches. Roy Meeus and Carlos Alvarez lead the offense. On the other end of the pitch, they sit tied for 26th in the league with only two clean sheets. They’re undefeated in their last four matches, coming off a 2-1 win over Seattle Sounders 2 on Sunday.

The Dirty Details:

TONIGHT live on ESPN3 at 7pm CDT

RGVFC vs. Orange County SC from H-E-B Park