Alex Villanueva Scores his First Orange County Goal in 2-2 Draw with Las Vegas

March 26, 2023 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – Orange County SC News Release

Orange County SC played to a 2-2 draw with Las Vegas Lights FC on Saturday, March 25 at Championship Stadium in Irvine, CA on the club’s Support Local Soccer Night. Defender Alex Villanueva scored his first goal for the club and forward Milan Iloski later added the equalizer, his first of the season.

The match got off to a rather contentious start, with 11 fouls called in the opening 30 minutes of the match. Multiple fouls led to delays in the action, allowing neither side to find any sort of rhythm in the match.

The visitors found themselves on the front foot going into halftime, as former OCSC forward Erick “Cubo” Torres opened the scoring with a header from in close.

After halftime, the Black and Orange began to impose their will on the game in search of the equalizer. In the 58th minute, substitute Marc “Sparky” McNulty forced a save from Vegas goalkeeper Leo Diaz.

Sparky followed his rebound and played the ball back to Iloski just outside the six yard box, where he used a bicycle kick to find Villanueva at the far post to tie the game at 1 in the 60th minute.

The game was not level for long, however. Vegas retook the lead just two minutes later in the 62nd minute as Las Vegas midfielder Andrew Carleton found forward Pato Faz at the far post for a tap-in goal, and the Lights had a 2-1 advantage.

However, the Lights were then victims of a quick counterpunch themselves in the 64th minute. Lights defender Marcelo Lage turned the ball over straight into the path of an on running Iloski. Iloski dribbled past two defenders and fired home the game’s third goal in six minutes, and Orange County was level again at 2-2.

Substitute Bryce Jamison had Orange County’s best chance at the match winner in the 83rd minute, after defender Andrew Fox nodded on Brent Richards’ long throw, but Jamison’s headed effort was just high over the bar.

Orange County SC’s next chance to grab their first three points of the season will come in their first match away from the Champ this season, when they travel to Connecticut to square off with Hartford Athletic. They will return home on Wednesday, April 5 as they begin their march towards the CONCACAF Champions League in their Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Second Round match with Capo FC. Ticket information for that match will be released at a later date.

MILESTONES AND FACTS:

Tonight was the first goal for defender Alex Villanueva in an Orange County…