Orange County SC edged Oakland Roots SC 3–2 in a USL Championship contest on Friday night, with Ousmane Sylla's 87th-minute winner settling a back-and-forth affair. Nico Benalcazar, Stephen Kelly, and Sylla found the net for the hosts, while Wolfgang Prentice and Peter Wilson scored for Oakland.

Orange County started on the front foot despite an early yellow card to Garrison Tubbs in the fourth minute. Just four minutes later, Benalcazar gave the home side the lead, finishing from a Christopher Hegardt delivery to make it 1–0.

Oakland steadied themselves and grew into the game. Thomas McCabe picked up a booking in the 21st minute, but the Roots kept pushing and were rewarded before halftime when Prentice equalized in the 40th minute, converting from a Bertin Jacquesson assist to send the teams into the break level.

The second half produced three goals in quick succession. Kelly restored Orange County's advantage in the 50th minute, only for Oakland to hit back six minutes later through Wilson, who finished off a Jesús de Vicente pass to level the score at 2–2.

From there, the game settled into a tense affair. Kelly was cautioned in the 80th minute — the same minute Oakland's Keegan Tingey also went into the book — as both sides scrapped for a winner. It was Orange County who found it. Sylla struck three minutes from time to snatch all three points, sending the home faithful into celebration.

The victory gives Orange County SC valuable momentum heading deeper into the spring stretch of the USL Championship season.