IRVINE, Calif. – United Soccer League playoffs are kicking off at the Championship Soccer Stadium in the Orange County Great Park.

The Orange County Soccer Club is a perfect example of how much the league has grown and how popular soccer has become in the U.S. Home field advantage is something every team hopes for in the playoffs.

For Orange County Soccer Club center-back and Orange native Michael Orozco, home field has taken on a new meaning. Orozco is embarking on the next chapter of his football career in the United Soccer League, but now his journey has come full circle.

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The former U.S. Olympian and Men’s National Team member is back home in Orange County, playing home games in front of friends and family.

“Being involved with a team that’s from my home town, words can’t really explain that feeling. Soccer, it’s 110 percent,” says Orozco.

His career has taken him all over the world, from Major League Soccer to professional soccer in Mexico, and at age 33 he has countless minutes under his belt. That is why he is as much a player as he is a mentor to guys like Diego Lopez, who is a fellow southern California native from Chino.

At 17 years old, Lopez represents the young talent that comprises much of the league.

“It’s really good for my development, and just watching all these guys with their career and watching them growing up and being next to them and being like my mentors, it’s a privilege,” says Lopez.

OCSC is making its second consecutive playoff appearance in its third year, a burgeoning team in a blossoming league that since its inception in 2011 has already expanded to 36 teams.

According to Nielsen Sports, Major League Soccer has experienced a 27 percent rise in interest since 2012. The USL is considered by many to be the minor leagues for MLS and is even sending players to Europe. Having a name like Orozco’s headlining their playoffs just goes to show how much soccer has grown as a sport in the U.S.

“Me coming back and playing a big part for the team, for the league, there’s high completion here,” says Orozco.

For Orozco, this is the beginning of his next step in soccer and life. It never hurts to have home-field advantage.