The Lineup:

A 1-1 draw with Monterey, and then the extra point for winning the PK’s, gave Republic the 2 points they needed to keep their destiny in their own hands for advancing out of their USL Cup group. But those 2 points did not come easy. A 30’ red card to Jared Timmer completely wrecked Republic’s tactics, as they quickly made subs and shifted the squad around to compensate. That shift was almost exclusively defensive—in the 30 minutes before the red card, Republic had managed 5 shots. After the red card? Just 2, one of them a penalty.

Republic came out in their now familiar 4-2-3-1, but had a host of changes to the starting side compared to the lackadaisical side that we saw in Phoenix. Collins made 4 changes to the starting XI, switching out Essel for Timmer, Malango for Wanner, Arturo Rodriguez for Memo Rodriguez, and Edwards for Ajago. And after 30 minutes, Republic looked good! They even had that all-so-elusive goal from a corner that’s been missing for a year now, even if it was disallowed due to a (very soft) foul in the box.

But we never really got to see this set of players get going. In the 30’, Timmer committed a DOGSO foul, or a “denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.” We’ll get into that foul later, but it changed the course of the game. Edwards, making his first start since April 11th, was the unfortunate substitution casualty who came off for Chibi Ukaegbu, who was brought in to replace Timmer on the backline. Other than one breakthrough by Wolff, this left Republic completely without an attacking threat up top until Malango came on in the 67’. I mean, look at Republic’s average positioning after the subs came on:

Malango (#7) is the highest positioned player, and Republic didn’t even have him until the final ~23 minutes of the match. And this isn’t a critique of the substitutions at all—this is just what happens when you go down a man. At half, Willey came on for Memo and Republic was able to apply a little bit more of a press. Willey played as sort of a roaming 10, completely given the freedom to press and move where he wanted to. After Monterey go up a goal, he’s the only one pressing up:

Ultimately, Republic equalized despite dreadful possession (27.6%, a season low) because they sat back and absorbed pressure, forcing Monterey to commit numbers forward, before Republic quickly countered over the top. They had a few chances to break in the second half, but ultimately had zero shots from open play. But sometimes, just creating a few chances is enough, especially when you’re down a man. Just put the ball in the box and see what happens. And sure enough, a handball call in the 60’ off a cross gave Republic a lifeline.

I’m going to be honest here—I just don’t see the handball. This is the moment of the supposed handball here:

Blurry picture, but that’s the best shot we have. Adam Moffat on the Republic broadcast likewise agreed, saying “That is nowhere near a handball.” I guess in the grand scheme of things, Republic should have been up a goal already but for the “foul” called on the corner in the first half, so it washes out. But for the umpteenth time this season… USL needs VAR if it wants to be a serious product.

Either way, a PK call was given, Benítez knocked home his 5th goal of the year, and Republic spent the entire last 30 minutes absorbing pressure while only allowing 3 shots—none on target.

The Good:

New Roles, Shifting Positions
Due to the red card, the positions of many of the Republic players shifted dramatically over the course of the game. Most notable was Benítez, who moved from his usual left wing back role up to center defensive mid around the 67’. This was part of a larger series of changes; Spaulding came in for Wanner and took over the left wing back role and Malango subbed in for Crisostomo but took over the left wing role, moving Benitez to Crisostomo’s position in the midfield. And we already talked about Willey’s press.

Most of these positional adjustments required some pretty on the fly changes. The biggest risk when this happens is not that the offense doesn’t work, it’s that the defense falls apart as assignments get lost on the fly. But that didn’t happen, and nearly every sub had an above average player rating. We even got a debut from Reedy, who came into the right wing role with 10 minutes left in the match and played as well as you can ask on a 10-minute debut.

I do want to look in at Benítez again too; look at his heat chart:

He’s literally all over the pitch. Every week that goes by, the more convinced I am that this is Benítez’s team. Over and over, he’s the most important player on the pitch; Republic’s poor performance in Phoenix was largely because Benítez had a rough game, one of his first rough games in Old Glory Red. But Benítez is so regularly consistent, that relying on him in this way is hardly ever a risk. Collins acknowledged his importance post-match, saying:

“He's so important. I think he'll be the first to say that last week, by his standards, was not his best, but we know that he's always going to come back stronger and better for it.”

“Fight and Character”
Republic is going through a rough stretch. It’s not a secret. The fans know it, the players know it, and I’ve seen far too many “Collins out!” posts over the past 2-3 weeks. But tonight showed that the club still has some fight in it, the first we’ve seen in several matches. Going down to 10 men, then down a goal, and crawling back to win on penalty kicks is a hell of a shot in the arm. Captain Lee Desmond acknowledges it hasn’t been good enough… but the fight and character are there:

“Look, we’re just going through a spell at the minute where we’re not playing particularly well… It happens, we’re making life a little bit difficult for ourselves, but we showed so much fight and character tonight, which maybe we didn’t in the last couple of weeks, and so I’m proud to see us show that side of the game again.”

The 2 points tonight were nice, and borderline mandatory to advance past the group stage, but the bigger story here is that Republic didn’t show the quit they showed the last few weeks. Here’s to hoping we won’t see that quit again.

The Bad:

Defensive Instability
Republic defensive woes over the past 5 matches have not been fun to watch. They’ve allowed 8 goals in those 5 matches, and a large reason is the back and forth switching of center backs. While Lee Desmond has played in all 5 of those matches, averaging a 6.94 player rating, he’s been paired off and on with Essel, Timmer, and occasionally Chibi, who are combined averaging a 6.26 player rating in games that they start. Republic is sorely missing an injured Freddy Kleemann.

Part of the problem with filling Kleemann’s role while he’s out is that Essel is a different sort of defender and Timmer is still returning from injury. Essel’s defensive style is much more mobile than Kleemann’s is—realistically, he’s more of a center defensive mid who can fill in at center back when needed.

And Timmer is quite clearly not fully up to speed yet. He has yet to play more than a single half in a match, and last week I questioned if he would even be playing at all if Kleemann wasn’t injured. Now, I think he will get there—he is coming off of post-season surgery after all. But for the time being, he consistently is just a step behind where he should be. That step behind ultimately led to a red card in this match, when he grabbed and clearly fouled a Monterey player who was through on goal. If you haven’t listened to the Quail Call yet, we broke down the foul and explained why it’s a red card:

Everything being said, this was a solid defensive performance from the boys while down a man. But playing solid defensively against a bottom of the table team should be the expectation.

What Stood Out:

Even within a tournament with weird rules, saying “2 points” still sounds odd. But it was a good 2 points. Republic are certainly going through a rough patch, but they are by no means down for the count. Their USL Cup fate is in their hands, needing simply a point in Boise to advance, and while they are out of playoff position in the USL table, they’re only 6 points out of 2nd with a game or 2 in hand over most of the opposition. There is still time to turn things around as the dog days of summer roll in.

Coming up are some very winnable games—starting with a weekend match up in Colorado, against a beatable Colorado Springs team. I know some folks are on the “Collins out” train already but I think he’s earned just a little more time, especially given all the injuries to start the year.

Side note, speaking of the Switchbacks, they will be missing former Republic player Duke Lacroix, who was called up to the Haitian national team for the World Cup—best of luck to Duke!

Republic FC suffered a disappointing defeat in Phoenix, and the Quail Call crew breaks down what went wrong in what may have been Sacramento’s toughest performance of the season. The conversation dives into player performances, tactical decisions, pre-planned substitutions, and how injuries continue to impact the squad.

The crew also examines the turning point created by a red card vs Monterey Bay, the adjustments that followed, and how Republic FC managed the match from that point forward. Plus, a closer look at Michel Benítez’s leadership, positional flexibility, and growing influence on the team, as well as evaluations of recent player performances and debuts.

To close out the show, the conversation shifts to the 2026 FIFA World Cup as excitement builds for the tournament’s opening matches and the storylines fans should be watching.

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After all of the anticipation, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will finally kick off tomorrow. The expanded 48-team tournament will bring together nations from every corner of the globe for the biggest World Cup ever staged across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

The opening round of group stage matches is often where the tone of a World Cup is established. Favorites can announce themselves, underdogs can capture the imagination of fans worldwide, and host nations can either build momentum or immediately find themselves under pressure. While every match will carry significance, a handful stand out as essential viewing.

Here are five matches to circle on your calendar as the tournament gets underway.

1. Mexico vs. South Africa

June 11 | Mexico City Stadium

The first match of a World Cup always feels bigger than the tournament itself. Billions of eyes will be watching as Mexico and South Africa step onto the field at the legendary Estadio Azteca to officially kick off World Cup 2026.

For Mexico, the occasion carries additional significance. El Tri will become the first nation in history to host opening matches in three separate World Cups, adding another chapter to one of the sport’s most iconic venues. The atmosphere inside Azteca should be electric as Mexico begins its quest to make a deep run on home soil.

South Africa enters as the underdog, but opening matches are often unpredictable. Nerves, pressure, and emotion have a way of creating drama, especially against a host nation carrying the expectations of an entire country.

2. United States vs. Paraguay

June 12 | Los Angeles Stadium

If Mexico carries the pressure of opening the tournament, the United States carries the pressure of expectation.

The Americans have spent years building toward this moment. Hosting the World Cup for the first time since 1994, the U.S. enters the competition with one of the most talented player pools in its history and a manager in Mauricio Pochettino tasked with elevating the program on the global stage.

Paraguay may not generate the same headlines as some of South America’s traditional powers, but they remain one of the continent’s toughest opponents. Organized, physical, and difficult to break down, Paraguay represents exactly the kind of team that can make life uncomfortable in a tournament opener.

The atmosphere in Los Angeles should be among the best of the opening week, with American supporters eager to see whether this generation is ready to deliver on its potential.

3. Netherlands vs. Japan

June 14 | Dallas Stadium

From a pure footballing standpoint, this may be the best match of the opening round.

Japan has established itself as one of the most respected tournament teams in the world, earning victories over Germany and Spain at the last World Cup and proving it can compete with anyone on the international stage. The Samurai Blue arrive in North America with legitimate ambitions of another deep run.

Standing across from them is a Netherlands side that continues its pursuit of a first World Cup title. The Dutch remain one of Europe’s elite nations, boasting technical quality throughout the squad and a style of play that consistently makes them one of the tournament’s most entertaining teams.

The clash of styles should make for a fascinating tactical battle and could ultimately decide who tops the group.

4. Germany vs. Curaçao

June 14 | Houston Stadium

Every World Cup produces a story that transcends the sport itself. Curaçao may already be that story.

With a population of just over 150,000 people, the Caribbean nation becomes the smallest country ever to qualify for a FIFA World Cup. Simply reaching the tournament represents one of the most remarkable achievements in modern international football.

Their reward is a daunting opener against four-time world champions Germany.

For Germany, the match is about avoiding complacency and demonstrating they remain among the world’s elite after a difficult run of recent tournaments. For Curaçao, it is an opportunity to represent an entire nation on the biggest stage in sports.

World Cups are remembered for their underdog stories. If Curaçao can remain competitive deep into the match, they may quickly become one of the tournament’s most beloved teams.

5. England vs. Croatia

June 17 | Houston Stadium

Few opening-round matches feature as much history and quality as England versus Croatia.

The memory of Croatia’s dramatic victory over England in the 2018 World Cup semifinal still lingers for supporters of both nations. Since then, England has continued to establish itself among the favorites in every major tournament, while Croatia has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to outperform expectations when the stakes are highest.

Neither side will want to begin the tournament with a defeat, creating a level of urgency rarely seen this early in a World Cup. The result could go a long way toward determining who controls the group moving forward.

Honorable Mention: Haiti vs. Scotland

June 13 | Boston Stadium

Not every compelling World Cup story involves a traditional power.

Haiti’s return to the World Cup is one of the feel-good stories of the tournament, and Sacramento Republic FC supporters have a personal connection to the squad. Former Republic FC defender Duke Lacroix is expected to represent Haiti after helping the Caribbean nation reach the world’s biggest stage.

Lacroix made more than 60 appearances for Republic FC during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, becoming a fan favorite through his work rate, versatility, and consistency. For Sacramento supporters, watching a former Republic player compete in the World Cup adds an extra layer of intrigue to an already compelling matchup.

The beauty of the World Cup’s opening round is that every nation begins with the same dream. Some will take the first step toward a championship run. Others will create memories that endure long after the final whistle. These matches offer some of the best storylines, atmospheres, and opportunities for history as the tournament gets underway.

If you’re looking for a place to catch the action, Sacramento Republic FC’s Sac Soccer Guide is the go-to resource for World Cup watch parties, local events, and soccer gatherings happening throughout the tournament. Whether you’re following the United States, Mexico, Haiti, or just looking for the best atmosphere in town, the guide makes it easy to find where Sacramento’s soccer community will be watching. Be sure to check back throughout the World Cup as new events and watch parties are added.

After a difficult stretch of results and another obstacle arriving just 30 minutes into Saturday night’s USL Cup clash with Monterey Bay FC, Republic fought back to level in regulation ahead of penalties.

Playing more than an hour with 10 men following Jared Timmer’s red card, Republic FC battled back from a second-half deficit, earned a 1-1 draw through Michel Benitez’s penalty kick, and then converted all five attempts in a penalty shootout to secure the extra point in a 5-4 shootout victory at Heart Health Park. The result keeps Sacramento atop Group 1 and within touching distance of a place in the knockout rounds.

Before Timmer’s dismissal changed the complexion of the match, Sacramento looked the stronger side. The hosts thought they had taken an early lead when Timmer powered home a header from a Michel Benitez corner, only for the goal to be disallowed for a foul away from the ball. Sacramento continued to create dangerous moments and appeared poised to control the evening before the red card forced a complete shift in approach.

Monterey Bay enjoyed over 72 percent possession on the night, but Sacramento limited the visitors to just five total shots and a single effort on target despite being down a man for roughly 60 minutes. In many ways, the performance reflected the grit that has defined some of the club’s best moments under pressure.

“I thought in the first 30 minutes prior to the red card, we were excellent,” Head Coach Neill Collins said afterward. “When the red card happens, you always fear the worst for 10 men. It’s a long time, but the players were fantastic, and I think the least we deserved was a point.”

Monterey Bay finally found a breakthrough in the 54th minute when a loose ball inside the six-yard box fell to Riley Bidois for the opening goal. It was the first goal Sacramento had conceded during this year’s USL Cup competition.

Just six minutes later, Republic FC earned a penalty after a Monterey Bay handball in the area. Benitez stepped to the spot and calmly buried the attempt into the corner for his third penalty goal across all competitions this season, leveling the score at 1-1 and reigniting the crowd at Heart Health Park.

The equalizer seemed to energize Sacramento rather than simply rescue them. Despite being down a player, Republic continued to find moments going forward. Substitutes Blake Willey, Ryan Spaulding, Mayele Malango, and club debutant Pierre Reedy all contributed energy and fresh legs as Sacramento refused to settle for merely surviving.

The match ultimately moved to a penalty shootout, where Republic was flawless.

Mark-Anthony Kaye, Benitez, Lee Desmond, Malango, and Spaulding each converted from the spot, while Danny Vitiello produced the decisive save against Ilijah Paul to send the home crowd into celebration.

For captain Lee Desmond, the performance was about more than the two points earned in the standings.

“We showed so much fight and character tonight,” Desmond said. “Sometimes those types of performances where you have to really stick together and grind, you can actually learn more about each other as a team, and that’s what happened tonight.”

The result moves Sacramento to eight points atop Group 1 heading into the final group-stage match against AC Boise on July 11. The path forward is straightforward: avoid defeat in regulation and Republic FC will secure advancement to the knockout rounds regardless of other results. Even in several loss scenarios, Sacramento remains positioned favorably thanks to its head-to-head victory over Spokane and a strong goal differential within the group.

After two frustrating weeks, Republic FC rediscovered its defensive resolve, received another influential performance from Benitez, and showed the resilience that has long defined the club’s identity. The soccer was not always pretty, but with a man down for an hour, perfection was never the objective.

Advancement now sits one result away.

Sacramento Republic FC announced Thursday that homegrown forward Da’vian Kimbrough will join North Texas SC on loan, giving one of American soccer’s most promising young prospects an opportunity to earn regular professional minutes in one of the country’s most respected development systems.

While Republic FC did not disclose the terms of the agreement, FC Dallas has reported that the deal includes an option to make the move permanent. The loan sends Kimbrough to North Texas SC, the MLS NEXT Pro affiliate of FC Dallas, a club widely regarded as one of the premier developers of young talent in the United States.

“Da’vian is a bright, young talent and providing him an opportunity to earn regular pro game minutes is essential for his continued development,” Republic FC President and General Manager Tim Holt said in a club statement. “At North Texas SC, he will compete with and against other young professionals as he builds upon a period of recent successes at the youth national team levels.”

Kimbrough’s path has already been historic. In August 2023, he signed his first professional contract with Republic FC, becoming the youngest professional athlete in American team sports history. He made his professional debut later that year in a 2-0 victory over Las Vegas Lights FC and has since appeared eight times for Sacramento across all competitions, including earning his first professional start earlier this season.

His development has extended beyond the club level. Kimbrough has earned more than 20 call-ups between United States and Mexican youth national team programs and recently represented Mexico at the Canteras de América tournament, where he led the team with three goals in three matches.

Before reaching the first team, Kimbrough established himself as one of the nation’s top academy prospects. After joining Sacramento’s academy in 2021 at age 11, he scored 61 goals in 81 MLS NEXT appearances while consistently playing above his age group. His performances helped Sacramento’s academy teams post some of the best records in the country and quickly attracted national attention.

For years, FC Dallas has been viewed as the gold standard for player development in the United States. The organization has produced a long list of professionals, including Weston McKennie, Ricardo Pepi, Jesús Ferreira, and Tanner Tessmann. North Texas SC serves as a critical bridge between academy soccer and Major League Soccer, providing young players with consistent professional minutes while keeping them within the FC Dallas development pathway.

There is also a Sacramento connection within the organization. Former Republic FC Head Coach Mark Briggs joined FC Dallas as an assistant coach ahead of the 2025 MLS season following his successful tenure with the Indomitable Club. While Briggs is not directly involved with North Texas SC, his presence adds another familiar link between the organizations.

The reported purchase option suggests FC Dallas sees more than short-term value in the Sacramento native. The club has built a reputation for identifying elite young talent, and the opportunity to enter that environment could be a significant step in Kimbrough’s development.

For Republic FC, the move reflects a continued commitment to player development. Kimbrough became the sixth academy graduate to sign a professional contract with his hometown club, and he is part of a pathway that has seen more than 40 academy players train with the first team and over 25 sign professional contracts.

Whether Kimbrough ultimately returns to Sacramento or earns a permanent move into the FC Dallas system remains to be seen. What is clear is that one of the brightest young talents ever produced by Republic FC’s academy now has an opportunity to continue his development in one of the most proven player pathways in American soccer.

The Lineup:

On a warm Phoenix night, Republic were played off the pitch both tactically and physically. Phoenix, to their credit, came in with a well-scouted and efficient plan: using Ihsan Sacko as a focal point, punish Sacramento’s often over-extended left side. And Republic, again and again, had no answer. Coupled with this emphasis on the right side of the field, Phoenix pressed high into Republic’s midfield and backline, forcing the Quails to play either over the top or through the midfield, which they were completely unsuccessful in.

It worked wonders the entire match. Republic appeared completely helpless as Rising threw numbers down the right wing; I mean, just look at Phoenix’s attacking map:

The arrows indicate the number of attacks into that zone, while brighter greens indicate a higher concentration of play in that area. Phoenix would bat the ball around the midfield, find a way to ping it to the right side, and then drive in at goal from there. And this is where Republic appears to have been out-coached or, at the very least, out-scouted. Republic’s tactic heavily relies on their wing play. So, often this season, that has involved relying on the wing backs, Gurr or Spaulding on the Republic right and Benítez on the left, to get forward, create attacking chances, and overload the opposing defense.

But Phoenix took that tendency and turned it on its head. Taking advantage of Benítez’s oft seen forward progression, they simply pressed Republic into the midfield, won the ball, and then countered down the right side where Benítez was out of defensive position and Republic’s defense was outnumbered. To make this worse, Malango, who plays in front of Benítez on the Republic left, went 5/15 on duals, lost possession 14 times, and went 3/7 on dribble attempts. So not only was Benitez pushed forward, but Malango’s inability to hold on to or win the ball meant that Phoenix far too easily gained possession and were able to counter. As soon as Phoenix won a turnover, they were off to the races—and the Republic midfield duo of Kaye and Crisostomo were unable to slow down the Phoenix attackers before they reached an increasingly disorganized Republic backline. John Morrissey with USL tactics highlighted this over on twitter:

Ideally, in Neill Collins’ system, the 2 CDM’s function as forward “sweepers,” able to push towards attacking players to slow down the opposing attack. But Kaye and Crisostomo are just completely unable to do so, not helped by a subpar performance on duels, where they went a combined 5/12. This goal was called offside, but it’s a great example of what happened over and over throughout the match.

When not in possession, Phoenix pressed Republic fairly high. But because Republic was too slow on the ground and terrible in the air (more on that later), they just couldn’t get out of the press. Look at the 2 clubs’ average positioning:

Not only is most of the Republic attack mired in the midfield, but the one player who plays higher is Malango… which further opens up space for Phoenix to attack that side of the pitch.

Republic came into this match against a Phoenix team who appeared well prepared to tactically counter a Collins system that has become stale and predictable, and Republic showed a complete inability to adapt and deal with it.

The Good:

A Few Individual Performances
We’re not going to spend long in the “Good” section here—this match doesn’t deserve it. But, I still think there are a few individual performances to shout out if you want something good to look at. Collins himself had the same sentiment post-match:

“I think Danny is like the only player that comes out with a “pass” mark. A couple lads that came on definitely injected a bit of energy and enthusiasm, but still I think Danny kept it respectable.”

And, post-match emotions aside, I mostly agree with that sentiment. Danny Vitiello single handily kept this to a 2-goal affair. Without his performance, Republic easily give up 3 or 4 goals. It’s why he has a match rating of 9.2, tied for the highest of all players on the pitch. A keeper getting a 9.2 despite giving up 2 goals is a bit insane, but it’s because both goals were from penalties, and Vitiello had 7 saves total, 5 of which were from shots inside the box, was 2 for 2 on run outs, and had some real save-of-the-week type theatrics. One save is nominated for that by the way, go vote for him here.

I will say though that Gurr and Memo at least had respectable showings of their own. Gurr created Republic’s best chance on the night and had 2 passes that directly led to a teammate’s shot. And Memo returned to the pitch for the first time since late April and played well—he had 6 of the Republic attack’s 19 duel wins despite playing only one half, and was the second highest rated Republic player on the night.

The Bad:

Defensive Chaos:
Republic’s defense was in chaos all night—the match ending 2-0 is something of a Vitiello-caused miracle. But much of this chaos was a result of the Republic attack and midfield getting beat, which overexposed the backline.

Let’s take a closer look at that play from above. When Phoenix have possession here, Republic is lined up in some sort of… weird 3-2-4-1? 4-1-4-1? We haven’t seen this look from a Collins’ side before, and frankly, it doesn’t make much sense. Look at this snapshot:

Crisostomo (right circle) is traditionally the other CDM with Kaye, so I’m not sure why he’s sitting in a line of 4 with the other 3 Republic forward midfielders and why all of them are just sort of… watching. There is one player pressing, none of the 4 are really marking anyone at all, and this is less than 15 minutes into the game so it’s not like anyone has tired legs yet.

Behind this bizarre line of 4, Kaye is giving chase to a Phoenix player running free, which leaves the entire back right side of the Republic formation completely open (see: the large red circle of empty space). What this means is that Jack Gurr (off screen) is forced to stay more to the right side than he normally should—which will become important in a minute. The only other movement going on is Benítez (arrow) making the decision to crash the free man on the outside that, arguably, Malango should be guarding. And that leads to this:

In between these 2 shots, Kaye is too slow to guard his man, who receives and then lays off the ball to the man Benítez is crashing… but Benítez gets beat. The entire right sideline becomes free real estate. This causes Desmond to have to step in (top defender), but this leaves his man unmarked, so Essel (middle arrow) now gets caught between the runner behind him and the free man in front. But the snowball gets even bigger; remember that we said that Gurr had to stay more to the right side to cover all that open space? Well, because of that, he’s now too far out of the play to catch up. Even if he does get there in time, Phoenix’s #20 is wide open on the far side from the ball.

Ironically, Essel’s stutter step of hesitation is what makes this offside, saving Republic from giving up an early goal, but this pattern of bizarre positioning, poor tracking, and just straight up getting beat on the dribble continues all game.

Now, let’s take a look at this play 7 minutes into the second half:

Again, Benítez is pushed up, so when Phoenix win the ball back, they can just send it down the right side of the pitch. No one pressures this pass either, which is shocking with 4 Republic players in the area. Someone has to step into this. And then, neither center back is fast enough to get to the ball, and Phoenix is through on goal. Danny is, again, the hero here but this is just far too easy. And this is 7 minutes into the second half - after the half-time adjustments should have taken place.

Bad Decision Making
Both goals that Republic did concede were, somehow, not from open play but rather from terrible defensive decision making in the box. In neither case is the attack a direct threat on goal that calls for a do-or-die attempt at the ball. Let’s look at the first one:

Republic lose the ball in the midfield far too easily due to Phoenix’s high press, that same high press gives Phoenix the numbers going forward, and then Desmond makes a poor decision to go in hard for the ball, and there’s no reason for it. The attacking player has his back to goal, has no way to turn, and is isolated because of Gurr’s positioning. You can certainly argue it’s a soft pen, but you can’t risk this sort of foul in the goal box.

Whenever penalties are called, I always find it’s worth checking the reaction of the other players who didn’t commit the foul… and nearly every Republic player has no argument with the referee on this one. Now let’s look at the second, where Phoenix again very clearly target the right side of the field and Benítez gets beat:

I have no idea what Benítez is thinking here. Not only does he commit the foul from behind, but Desmond is right there in front of the attacker! Again using the “how do the other players react” test, no Republic player complains about this call. Crisostomo even starts yelling at the Republic forwards for not closing down the cross, and he’s absolutely right—the Republic front 4 are just walking and watching the game, without much urgency or intent, something that happened time and time again.

Duels
One major factor I want to look at is Republic’s inability to win the ball in the air in this match, something they are usually very good at. To do that, we’re going to look at the “duel” stat, which tracks how often a player or team wins a 50/50 ball - the term “aerial” and “ground” being self-explanatory. Over the first 12 matches of the year (all competitions), the Quails have averaged out to winning 21.8 aerial duels a game out of an average of 37.1—for an average win rate of 58.9%. That’s pretty damn good—they’re winning the majority of 50/50 balls in the air, allowing them to clear dangerous balls defensively and advance the ball offensively.

But that number has slowly started to fall off a cliff. Over the last 3 matches, which includes a narrow 1-0 win over Oakland and last week’s loss to San Antonio, that number has dropped to an average of 10 won a game on only 22 contested attempts, for an average of 45.5%... with this Phoenix match being by far the worst performance of the season. Republic went 9/24 (38%) tonight—that’s terrible. And the lower number of contested aerial duels is not a sign of the ball being in the air less. Phoenix played 55 long balls and both clubs combined for 22 crosses; Republic just often didn’t challenge them. And their rate on the ground wasn’t much better—just 47.7%. That’s just a touch below the season average, but doing slightly below average on the ground while failing in the air means Republic hardly ever won those 50/50 balls, making it difficult for them to move out of Phoenix’s press or stop the counter.

The Entire Offense
The offense continues to struggle, with just 2 goals in the last 3 games. But what’s more shocking is the underlying numbers. Republic managed just 7 shots against Phoenix; only 2 were on target. The other 5? Complete misses. Not a single Republic shot was blocked by a Rising player. Phoenix had more shots on target than Republic had total shots, even in the second half when Republic started to gain more possession!

Over the season, Republic’s shot on target rate is 31%. That’s not… great, but it’s further compounded when you have the lowest number of shots you’ve had in a game all season. A further issue is that the shots that have been on target haven’t been good. Over the season, Republic has 23 goals on 57 shots on target, good for 40.4%. The last 3 games? Two goals on 10 shots on target for 20%. And look, I hate calling specific guys out, but the entire reason we signed Ajago in the offseason was to have him be a tall physical body—he just can’t miss this chance at this level:

It’s a great ball from Gurr that beats everyone, but like so many Republic sequences, the chances are there and the finish is not.

The even more concerning thing is that the offense has no idea what to do when they have the ball in possession. Republic had 20 more final 3rd entries than Phoenix, over 30 more passes in the final third, and… were out-shot 23 to 7. This is largely because Republic just pass the ball around and can’t do anything with it. There’s no offensive creativity. Malango, over the last 5 league matches, is averaging a 6.08 player rating with 0 goals. He’s only played well in USL Cup matches. Ajago has only been slightly better, with 1 goal and a 6.52 player rating over the last 5 matches. Wolf hasn’t helped at all either —in 3 league matches with Republic, he has 0 goals and a 6.25 player rating. None of the 3 have any assists over that time period. That’s not even close to good enough, and one has to wonder what Kyle Edwards has to do to get a start.

What Stood Out:

Republic, for a long while now, have regularly entered matches in a sort of “my way or the highway” tactical approach. That is, they have their way of playing, and they’re going to force that way of playing on the opponent, whatever the opponent is doing be damned! What Collins has then tended to do is to then adjust at halftime to what the opponent is doing, when needed.

And to be fair to Collins, he has been fairly good at these mid-game adjustments. ~65% of Republic’s goals this season have come after half time, largely due to those tactical adjustments that are made at half. And what about defensively? Yup, same pattern, where Republic have only conceded 2 total goals after half:

It’s a shocking contrast, and it very much seems that Republic’s game plan coming into games just doesn’t work. And as brilliant as many of the mid-game adjustments can be, Republic is not going to be able to overcome a one or two goal deficit in the second half every single match.

I don’t know what sort of scouting Republic does going into games; whatever it is they do, it needs to change. The team is regularly exposed and beaten in the first 45 minutes and it’s not good enough. It becomes even worse when those second half adjustments don’t work, like tonight—Republic may have avoided giving up a 2nd-half goal, but that’s only because of Vitiello. Instead, you went from a stale and stiff first half to a disjointed and chaotic 2nd half, which didn’t exactly solve the tactical problems as much as it made new ones.

And, as if Republic wasn’t stiff enough, at least 2 of the 5 subs tonight were pre-planned—Timmer on for Desmond and Memo on for Arturo. Both Timmer and Memo are returning for injury and are on limited minutes, but the substitutions did not meet the state of the game. Arturo was the best rated of the 4 offensive players, why bring him off instead of Malango or Ajago?

I also suspect that the subbing off of Kaye and Crisostomo were pre-planned; both are also returning from injury. Neither was playing amazing as we discussed before, but getting Kyle Edwards and Ryan Spaulding on to the pitch for Ajago and Malango, the 2 worst-performing players on the pitch on either side, would have likely been preferable. The team needs goals, and you’re going to leave Edwards on the bench? To me, this has to have been pre-planned. If it wasn’t, then I’d argue this was negligent game management.

Collins, to his credit, acknowledges that it wasn’t good enough. Post-match he says:

“I think we were just totally second-best all over the pitch. It was so self-inflicted. Both penalty decisions were just poor decisions. Our defending was poor all over the pitch, and even though we had opportunities at times to get back into the game, we didn’t take them, and we could have given up more goals. So it was a severe, massive off-night for everybody.”

I’m assuming that “poor decision” comment is about Republic players, not the officiating crew. But the real question is, what is Collins going to do about it? Republic now faces a Monterey Bay team in the USL Cup that has largely been the 2nd-worst team in all of USL thus far—but who are now on a 2-match winning streak where they outscored their opponents 6 to 1. And let’s not forget that Monterey’s first point of the season was a 1-1 draw at Heart Health Park.

Whether Collins sticks with his guns this coming week or not is going to be a massive tell on where Collins thinks the problem is. If he keeps with the same starting XI, then one can assume that he thinks tonight was just an “off-night.” If he switches things up... we’ll have to see if the “next man up” mentality can apply to guys trying to win starting spots. Let’s just hope for a better showing next week, because the Republic fan base is getting impatient. I don’t blame them.

On this episode of The Quail’s Call, Ryan Hodek, Ryan Townsend, Daniel Tyree, and Rachael break down Sacramento Republic FC’s recent performances and discuss whether the club is beginning to find its footing as the season enters a critical stretch.

The panel dives into the return of Timmer and what his presence means for the squad after a lengthy injury absence, examines standout individual performances, and debates which players could play a key role in shaping Republic’s playoff push. The conversation also expands beyond Sacramento, exploring broader questions about player development in the United States, the technical limitations often associated with American soccer, and the growing need for creativity and evolution in the modern game.

The group compares conferences across the USL Championship, looks ahead to upcoming matches, shares predictions for the weeks ahead, and puts the current campaign into historical context with a look at past Republic FC teams and league trends.

Is Republic finally turning a corner? Can the squad build momentum heading into the summer? And what does success realistically look like under Neill Collins this season? The panel tackles all of it in another wide-ranging discussion about Sacramento Republic FC and the USL Championship.

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Republic FC’s road swing through May came to a difficult end Saturday night in Arizona.

A pair of first-half penalties proved the difference as Republic fell 2-0 to Phoenix Rising FC at Phoenix Rising Stadium, closing out a three-match road stretch with its first league defeat since April. The result snaps Sacramento’s recent momentum and leaves the club heading back home looking to reset.

The night was defined early by missed opportunities and self-inflicted mistakes.

Republic looked sharp in the opening minutes and nearly struck first in the sixth minute when Mark-Anthony Kaye helped spring a transition that found Arturo Rodriguez on the right. His cross reached Jack Gurr making a late run into the box, but the defender’s attempt sailed over the bar.

Phoenix quickly responded with pressure of its own, and the hosts gradually tilted the field. Sacramento still found moments to hold firm, including a key defensive sequence in the 31st minute when Lee Desmond leapt to head Pape Boye’s corner-bound effort over the crossbar and preserve the deadlock.

But Phoenix eventually found its breakthrough.

A penalty in the 39th minute allowed Ihsan Sacko to convert from the spot and put Rising ahead. Sacramento had a brief window to answer before halftime, creating one of its better looks of the night when Gurr curled a ball toward Forster Ajago at the back post. Ajago got a head to it but could not guide it on frame.

Instead, Phoenix doubled its lead deep into first-half stoppage time with another penalty, again converted by Sacko.

“I think we were just totally second-best all over the pitch. It was so self-inflicted. Both penalty decisions were just poor decisions,” head coach Neill Collins said postmatch. “It was a severe, a massive off-night for everybody.”

Down two goals, Sacramento showed more urgency after the break.

Memo Rodriguez made his first appearance since April 25 and immediately added life in midfield. The veteran helped Republic settle into possession and created three chances in the second half, repeatedly finding pockets that forced Phoenix deeper.

Michel Benitez nearly cut the deficit with a determined run through the middle before forcing a save from Patrick Rakovsky. Later, Tyler Wolff delivered a dangerous low cross that Mayele Malango met with a one-touch finish, but Rakovsky was again in position.

The chances were there, but Sacramento never found the breakthrough.

At the other end, Danny Vitiello was the reason the scoreline stayed manageable.

Phoenix finished with 23 shots and 10 on target, generating wave after wave of pressure, but Vitiello answered repeatedly. His biggest moment came in the 81st minute when Damian Rivera looked destined to score from close range, only for Sacramento’s keeper to dive full stretch and palm the effort away.

The seven-save performance was Vitiello’s best single-game outing in nearly two years and one of the clearest bright spots on an otherwise frustrating night.

“Overall it’s an extremely disappointing night,” Tyler Wolff said. “Second half we were able to control the game a bit more… but just not convincing enough in the final third. Also big shoutout to Danny Vitiello for a couple huge saves.”

Despite the loss, Sacramento did have stretches of control. The club edged Phoenix in possession, completed more passes in the final third, and created enough danger to make the hosts work. But two penalties before halftime and an inability to capitalize on second-half openings proved too much to overcome.

Now the focus turns home.

After spending the second half of May on the road, Republic returns to Sacramento next weekend needing a response and an opportunity to quickly move past a frustrating performance in the desert.

The Lineup:

A 2-1 loss in San Antonio puts an end to Sacramento Republic’s 4-game unbeaten streak, and gives them their first loss in USL league play since March. And while the loss is disappointing, made even more so given the history between San Antonio and Sacramento, Republic dominated large stretches of the match and were extremely hard done to not come out of this match with at least a point. And why is that? Well, because the numbers don’t lie.

Before we dive into those numbers, let’s take a look at those lineups. Just looking at the starting XI, this is certainly not a first-choice lineup from either team. While old Republic faces Emil Cuello and Mitch Taintor took the field for San Antonio, missing was Cristian Parano, who suffered an injury in last week’s match. On Republic’s side, still missing are Kleemann, Crisostomo, and Memo—and while Kaye was on the bench and Timmer started, neither are 100% either given both of them played only a half.

What was additionally new for Republic this week was how high they played the backline, completely abandoning the single deep center back that we’ve seen in many previous matches this season. Look how high the defensive line is here, even after San Antonio sends the ball up:

And then take a look at the average positioning of both squads, Republic on the left and San Antonio on the right. Notice how high up the pitch Republic’s main two center backs are (#4 and #5), compared to San Antonio’s 3 center back formation (#21, #43, and #3)—it’s night and day:

When I see this sort of positioning and see that 2 goals were allowed, I would generally assume that the 2 goals were from the defensive line getting beat over the top, leading to one-on-one breakthroughs on goal. But that didn’t happen. Both goals, which we will get to below, were scored from in front of the defensive line. Arguably, Head Coach Neill Collin’s defensive strategy worked as planned here—Republic caught San Antonio offside 9 times.

Also interesting was how Republic coped with 2 players clearly being limited to 45 minutes of play. Rather than sub a center back on for Timmer as he came off at half time, Kaye was subbed on for his half of work. This pushed Essel into the backline instead. You can kind of see that with his average positioning (#15) above, his positioning further back is indicative of this shift.

The Good:

Dominating the Stat Line
Despite the scoreline, Republic dominated the match in nearly every stat outside of “goals scored.” You list it, they won it. xG, duels, possession, final 3rd entries, touches in opposition’s box, passes, shots, passing accuracy, dribbles, etc. etc. etc., all in Republic’s favor. But the most impressive stat is just how far away from goal Republic kept San Antonio—there’s a reason both SAFC goals came from distance.

Of all passes in the match, for both teams, only 18% of them were attempted in Republic’s 3rd of the pitch. Compare that to the 39% of passes occurring in San Antonio’s 3rd (and, of course, 43% in the middle 3rd). Republic controlled play even when they didn’t have the ball—and largely kept the danger out of their part of the pitch. They didn’t even allow San Antonio a single corner.

One player in particular who stood out was Aaron Essel—he went 11/14 on duels, had the most passes on the team, had a shot on target, and was the 2nd highest-rated player on the pitch among both teams. And he did all this while splitting time between CDM and center back.

Chance Creation:
Republic certainly made their chances. We’ll discuss the finishing of those chances below, but you can’t say they didn’t create them! They managed 15 shots, had 81 final 3rd entries, and had 24 touches in San Antonio’s box. You do have to give credit to San Antonio’s keeper—he made 5 saves, including this quick double save off the post that is up for Save of the Week:

Does That Count?
And, we almost had a corner goal! I’m not counting it as breaking the streak—there’s too much build up from the corner for it to count, for me. Let’s call it a goal from a corner instead of a goal on a corner. You can, of course, comment below if you disagree with me. But it’s a great planned play, straight from the training ground, and the interplay between Benítez, Arturo, and Casas is beautiful to watch, giving Ajago a tap in finish:

The Bad:

Defensive Miscues:
One major downside of the high line Republic played is that it works most of the time.. But when it fails, there’s little chance to recover. San Antonio’s first goal appears to be just onside:

The San Antonio player gets around the Sacramento defender, and then that’s... it. There’s no one else around to close down because there’s no one else back. If you’re going to play this high up, you have to get it right every time. Now, it’s a tidy little finish around Vitiello, but even if the SAFC player takes more time, he’s off to the races.

But Republic had the opposite problem on San Antonio’s 2nd goal. First, the backline turns the ball over and, when they do, there is just miles of space between the midfield and the backline, which no one steps into before the shot:

I mean, just look at all this space. Erofeev has so much time on the ball, this may as well be a free kick:

Yes, Republic is out of position here due to the turnover, but you still can’t give up THIS much space outside the box. Also, I don’t think Vitiello was really expecting a shot here. I’ve cleaned this up as best as I could and slowed it down, but you can see this is definitely not his best footwork; he doesn’t even get a full push off the ground when going airborne because he can’t get his feet under him in time:

I think he was expecting a cross or through ball he would need to come out and collect. That being said, it’s an incredible goal, one that was up for the USL Goal of the Week. Sometimes, you do need to tip your cap to the finish, even if more could have been done in the build up.

Lack of Finishing
“Ah shit, here we go again.” When Republic loses, it’s largely because old problems rear their head again. Of course, we’re talking about their inability to shoot on target. When you typically are looking at the “shots” stat, they come in 3 flavors: “On target,” “off target,” and “blocked”; the latter being when the shot hits a player and never reaches the goal. So while you may have 50-60% of your shots not be on target, a large portion of those missed shots are blocked shots, not shots that miss entirely. Just over the last 2 games, for example, Republic “missed” 9 shots against Oakland—5 of those actually missed, 4 of them were blocked. Against Orange County, a similar story: 9 “misses” were really 4 actual misses, and 5 blocked.

Not so against San Antonio, where Republic again had 9 misses. But of those 9 misses, 8 of them were off target and only 1 was blocked. Look at Sacramento’s shot map:

Circles with a dot in them are shots on target, circles without a dot are either blocked or missed, and the soccer ball icon is Republic’s one goal. To make things easy, I’ve selected/highlighted the one blocked shot. Republic had 3 shots that were completely off target from right in front of goal. You just can’t do that and expect to win games. Also, all those shots right outside the box that missed are rough. While a few of these missed shots are close, like this shot from Casas in the 30’ on the left, others like this shot from Malango in the 44’ on the right just... aren’t close:

What Stood Out:

Despite the final score line, Republic genuinely played well here. Sometimes, you just have to tip your cap to 2 great goals and acknowledge that it wasn’t your night. I mean, San Antonio’s 2 goals had a combined xG of just 0.26! Three Republic players individually had a higher xG than that—Ajago (1.46), Wanner (0.30), and Arturo (0.27).

But Republic is on the upswing over the last 5 matches, and 1 road defeat to a good team shouldn’t shake the team of all their confidence. Over the last 5 matches, they’ve had a positive xG difference in every match, averaging nearly 2 expected goals a game while only allowing under 1 expected goal against. And for all of Republic’s goal scoring woes, they only have 1 league match this season without a goal, and that was way back on the second match of the season against Lexington.

A frustrating game? Yes. A sign of trouble? Absolutely not.

Welcome to Week 9 of Quail City Soccer’s Western Conference Power Rankings! Admittedly, it’s been a bit since our last power rankings—chock it up to a combination of multiple USL Cup weeks, a bye week, and this little thing called “life” that (unfortunately) gets in the way of doing nothing but following the USL. That being said, things in the Western Conference are as chaotic as ever—made no easier to predict by multiple teams playing fewer games than the 2 teams leading the pack. Take Colorado for example, who at first glance appear to be out of playoff position… but have only played 8 games. Should they win their next 2 league matches, they’d find themselves tied for 2nd. In fact, the only thing we know for certain is that Lexington, Las Vegas, and Monterey are in the basement.

So we’re left with some stats, recent performances, and yes, the eye test. Keep in mind that we’re only looking at the league here—the USL Cup isn’t a factor. Given that, where does each team land this week? Let’s take a look!

1: Sacramento Republic FC (3-4-1) ➡️-

Last Week: Bye

Sacramento come off a come-from-behind win over 2nd place Orange County and then a bye week—and they have only 1 loss in their last 5 league matches. Republic may be 5th in the standings but, with only 8 games played, are the team best positioned to take control of the West. Should they take 6 points in their next two matches, they’ll be 2 points clear of the top of the table. Standing in their way are games on the road in San Antonio and Phoenix—both are good teams this season, but Republic has already beaten Phoenix, and San Antonio hasn’t played to expectations.

2: Oakland Roots SC (4-4-1) ⬆️3

Last Week: 2-1 win vs El Paso

A 2-1 win over a good (but sliding) El Paso team gave Oakland their 2nd win in a row. This Oakland team is interesting—outside of the aforementioned El Paso, no other team is so singularly offensively minded. A win in Orange County this weekend would put them in a tie at the top of the table—the only question will be if their defense can show up to match their offensive talent.

3: Phoenix Rising FC (3-4-2) ➡️-

Last Week: 1-1 draw vs San Antonio

Phoenix have won 3 of their last 4 league matches, including big wins over Pittsburgh and New Mexico. After a slow start, this looks like a team that is starting to heat up almost as quickly as the Phoenix weather—will they be the first team to beat Tampa Bay? I’m not sure they’re quite at that level yet, but it’s going to be fun to watch them try.

4: FC Tulsa (3-3-2) ➡️-

Last Week: 2-1 win at Monterey

A 4-1 win over El Paso 2 weeks ago turned a lot of heads around the league, and then they followed through by matching expectations with a win over Monterey. Tulsa is another team that had a slow start—after being USL-C runners up last season, they sold their best striker to an MLS side before winning just 1 of their first 5 matches. Back-to-back wins gives them confidence to work with before hosting Hartford over the weekend.

5: New Mexico United (3-1-4) ⬆️3

Last Week: 1-0 loss vs Tampa Bay

New Mexico is a team of fine margins. The result of 8 of their 12 games this season (all competitions) has been decided by just a single goal—and they’ve only drawn one game total. More often than not they’ve been on the winning side of those 1 goal games, but the goal difference is still negative. What’s worse, they’re the only team with that distinction outside of the bottom 3 in the West. A good showing against a historic Tampa Bay team is promising, and they have 2 games in hand, but the goals need to start coming from somewhere.

6: San Antonio FC (4-5-1) ➡️-

Last Week: 1-1 draw at Phoenix

The draw champions of USL are still holding on to first, but that’s more a virtue of them having played 2 more games than most of the rest of the field. San Antonio started hot, but has struggled to see out games, picking up draws against teams like Colorado, Miami, and even Monterey. They feel like a team that plays to the level of their opposition—they can beat El Paso one week, and then struggle to score against Monterey in another. A game against Sacramento looms next, where San Antonio will hope to right the ship before a 3-match road trip.

7: Orange County SC (4-4-2) ⬇️5

Last Week: 2-2 draw at Colorado Springs

Despite holding on to 2nd, Orange County hasn’t won a league game in over a month. To be fair to them, they’ve had byes and cup matches in the time, but even so, they’re winless in 3. Much like San Antonio, their 2nd place holding is partly them playing 10 games already—and they’ll need to get back to winning ways quickly before they slide too far down the table. A bye week in 2 weeks could come at an opportune time for them to reset.

8: Colorado Springs Switchbacks (2-4-2) ⬆️1

Last Week: 2-2 draw vs Orange County

Despite being this far down in the rankings, Colorado hasn’t actually been playing that poorly. They have the current Golden Boot leader (Bennett) and have scored 9 goals in their last 3 matches. The issue is that defense, which keeps leading them into drawing games instead of winning them. This next match against a Vegas team that is also terrible defensively should make for a fun watch.

9: El Paso Locomotive (4-2-3) ⬇️2

Last Week: 2-1 loss at Oakland

“Even though football is life, football is also death. And sometimes football is football too.” Look, if you’re going to sign a Ted Lasso star, I’m going to use Ted Lasso quotes. And frankly, the football has been death for El Paso, who are now winless in 4 with only 1 point to show from it. But sometimes football IS football, and they’ll need it to be better football after their upcoming bye to turn things around.

10: Las Vegas Lights (2-2-5) ➡️-

Last Week: 3-1 loss at New Mexico

Well, on the bright side… Vegas hasn’t failed to score in a league game since October of last year. Every other side of things has been negative for the Lights, from allowing 12 goals in their last 5 matches to losing to not one but 2 USL-1 sides. And things don’t look great off the pitch either—an average attendance of under 3k and the potential for Vancouver to be relocated to Vegas leaves the Light’s future very much in doubt.

11: Lexington SC (2-3-4) ⬆️1

Last Week: Bye

This is more than a slow start—this is a full on crisis. Despite having 1 of the most lauded offseasons in USL history, Lexington just cannot get it together. Their 2 wins on the season are against Monterey and Brooklyn, 2 of only 3 teams in the league in a worse situation. There’s little upside here—either the team starts clicking soon, or that lauded offseason may be one of historic failure.

12: Monterey Bay FC (0-2-7) ⬇️1

Last Week: 3-1 loss at Lexington

There is a secret weekly battle between Monterey Bay and Sporting Jax to see which club can be the historic worst team in USL history. Neither team has won a game—and neither team has seemed particularly close. There is a very real possibility that neither team wins a game this season. USL’s promotion/relegation system can’t come soon enough.

The Western Conference is starting to solidify a bit—we’re starting to see less drastic movements and more regular placements week to week. Still, there is a lot of available movement in the table—accounting for games played, nearly every team outside the bottom 3 are just 6 or 7 points off the top. And my apologies to the teachers and/or parents who cringe every time they read those numbers together.

This coming week has 2 really fun match ups to look out for; Phoenix flies out to Tampa to see if they can be the first to hand Tampa Bay a defeat, and Sacramento heads to San Antonio in a heavy weight showdown that could define the top of the table.

For the fourth straight trip across the Causeway and into the Bay, Sacramento Republic FC left Oakland with a win.

A second-half strike from Mayele Malango proved the difference Saturday night as Republic FC earned a 1-0 victory over Oakland Roots SC at the Oakland Coliseum, continuing a strong start to Prinx Tires USL Cup play. Sacramento now sits atop Group 1 with six points through two matches, scoring five goals without conceding once.

The scoreline may have only shown a one-goal margin, but Republic controlled long stretches of the match from the opening whistle. Neill Collins’ side pressed high early, moved the ball sharply through midfield, and consistently forced Oakland deeper into its own half. Sacramento finished with 11 shots to Oakland’s five and recorded 23 touches inside the opposition box compared to Oakland’s nine.

Malango was at the center of nearly every dangerous moment. The winger repeatedly attacked down the left flank and looked threatening from the opening minutes. Aaron Essel nearly opened the scoring in the 19th minute after Malango helped spark a sequence that led to a corner, before Forster Ajago forced a defensive intervention moments later with a dangerous header inside the box.

Republic continued to build pressure before halftime, including a dangerous ball from Jared Timmer to Ajago that was ultimately ruled offside in Timmer’s first appearance of the 2026 campaign.

The breakthrough finally arrived in the 56th minute.

Tyler Wolff carried possession down the right side before slipping the ball centrally to Pep Casas. The midfielder quickly switched play left toward Malango, who took one touch before unleashing a driven strike from the edge of the area past Oakland goalkeeper Kendall McIntosh for the match’s lone goal.

“I’m very confident. As the whole group, we are very confident. We are scoring goals, we are defending well. I’m just happy to be able to score and help the team again,” said Mayele Malango on the team’s form and confidence.

Malango’s finish continued his impressive USL Cup form. Through two group stage matches, the forward now has three goals in the competition.

Defensively, Sacramento once again looked composed and difficult to break down. Oakland did not register its first shot on target until the hour mark, and Danny Vitiello comfortably handled both attempts that tested him. Republic’s back line absorbed late pressure, including a stoppage-time effort that rattled the post, before securing the club’s second clean sheet in as many cup matches.

Collins also received reinforcements throughout the night as several players returned from injury absences. Jared Timmer made his season debut before being replaced at halftime by Blake Willey, who set a new club record for appearances by a Republic FC homegrown player with his 55th appearance. Mark-Anthony Kaye and Danny Crisostomo also returned to action off the bench.

“I thought it was an excellent performance from start to finish. I thought at halftime, we were unlucky not to be ahead. The only disappointment about today was, we should have got a second with the moments that we created” said Head Coach Neill Collins after the match.

While Republic controlled much of the match, the performance continued a growing trend under Collins. Sacramento remains difficult to play against, organized defensively, and increasingly confident in possession, but still searching for greater efficiency in front of goal. Despite generating consistent pressure and dangerous moments, the club was only able to convert once from 11 total shots.

Still, the result is ultimately what matters in tournament play, and Republic now controls its own path atop Group 1 heading into a June 6 matchup against Monterey Bay FC.

For now, Sacramento leaves Oakland with another rivalry win, another clean sheet, and another reminder that this squad continues to find ways to grind out results away from home.

On this episode of The Quail Call, Valor Nash, Ryan Townsend, Daniel Tyree, and Alex Tasker break down Sacramento Republic FC’s recent USL Cup performances and what the competition is revealing about the squad early in the season. The crew dives into tactical takeaways, standout moments, and where the team still needs to improve moving forward.

The conversation also shifts into the broader soccer culture conversation, including the lasting impact Ted Lasso has had on American soccer fandom and whether the series helped reshape how casual fans connect with the sport. Later in the episode, the panel discusses El Paso Locomotive’s signing of Christof Hernandez, celebrity-driven attention in lower division soccer, and how high-profile names could influence the visibility and future growth of leagues like the USL Premier.

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The Lineup:

“Insane” is one way to describe what happened in this match. For the first time since March of 2025 (yes, over a year ago), Republic has come from behind to win—and they did so in wild fashion. Despite some extremely questionable officiating and an Orange County penalty kick, Republic clawed their way back into the match with a flurry of excellent subs, a fighting spirit, and, yes, a tad bit of luck. It’s not often that an opposing player picks up the ball in their own goal box, after all.

Even so, we’ve so often seen that luck doesn’t win you games. The Quails had to fight for this one, as evident by just looking at the starting XI—which showed just how deep Republic’s injury bug goes. Ryan Spaulding started at left back for the 1st time this season so that Michel Benítez could step into the CDM role for just the 3rd time in his 288 career matches. Benítez, always the swiss army knife, had to play here because of injuries to Mark-Anthony Kaye and Danny Crisostomo. Over the last few weeks, Aaron Essel has been filling in at CDM role instead, but the injury to Freddy Kleemann last week meant that Essel needed to fill in at center back. And the injury carousel goes on and on. Post game, Captain Lee Desmond said this:

“I’m not sure if many people realized, but we had a lot of injuries this week so big credit to players like Pep Casas. Tyler is still new. Ryan Spaulding came in, Jack’s just back from an injury, Aaron Essel plays a different position every week, so like, we’re missing a lot of senior players, but everybody stepped up”

So how, with a slightly hacked together lineup, did Republic pull off the comeback? Let’s dive into it.

The Good:

Using Our Heads
Over the offseason, we had highlighted that Republic was trying to become a better team in the air. Republic went out and signed a number of taller players like Mayele Malango (6’ 1”), Forster Ajago (6’ 2”), and Mark-Anthony Kaye (6’ 1”). The idea is, Republic likes to play up the wings and, between Gurr and Benitez, have 2 of the best wingbacks in the entire USL. Against Orange County, Gurr had an assist and Republic scored all 3 goals from headers. Easy correlation, right?

Nope. All 3 of Republic’s goal scorers are under 6 feet. Edwards is the tallest, at 5’ 11”, but also getting on the scoresheet with their head is Arturo Rodriguez (5’ 8”) and Michelle Benitez (5’ 6”). And on all 3 goals, the guys just wanted it more. I mean, look at Arturo’s goal:

This is the False 9 role we discussed a bit last week—he doesn’t drive into the box as soon as he can, he drives in late and finds space. And you can see how Ajago’s early run in the center of the box creates the space, as he drags most of the Orange County defenders in with him. But Arturo gets cleared out to make this play. It’s a great ball by Jack Gurr, giving him his 1st assist of the season after returning from injury, but Arturo knows that contact is coming and hangs in there anyways. What a goal.

Quality Substitutions
For the first time this year, I think I can say that Collins got the majority of the substitutions right. In fact, all 4 substitutes performed equal or above the match rating of the player they replaced. Even better, 3 of the 4 players subbed off were Republic’s worst performers of the night. And that’s not to call those guys out; Spaulding, Essel, and Ajago did not have the best games of their career, but 2 of those guys were playing out of their normal position and Ajago had a bigger impact off the ball than his player rating suggests. But with Republic needing a goal, Collins went for broke around the 75th minute, throwing super-sub Edwards in at striker and going down to only 3 defenders by putting Willey in for Spaulding. Look how Republic’s average positioning changes after the subs:

With the exception of Chibi (#55), who came in right at the end of the game, Republic did 2 things. First, they push way higher up the field—Edwards (#71) plays higher than Ajago (#11) did, and Wanner (#17) plays much higher than Wolff (#16) did. Secondly, Republic abandoned the wings at the back and in the midfield, opting to play out to the wings exclusively in the attacking 3rd. Spaulding (#3) comes off for Willey (#22), who tucks into the middle of the pitch as Republic shift to a back 3—though, with how high up Gurr (#2) pushes, really it’s more of a back 2. This comes with the caveat, of course, that we are comparing the average positioning of a few guys playing 15 minutes to the rest of the guys playing 90, but I think it illustrates how all out Republic went to find the 3 points—8 of their 18 shots in the entire match were in the final 10 minutes. That’s more than the entire first half!

Now, the only sub I slightly disagree with is Wanner on for Wolff. I think, given the performances, I would have rather had seen Wanner on for Malango instead. Malango had a rough night, going 0/4 on shots and 2/6 on dribbles—he can’t be superman and score a brace every week. That being said, it’s likely Wolff was on limited minutes given that he’s only been training with the club for just over a week… so this one may make a bit more sense in actuality than it does on paper.

Danny Vitiello
And, of course, we’d be making a mistake if we didn’t at least mention Danny Vitiello’s performance. While he allowed 2 goals, I’d argue that both were a result of miscommunication in the backline—and we’ll discuss both of those below. Otherwise, he had 3 saves from inside the box, included the penalty save, and also was 3 for 3 in run outs. Another great game from a player who’s averaging a 7.13 player rating this season—and has only conceded 7 goals in 12 appearances.

The Bad:

Defensive Miscues
We’ll talk about Orange County’s first goal in just a minute, but the second goal was just… lazy. For the sake of analyzing it, let’s take a look:

I hate calling specific guys out, but Republic plays this way too slow. Malango just sort of trots over to the ball and then doesn’t even attempt to stop the cross—he sort of just follows it without doing anything. You have to at least attempt to block the cross from coming in and instead he just kind of lets Brandon Cambridge line it up without even challenging him. Then on the other side of the ball, Desmond and Essel both get beat. Desmond misreads the cross, and Essel lets the OC attacker slip right between them. Now, to be fair to Desmond and Essel, this is really the first time they’ve paired up at center back—so a bit of miscommunication is going to happen. Even so… what a lazy goal to give up all the way around.

USL Officiating
USL officials in the Championship are never going to be world class. We should acknowledge that. The guys and gals that are world class are being assigned to MLS, CONCACAF, and Leagues Cup matches. Even so, this performance was shocking on several levels and it is a great example of why USL needs to implement some sort of VAR, even if it’s on the most basic of levels. Let’s take Jack Gurr’s handball for a second:

It certainly hits his arm. However, I think there is a very good argument to be made here that Jack’s hand is in a “natural position,” which would override the handball call. He’s pretty clearly raising his arm as he jumps. That being said, I could also see the argument the other way. This is one of those situations where you need VAR. The official just can’t get a good enough look in real time to rule on this correctly. Either way, I think it’s a bit harsh of a call.

Outside of the myriad of other bad calls (both for and against Sacramento), you do have to laugh at this yellow card “foul” that Essel commits:

Doesn’t even touch him and it’s not particularly close. What sucks about this is it’s Essel’s 4th card in league play. In the Championship, 5 yellows nets you a fine, 8 gives you a 1 game suspension, 11 gives you a 2 game suspension, and 14 gives you a
3-game suspension. You can drop this with the “Good Behavior Incentive,” which reduces a player’s total by 1 for every 5 consecutive games without a yellow. But by picking up another, Essel is one card away from a fine and his Good Behavior Incentive is reset. USL needs better officials if they expect to launch USL-Premier in any sort of positive way.

Republic Fans and the Offside Rule
Look, r/SacRepublicFC was not happy with Orange County’s first goal, and they were even more unhappy when a few of us pointed out it was an onside goal. I think part of this was the officiating already being terrible, as we discussed. It doesn’t exactly show confidence in a call of this magnitude when the officiating crew had already made several mistakes. But, hear me out, they actually got this one right. As a reminder, for a player to be ruled offside, they have to be offside at the moment the ball is kicked. So let’s look at that moment really quick:

“Computer, enhance.” This is the exact moment the OC player shoots. The player who interferes with the path of the ball is right at the top center of your picture. Now, we break out the lines:

I’ve used the goal line to get as straight of a line as possible with the camera angle, I’ve circled the player that does the dummy over the ball, and I’ve set the offside line at Spaulding’s heel… where he just barely keeps the OC player onside. The angle isn’t perfect, but I don’t see any part of the OC player that is past the heel. This isn’t Spaulding’s fault, really it’s just a perfectly timed run into space, but someone on the Republic defense should have been following the runner through. That being said, I think we’ll all be happy that this didn’t ultimately matter.

What Stood Out:

All of the above being discussed, we can’t miss talking about Republic winning this game because 17-year-old Tyler Espy picked the ball up when he thought the whistle was blown for offside… which it was not. Honestly, I think everyone really feels for the kid, who is just 11 matches into his playing career. To Espy’s credit, he was right: Edwards was offside. Unfortunately for Espy, the ball didn’t get anywhere near Edwards, so there was no offside offense actually committed.

Have I mentioned how convoluted the offside rule can be?

But Republic will happily take the chaos. They’ve been on the receiving end of some “bad luck” far too many times over the last year, and it’s about time something broke their way. And they needed it—they’re now undefeated in 5 matches in league play, but came in only winning 1 of their last 4 overall. And of the following 10 matches, 8 of them are on the road. Captain Lee Desmond’s final thoughts were all about this win building moral going forward:

“We spoke about it at halftime, it’s a big chance to make a statement, and make a big big comeback win and then we can use this as a reference going forward. We just want to build belief in our team. We have players who’ve come here and probably never played for a club this size before and are still finding their feet. Nights like this can really be a boost for everyone going forward.”

This episode of The Quail’s Call brings together the full panel with Rachael, Valor Nash, Ryan Townsend, Daniel Tyree, and Ryan Hodek for a complete breakdown of Sacramento Republic’s recent stretch.

The group looks back at the Open Cup battle against Minnesota United and the road draw against Brooklyn, unpacking what those performances reveal about the squad against higher-level competition. The conversation shifts into the arrival of Tyler Wolff and what his signing could mean for the team’s attacking identity moving forward.

From there, the panel digs into overall team performance, including where things are working and where they continue to fall short. Player roles, consistency, and decision-making are all put under the microscope, with a deeper look at how individual performances are shaping results.

The discussion also touches on external factors like field conditions and how they’ve impacted play, along with a broader look at the USL Cup format, early standings, and what it all means in the context of a long season.

To close, the group gets into the lighter side of the game with reactions to recent kit releases and what they represent for clubs and supporters alike.

A full-squad episode that balances match analysis, roster evaluation, and the bigger picture of where Republic stands right now.

Available everywhere you listen to podcasts!
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio | Amazon Music

The Lineup:

Over the last several years, Republic has had the propensity to play to the level of their opponent, both up and down. To everyone’s frustration, we’ve already seen it twice this season. On one hand, Republic held MLS side Minnesota United and star goal scorer James Rodriguez to a scoreless draw over 120 minutes just 2 weeks ago. A month before that, Republic needed 120 minutes to beat amateur side El Farolito.

This is not an unfamiliar pattern; even within just the USL-C, Republic have played down to the opponents level in recent memory. Through last season, Monterey Bay has won exactly 1 game in their last 20 matches - a 1-0 win against Republic last September. That same Monterey team has just 2 draws and 3 goals this season, including a 1-1 draw with Republic in Sacramento.

So it was fantastic to see Republic break out of that habit with aplomb. A 4-0 drubbing of a very good USL-1 side in Spokane Velocity showed a side of Republic that not only refused to lower their level of play to the level of USL-1, but endeavored to show the gap in quality between the two sides. We’ve seen Republic go up by 1 or 2 goals in the past, and pump the breaks. Not tonight - the 4 goals were evenly spread throughout the game. Republic refused to be content to sit back and see the game out.

Two returning players, a debut goal, and 2 breakout midfielders help of course. Republic seriously needed the moral boost - let’s take a look at how they did it.

The Good:

The Return of Jack Gurr and Memo Rodriguez
A huge positive for Republic in this match was the continued return of Republic players from the injury list. While players such as MAK, Reedy, Crisostomo, and Timmer remain out, Republic is slowly building strength as we head into the summer.

Memo’s injury seemed to be less severe than a few of the others; he only missed a month, and made his return in the 59th minute. With just 30 minutes to impact the game, Memo stepped up with 3 shots, 1 of which was on target and one hit the post, and went 3/3 in duals. Republic has struggled with midfield control, and Memo returning helps solidify that control.

Making his first start of the season, and second appearance, is Jack Gurr, whom Republic have desperately needed. Gurr is not just the best right back on the roster - he’s the best right back in the entire Championship. We’ll discuss how Republic has started to prefer to play on the wings below, but what the return of Gurr does is that it makes Republic a threat on both sides of the pitch. Compare where Republic attack against Minnesota (no Gurr), with how they attack against Spokane (with Gurr):

Against Minnesota, it’s heavily skewed to the left side of the pitch. Add in Jack Gurr, and all of a sudden Republic is a threat on both sides of the pitch.

Wing Play
Speaking of playing on the wings, let’s get into that a bit. Republic has started heavily attacking up both wings, which is what we expected a bit more at the start of the season. I think the injuries have delayed that plan from coming in - what we’ve been seeing is Republic relying on the left side of the pitch. Look at how the defenders move in this image from the match against Phoenix a few weeks ago:

That is the right back and both center backs staying in the back line, which in turn has freed up Benitez to push all the way up the field from the left back role. The attack becomes one dimensional though; opposing teams know where the attack is coming from, and can plan for it. What Republic want to do is something more like what we saw against Lexington:

There’s still three at the back while Republic have the ball, but it is Crisostomo in this case who drops into the backline from the CDM role, allowing both the left back and right back to surge forward up the wings.

With the absences of Gurr and Crisostomo, there just hasn’t been the personnel to utilize this tactic. With Gurr back, look where Benitez (left) and Gurr (right) played against Spokane:

They are both pushed way up the field. On the right side of the pitch, that’s the furthest upfield a Republic right back has averaged all season. But with Crisostomo out, how did Republic fill the defense gaps? They used both CDM’s: Willey (left) and Essel (right):

Both drop in and back fairly often throughout the game, almost to the sideline, because they are covering for both wing backs going up pitch. We’ll have to see if this adjusts to just Crisostomo dropping when he and MAK return from injury, but this is a great sign that Republic is getting their offensive verticality back without losing their defensive structure.

Another factor of this wing play is how it affects Republic’s strikers. You may remember Quail City’s 2026 predictions:

Noticeably absent from the predicted “Golden Quail Award” for top striker is Forster Ajago, Republic’s main striker, and we’re starting to see why. It’s not because Ajago is a bad player - quite the opposite! He’s a fast and strong player, which means he’s very good at 1, getting assists, and 2, secretly drawing attention. Look at Republic’s third goal on the night, which was scored by Malango and assisted by Arturo:

Ajago actually makes this goal off the ball. It’s a little hard to see, but follow him (number 11) as he runs to the near post. He pulls both opposing center backs with him, which is what leaves Malango wide open. Because Republic are attacking from the sides much more often, keep an eye out for this type of play from both Ajago and Edwards going forward - it doesn’t make the stat sheet, but damn, it should be recognized somewhere.

The goal scorers in this system are going to be the wingers - all 4 of Republic’s goals came from outside players. Benitez scored while roaming up from left back, Malango scored his brace from the left wing, and Wolff scored his debut goal from the right wing.

Breakouts and Debuts
Speaking of Wolff, Republic’s newest signing made his club debut after just a few days of training, and scored just 5 minutes in. That’s the sort of drive and eye for goal that Republic needs. Collins seemed ecstatic about his new signing:

“He showed in his first goal and his first action why we brought him to the club. He’s dynamic, and he’s got an eye for goals, and I think every team needs that.”

The other interesting thing to note with Wolff’s debut is where Arturo played. Arturo, who has predominantly played the right wing role that Wolff sits in, was played at what seems to be a “False 9 “role. The False 9, similar to a center attacking midfielder or CAM, is supposed to be your central offensive focal point, dropping in to the midfield to collect the ball before pinging out passes to the wings to open the opposing defense up. Until his injury, this was Memo Rodriguez’s main role - it’s also a bit similar to where Roro has played in the past, though Roro often sat back in the midfield just a tad further.

But Arturo, over the past 3 games, has suddenly taken control of the position. His 2 assists tonight are exactly what you want from this spot on the pitch, especially in a system that so heavily emphasizes the outside of the pitch rather than the center. It will be very interesting to see how Collins handles this role as players return from injury.

Malango also broke out, with a brace from the bench. Malango is one of the players who I think can show the most growth this season - the talent is all there, he just needs to keep adding the finishing touches. A 2 goal night is a great way to build that confidence.

The Bad:

Further Injuries?
Republic, while slowly getting healthy, just can’t seem to kick the injury bug. Currently hurt are:

• Jared Timmer

• Pierre Reedy

• Danny Crisostomo

• Mark-Anthony Kaye

Those are all key players. And while Gurr and Memo are now back on the pitch, their minutes are still limited - Gurr subbed out after 60 minutes on the dot, and Memo subbed in for just 30 minutes.

Further worrying is the substitutions of Freddy Kleemann and Dominik Wanner - Kleemann’s seemed less serious, but Wanner subbed out after just 39 minutes. Either player missing some time will just cause further issues, especially on the backline. We haven’t heard any updates on any of these injuries, let alone return time-lines, given Republic’s usual habit of being tight-lipped. But the sooner these guys are back, the better.

What Stood Out:

Overall, a great night for the club. Every other team in Republic’s USL Cup group dropped points - which is huge in a tournament where only the group winner advances. 4-0, at home in front of the fans, is a huge result. Collins had this to say:

“It was great to see a score, four goals in front of our home crowd. I think we could have scored a few more. At home, we want to create, we want to score and if that means, at times to be a little looser, that’s fine… credit to the boys for a great result.”

With the first USL Cup match game of the season complete, Republic now move back into league play, where they’ll host Orange County in a big show down - OC needs the points to hang on to first, and Republic desperately needs to move up the table.

Something to watch for is how Collins handle the return of all these injured players. He almost has too many options now in the midfield, with how well Arturo, Essel, and Willey have been playing. Crisostomo, Memo, and MAK returning makes for a very crowded midfield, not to mention new comers like Wolff. We may also see some position shake ups - you’ll note that Memo came in for Wolff and played on the wing instead of playing in the center, which left Arturo playing at the False 9 we discussed earlier. And I’m very curious to see where Pierre Reedy comes in when he’s healthy - Wanner has cemented himself as a solid left winger to go along with Malango.

Either way, the Quails are getting healthy again and the depth is returning. It’s time for a push in the standings.

Republic FC began its 2026 USL Cup run with a performance that was as complete as it was convincing, defeating Spokane Velocity FC 4-0 at Heart Health Park. From the opening minutes, Republic dictated the pace, found space in attacking areas, and controlled the match on both sides of the ball.

The result pushes Sacramento to the top of Group 1 and, more importantly, offers a clearer picture of how this roster is beginning to take shape as new additions settle in and returning players rejoin the fold.

Fast Start Sets the Tone

Republic didn’t ease into the match. They imposed themselves immediately.

In the fifth minute, Tyler Wolff made an instant impact in his club debut. After a quick sequence starting from a clearance, Arturo Rodriguez delivered a precise through ball that split Spokane’s defense. Wolff broke free, calmly beating his defender before finishing into the lower corner to give Sacramento an early lead.

The sequence showcased exactly what Sacramento hoped to gain from the Real Salt Lake loanee, direct movement, confidence in front of goal, and the ability to turn a moment into something decisive.

“He showed in his first goal and his first action why we brought him to the club. He’s dynamic, and he’s got an eye for goals… we’ve got great competition now in those forward areas.”
Head Coach Neill Collins

Wolff’s presence remained noticeable throughout the half, nearly adding an assist later on as Republic continued to push numbers forward and stretch Spokane’s back line.

Malango Finds His Form

While the opening goal established control, the match shifted firmly in Sacramento’s favor just before halftime.

After weathering Spokane’s best chance, a close-range opportunity denied by Danny Vitiello, Republic struck again in transition. Forster Ajago played a key role in the buildup, releasing Mayele Malango down the left. The forward carried the ball into the box and finished with composure, doubling the lead heading into the break.

The second half brought more of the same, with Sacramento continuing to find space between lines and exploit Spokane’s defensive gaps. In the 56th minute, Rodriguez once again influenced the attack, delivering a cross that, combined with Ajago’s movement, created just enough separation for Malango to control and finish for his second goal of the night.

It marked his first goals of the season and a needed return to the scoresheet.

“I’m just happy to be back on the score sheet… it’s a great moment for me to help the team win.”
Mayele Malango

Malango’s performance highlighted the growing chemistry in Sacramento’s front line, where movement off the ball is beginning to open consistent opportunities.

Depth on Display

By the final stretch, the match had become a demonstration of Sacramento’s depth as much as its starting quality.

Memo Rodriguez made his return to action and immediately contributed, delivering a long ball that sparked the sequence leading to the fourth goal. Ryan Spaulding carried the play forward before finding Michel Benitez, who finished emphatically into the upper corner in the 81st minute.

The goal capped off a night where multiple contributors made an impact, reinforcing the idea that this squad is beginning to build layers beyond its core group.

Defensive Control and Clean Sheet

While the attack will draw attention, Sacramento’s defensive organization was equally important in securing the result.

Spokane generated moments, including a dangerous opportunity late in the first half, but Republic remained composed. Vitiello’s four saves ensured the clean sheet, while the back line limited sustained pressure and controlled second balls throughout the match.

It stands as the only shutout in Group 1 play so far and reflects a balanced performance across the field.

A Complete Performance

This was not just a win to open the tournament. It was a match where multiple questions began to find answers.

New signings made immediate impacts, returning players reintegrated seamlessly, and the attacking output matched the intent that has been building over recent weeks. The combinations looked sharper, the movement more intentional, and the finishing more decisive.

For a team still finding consistency across competitions, Saturday night offered a version of Sacramento Republic FC that feels closer to what it believes it can be.

Well, this was a week of absolute and complete chaos. We had a last minute winner, a few beat downs, a goal from over 60 yards out, and only one match with fewer than 2 goals scored. The wild, wild west is keeping it’s reputation this year. So who’s stock is up and who’s is down? Let’s take a look.

1: San Antonio FC (4-3-1) ⬆️4

Last match: 3-2 win at El Paso

Hey, a win over a rival is a win, even if they basically handed it to you on a silver platter. They scored a chip goal from deep in their own half (you’ll see that later) and were basically handed the ball in front of net in the final minute of the game to win it. Did they deserve the win? Absolutely not! Does that matter in the standings? Nope! Good teams find ways to make things happen… San Antonio is exceptional at just that.

2: Oakland Roots SC (3-3-1) ⬆️1

Last match: 1-1 draw vs Tulsa, 4-2 win vs Las Vegas

A two-game week for Oakland saw them pick up 4 points at home. After picking up a goal in the 4th minute against Tulsa, they went down a man just before half and then weathered a storm of *20* shots to secure a draw. Things turned around mid-week as they battered a bad Vegas defense to win 4-2, led by a hat-trick from Peter Wilson. The Roots are the real deal, folks.

3: Orange County SC (4-3-1) ⬇️1

Last match: 0-0 draw vs Lexington

If you sat through this match, you have our sympathies. A 0-0 draw with 5 total shots on target and 26 fouls isn’t a fun one. OC will be annoyed to have that weak of a showing against a Lexington team that’s now winless in 5.

4: El Paso Locomotive FC (4-1-1) ⬇️3

Last match: 3-2 loss vs San Antonio

This one stings. In the first Copa Tejas match up of the season, El Paso also took their first loss of the season, falling to San Antonio 3-2. What’s wild is the stats - El Paso had an xG 2.13 higher than San Antonio, had double the number of shots on target, and completely controlled the game. But a defensive miscue led to a last gasp allowed goal, and then there is… whatever this was:

It’s a game they’ll want to quickly forget - it’s also probably just a small bump in the road on their way to the top of the table.

5: Phoenix Rising FC (2-3-2) ⬆️2

Last match: 3-0 win at Miami

Phoenix traveled all the way out east to play in Miami and made the flight worth it with a 3-0 win that started early with a goal in the 8th minute. Miami peppered Phoenix with shots, but could only get 3 of the 16 attempts on target (and hit the woodwork twice). For a team trying to get their feet under them, this was a much needed 3 points.

6: New Mexico United (2-0-3) ➡️-

Last match: Bye

Another bye week for New Mexico means they have the fewest games played of any USL-C team. United has been very stop-and-go to start the season, and a lack of field time hasn’t helped - they’re going to have to deal with making up these games later in the season.

7: Sacramento Republic FC (2-4-1) ⬇️3

Last match: 1-1 draw at Brooklyn

A weird Tuesday night on a small Coney Island pitch in front of a roller coaster led to a late PK for the Quails, as they snagged a last minute penalty to equalize and take a point on the road. Republic recorded just 3 shots on target, all in the second half, and their control and pressure has regularly not been good enough to win games. They’ll need several missing starters to return from injury soon if they want to get back into the title chase.

8: FC Tulsa (1-3-2) ➡️-

Last match: 1-1 draw at Oakland

Before the match, Tulsa would have been happy with a 1-1 draw on the road in Oakland. After the match? That felt like a loss. They played the entire second half up a man due to an Oakland red card, and could only muster just the one goal on 15 second half shots. The finishing just has to be better for this team to earn any confidence.

9: Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (2-2-2) ⬆️2

Last match: 4-1 draw at Colorado

Well that was easy. One way to break a 3 game winless streak is to just... play Monterey Bay. The Switchbacks did what they needed to do, dominated Monterey, and picked up an easy 3 points at home. And talk about dominant; they had twice as many shots on target than the Union had shots total! Kohri Bennett taking the top slot in the Golden Boot race is a nice little bonus.

10: Lexington SC (1-3-3) ➡️-

Last match: 0-0 draw at Orange County

We said it above, and we’ll say it again here: If you sat through this match, you have our sympathies. A 0-0 draw with 5 total shots on target and 26 fouls isn’t fun. Lexington will be happy to take the point, but they’re now winless in 5 matches - a streak of matches where they've only managed to score twice. This is an expensive ship that is slowly filling with water.

11: Las Vegas Lights FC (1-2-4) ⬇️2

Last match: 4-2 loss at Oakland

Two things are true of every single Vegas game:

• 1, they will score goals.

• 2, they will allow goals.

The league’s worst defense allowed 4 goals on the night - and scored 2 of their own. The Lights are pure chaos and, like the city of Vegas itself, the chaos is the attraction. At a certain point, you’re not watching soccer - you’re on a ride.

12: Monterey Bay FC (0-2-5) ➡️-

Last match: 2-1 loss at Colorado Springs

The Union just can’t seem to stop the bleeding. They haven’t won a game yet, they’ve scored just 3 goals all season, and have just 2 points. They’ve won just 1 game in their last 15 matches going back to last season. Unfortunately, I think the Switchbacks put it best:

After another crazy week in the Western Conference, all teams will be taking a break from league play this coming weekend - to play in the USL Cup. Some of these match ups are just fun. Saturday morning we get our first New York Derby as the Cosmos (USL-1) host Brooklyn (USL-C). Later in the day, Hartford (USL-C) and Rhode Island (USL-C) continue their series of grudge matches, while Vegas (USL-C) hosts Boise’s (USL-1) first ever match against a Championship side.

And don’t forget - qualifying out of the group stage in this tournament is hard. Just a single loss can borderline eliminate a team from the competition entirely, so every team will be fighting for their lives every match. For us, we’ll be rooting for a few cupsets.

Republic FC left Maimonides Park with a point that felt earned through persistence rather than control alone, securing a 1-1 draw against Brooklyn FC with a penalty deep into stoppage time. The result extends the club’s unbeaten run on the road and reinforces a growing identity under Neill Collins, one built on resilience even when performances feel incomplete.

Control Without Reward

Sacramento settled into the match well and carried much of the play, finishing with 61.6% possession and an expected goals advantage of 1.61 to 0.71. Those numbers reflect a team that dictated tempo, progressed the ball effectively, and spent extended stretches in the attacking third.

Despite that control, Brooklyn struck first in the 27th minute. A loose ball at the top of the box fell to Markus Anderson, who finished cleanly into the bottom corner. It was a moment that cut against the overall run of play and forced Sacramento into a familiar position, chasing a match they had largely controlled.

Republic created chances before halftime, including a dangerous sequence from an Arturo Rodriguez corner that nearly found Lee Desmond in the six yard box, but the final touch never came. That inability to capitalize on early opportunities kept Brooklyn in the match and ultimately gave them something to protect.

Pressure Builds After the Break

The second half followed a predictable pattern. Sacramento pushed forward with more urgency, committing numbers into the attack and forcing Brooklyn deeper into their own half. Blake Willey forced a save early in the half, and the flow of the game increasingly tilted toward the visitors.

The underlying numbers reinforced what the eye test suggested. Sacramento recorded 28 touches inside Brooklyn’s box compared to just 9 for the hosts. The pressure was real, sustained, and at times overwhelming, but once again the final product lagged behind the build up.

Substitutions helped maintain that attacking intensity. Dominik Wanner and Kyle Edwards added fresh legs, while the eventual introduction of Jack Gurr provided a different type of impact entirely. Even then, the breakthrough remained elusive. A Benitez effort off a recycled play struck the crossbar in the 76th minute, and several dangerous balls flashed across goal without a decisive touch.

Gurr’s Return Shifts the Moment

Jack Gurr’s return was one of the most significant developments of the night. After missing the opening month of the season, the defender entered in the 60th minute and immediately changed the dynamic on the right side. His willingness to push forward, deliver crosses, and make late runs added a layer Sacramento had been missing.

That impact culminated in the final moments. As stoppage time stretched on, Freddy Kleemann played a ball forward that found Gurr making one last attacking run into the box. The sequence forced a defensive mistake, resulting in a foul and a penalty with effectively the last action of the match.

“The reason that he’s such a top player is because he makes those runs right at the very death and forces that play” Collins said following the match.

Gurr’s influence went beyond the single moment. His presence helped sustain pressure and gave Sacramento a direct option in wide areas, something that had been missing earlier in the match.

Benitez Delivers in the Moment

With the opportunity in front of him, Michel Benitez stepped up and converted the penalty in the 96th minute. It was a composed finish in a high pressure moment and another example of his growing importance to the squad.

Benitez was active throughout the match, leading Sacramento with three shots and contributing heavily in possession. His ability to impact the game in multiple phases was evident, but it was the late penalty that ultimately defined his night.

A Point That Reflects the Season

There is a balance to how this result should be viewed. Sacramento extended its unbeaten road run and showed the kind of determination that can define a season over time. At the same time, the match followed a pattern that has emerged repeatedly. Control, chances, and stretches of dominance are present, but they are not consistently translating into wins.

Collins acknowledged both sides of that reality.

“We wanted three points, but again, unbeaten on the road. It’s a positive point in the end.”

That tension will continue to shape how this team is evaluated. The foundation is clearly there, supported by strong underlying metrics and a group that does not fade late in matches. The next step is converting performances like this into full results rather than late recoveries.

For now, Sacramento leaves Brooklyn with a point, a continued unbeaten run away from home, and the return of a key player who immediately reminded everyone of his value.

On this episode of The Quail’s Call, Ryan Townsend, Ryan Hodek, Daniel Tyree, and Valor Nash break down Sacramento Republic FC’s Open Cup loss and what it says about the team right now. Rather than focusing on the tournament itself, the conversation looks at performance, mentality, and how fine margins continue to define results.

From there, the discussion shifts toward the bigger picture. MLS expansion remains a constant backdrop, bringing speculation about Sacramento’s long-term future, what a potential move would actually require, and whether it would feel earned. The group also examines the role of a potential USL Division One league, what sanctioning could mean, and how all of it fits into a system that still feels unsettled.

On the field, the episode dives into early season form, including missed opportunities, tactical decisions, and the growing impact of late substitutions. Squad depth, the absence of key players, and how those gaps affect both structure and results become a central theme, especially as expectations remain high.

The episode closes with a forward look at what needs to change, what’s still unclear, and what to watch in the matches ahead.

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Republic FC’s U.S. Open Cup run came to an end Tuesday night in one of the crueler ways a match can finish, as the Indomitable Club fell 9-8 in a marathon penalty shootout to Minnesota United after holding their MLS counterparts scoreless through 120 minutes.

It wasn’t a performance that felt like a loss in the traditional sense. Sacramento didn’t concede, didn’t look out of place, and for long stretches dictated the terms of how the match would be played. Instead, it became a night defined by margins, where one missed kick after nearly two hours of disciplined, organized soccer ultimately made the difference.

A Defensive Performance That Held Firm

From the opening phases, the match settled into a familiar rhythm. Minnesota United controlled possession and circulated the ball comfortably, finishing with over 65 percent of it, but Sacramento remained compact, patient, and difficult to break down.

While the Loons generated more attempts, outshooting Republic 16 to 9, the quality of those chances rarely forced panic.

At the center of it all was Danny Vitiello, who delivered a composed and commanding performance in goal. His five saves across regulation and extra time preserved the shutout, including a key stop late in the match that ensured Sacramento would have a chance to push the game to penalties.

In front of him, the defensive unit led by Lee Desmond, alongside Freddy Kleemann and Aaron Essel, managed the game effectively, forcing Minnesota into wider areas and limiting clean looks through the middle. It was a collective effort that reflected both discipline and confidence, particularly against an opponent with clear advantages in possession and depth.

Moments There, But Not the Finish

Although Sacramento saw less of the ball, they remained dangerous in transition and found opportunities to test Minnesota’s back line, particularly through wide combinations and quick attacking sequences.

Ryan Spaulding and Forster Ajago were instrumental in creating forward momentum, while Dominik Wanner’s introduction added a more direct attacking presence. His effort in the second half, which narrowly missed the target, stood out as one of Sacramento’s better chances, while a late sequence in extra time saw Arturo Rodriguez break through the defense and force a strong save from goalkeeper Alec Smir.

Even with just two shots on target, Sacramento’s opportunities were enough to suggest the match could have been decided before penalties. The difference, as it has been at times this season, came down to finishing in key moments.

Extra Time Pressure, but No Breakthrough

As the match wore on, Minnesota’s control began to translate into longer spells of pressure, particularly in the first period of extra time. Sacramento spent more time defending deeper, absorbing possession and relying on structure rather than pressing high.

Still, the match never felt out of reach. Brandon Cambridge came close to providing the decisive moment in the 102nd minute, creating space with a quick move inside the box before sending his shot just over the bar. It was the type of chance that could have defined the night, and for a brief moment, it looked like it might.

Instead, the match continued its steady march toward penalties, with neither side able to find the breakthrough.

A Shootout Decided by the Smallest Margin

The penalty shootout mirrored the match itself, with both teams showing composure and consistency from the spot. Round after round, each side converted, extending the shootout well beyond the standard five attempts.

Danny Vitiello stepped up again with two saves, giving Sacramento an opportunity to take control, but Minnesota continued to respond, matching each conversion and refusing to give ground.

After 12 rounds, it ultimately came down to a single miss. Minnesota converted their ninth penalty, while Sacramento’s final attempt was turned away, bringing an end to a shootout that felt as relentless as the match that preceded it.

The Takeaway

There are losses that expose gaps, and there are losses that highlight progress. This one falls firmly into the latter.

Republic FC proved yet again that they can compete with MLS opposition over 120 minutes, not by surviving, but by executing a clear plan and staying disciplined throughout. The defensive structure held, the midfield remained organized, and the team created enough chances to win the match outright.

At the same time, the result reinforces an ongoing theme. The performances are there, the control is there, but the decisive moment, whether in open play or from the penalty spot, has yet to consistently follow.