Photo Courtesy of Ryan Townsend
For much of the night, Sacramento’s playoff hopes hung on a breakthrough that refused to come. Tulsa held firm, Dane Jacomen kept out a pair of efforts from Mark-Anthony Kaye, and the crossbar denied Pep Casas.
With extra time approaching, Sacramento needed a breakthrough. Blake Willey delivered one worth remembering.
The 19-year-old Sacramento native scored in the 88th minute Sunday at Heart Health Park, lifting Republic FC to a 1-0 win over FC Tulsa in the Western Conference Quarterfinals and securing another playoff match in front of its home supporters.
After a night of physical challenges, denied chances and mounting second-half pressure, the homegrown midfielder supplied the finish that separated the teams. A Pep Casas cross was headed away by Tulsa, but the clearance fell to Willey near the top of the penalty area. He met the bouncing ball with a first-time shot and found the net.
“I just saw the ball pop out to me, and I was just thinking, like, keep it on target, and you give yourself a chance. There was a lot of Tulsa players on the line, but I just thought if I hit it hard and low, it could skip in.”
Willey had entered at halftime for Alfredo Midence, who picked up a yellow card late in the first half. Head coach Neill Collins explained afterward that the substitution addressed the risk of another booking while adding Willey’s energy and quality.
It ultimately provided the match-winner, though Sacramento had to work its way into a position to capitalize.
The teams went into halftime scoreless, and a match that produced 17 fouls on each side offered little opportunity to settle into a rhythm. Republic finished with 60 percent possession, but turning that control into a goal required patience.
Mark-Anthony Kaye began testing Tulsa goalkeeper Dane Jacomen in the 56th minute. After Mayele Malango collected a misplaced Tulsa cross, Sacramento moved forward through Casas to Kaye, whose low shot forced Jacomen into a save.
Kaye soon threatened again with a more spectacular effort. Lee Desmond headed Jack Gurr’s free kick into a dangerous area, and Kaye rose for a bicycle kick that sent Jacomen diving to keep the match level.
By the 72nd minute, Sacramento was getting closer. Casas switched the ball to Malango, who took on his defender and delivered a cross from near the endline. Kaye laid it back for Casas to strike first time from the edge of the box, only for the shot to hit the crossbar.
“I thought we had to grind, but the last 20-25, I thought the goal was coming. And if we had to go to extra time, I would have been okay with that.”
Willey made extra time unnecessary. His goal rewarded a second-half push that helped Sacramento finish with an 11-7 advantage in shots and a 3-1 edge in shots on target. Republic also registered 21 touches inside Tulsa’s penalty area, more than double the visitors’ 10.
At the other end, Sacramento gave Tulsa little room to turn the result around. Danny Vitiello made one save, and Republic protected its late lead to secure the fifth postseason shutout of his career.
The defensive performance gave Sacramento the foundation to keep searching for a winner. Willey supplied it with his only shot of the match.
Second-seeded Republic now advances to host No. 3 seed El Paso Locomotive FC on Saturday, November 7, in the Western Conference Semifinals. After finding a way through Tulsa, Sacramento will get another chance to turn home-field advantage into a step toward a championship.
