Republic FC fall short despite late surge in 2-1 loss to El Paso
For the first time in the 2026 season, Sacramento Republic FC walked off the pitch without a point. A sluggish first half and missed chances late proved decisive in a 2-1 loss to El Paso Locomotive FC at Heart Health Park.
The result tells a familiar story, but the way it unfolded may be more frustrating than anything else.
A first half that cost everything
Sacramento didn’t come out flat, but they never fully took control. Early flashes, including a deflected Arturo Rodriguez effort in the 17th minute, hinted at danger, but it was El Paso who struck first.
In the 25th minute, Amando Moreno slipped behind the defense and finished past Danny Vitiello to open the scoring. Twelve minutes later, Alex Mendez doubled the lead from the penalty spot, putting Sacramento in a 2-0 hole before halftime.
Head coach Neill Collins didn’t sugarcoat it.
“We lost the game in the first half… we lacked the intensity we need, the quality we need and we got brutally punished for it. It was not an acceptable first half.”
Despite creating moments, including Ryan Spaulding rattling the post just before the break, Sacramento entered halftime chasing the match.
Control without the finish
The second half looked entirely different.
Sacramento dominated possession, finishing with over 61% on the night and generating 17 shots to El Paso’s 8. More importantly, the pressure told. El Paso was reduced to 10 men in the 55th minute after Eric Calvillo picked up a second yellow, opening the door for a comeback.
From that point forward, it was one-way traffic.
Republic FC pushed numbers forward, controlled territory, and created wave after wave of chances. The expected goals tell the same story, with Sacramento generating 2.49 xG compared to El Paso’s 1.16.
But for all the control, the finishing never matched the urgency.
Chaos, chances, and what could have been
The breakthrough finally came deep into stoppage time.
Mark-Anthony Kaye was brought down in the box, and Michel Benitez stepped up to convert, cutting the deficit to 2-1 in the 92nd minute. From there, the match turned into pure chaos.
Sacramento threw everything forward. Five shots on target in stoppage time. Multiple scrambles in the box. A final sequence that saw three attempts in quick succession, only for the ball to crash off the post.
It never came.
The bigger picture
This wasn’t a match where Sacramento was outplayed. It was one where they were punished early and wasteful late.
The numbers support it. More possession. More shots. More chances inside the box.
But games aren’t won on control alone.
Collins pointed to it clearly. The second half showed what this team can be. The first half showed how quickly matches in this league can get away.
And in a Western Conference where margins are thin, that difference is everything.
Sacramento now turns its attention to the U.S. Open Cup, but the lesson from this one is simple: you don’t get 45 minutes to figure it out.
Not in this league. Not against teams like El Paso.
Why not mention the lack of substitutions? What is going on with players that most of the bench were academy kids?