Republic FC grinds out another road result in Oakland to stay perfect in USL Cup play
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.