Photo Courtesy of Sacramento Republic FC
Sacramento Republic FC’s unbeaten run has reached double digits, but keeping it alive required another late response.
After falling behind inside the opening 10 minutes Saturday night at ONEOK Field, Republic spent much of the evening chasing FC Tulsa before Memo Rodriguez delivered again. His 89th-minute free kick from outside the box found the corner and secured a 1-1 draw, giving Sacramento seven points from a demanding three-match stretch in eight days.
The result extended Republic’s unbeaten streak to 10 matches and marked the third time during that three-game week that Sacramento had to come from behind to earn a result. With only three regular-season matches remaining, Republic continues to find ways to collect points even when the performance is not particularly clean.
Tulsa struck first in the ninth minute after Lucas Stauffer was brought down inside the penalty area. Arquimides Ordonez converted from the spot, beating Danny Vitiello despite the Sacramento goalkeeper reading the attempt correctly. It would ultimately be Tulsa’s only shot on target all night.
Sacramento struggled to settle into the match early, something both Neill Collins and Lee Desmond acknowledged afterward. But Republic gradually took control and finished with 54.3% possession while outshooting Tulsa 11-4. Sacramento also put four attempts on target to Tulsa’s one and finished ahead 1.42 to 1.14 in expected goals. Tulsa’s xG was heavily influenced by the penalty, with Ordonez accounting for 0.81 of the hosts’ 1.14.
“I thought we had a slow start. I thought we just didn’t quite get out of the blocks the way we like. But after that, probably from about the 20 minute mark, I thought that the boys got hold of the game and really we did everything but score up until we eventually got the goal.”
Republic thought it had found an equalizer just before halftime when Ryan Spaulding’s cross reached Danny Crisostomo at the back post. Crisostomo sent an acrobatic effort over the line, but the goal was wiped away for a foul by Kyle Edwards.
Collins made two changes at the break, introducing Rodriguez and Jack Gurr for Arturo Rodriguez and Alfredo Midence, and Sacramento became increasingly dangerous after halftime. Gurr quickly helped create an opportunity for Forster Ajago, whose shot forced Dane Jacomen into a save before the rebound fell to Edwards, who sent his follow-up wide.
The pressure continued. Jared Timmer helped create another opening around the hour mark that eventually fell to Rodriguez at the top of the box, but his volley sailed over the bar. Edwards continued to find shooting opportunities as Sacramento searched for a way through a Tulsa side increasingly tasked with protecting its advantage.
The numbers reflected how heavily the second half tilted toward Sacramento. Republic completed 106 passes in the final third compared with Tulsa’s 79 and attempted 18 crosses to Tulsa’s three. Edwards led Sacramento with four shots and generated 0.92 xG by himself, while Rodriguez finished with two shots and created two chances after entering at halftime.
Cal Jennings joined the push in the 78th minute and nearly found the equalizer seven minutes later, redirecting a Michel Benitez cross on target only for Jacomen to collect it. Then Rodriguez took over.
Brought down outside the penalty area in the 89th minute, Rodriguez stepped over the resulting free kick from roughly 25 yards and drove it through the wall and into the corner. It was his sixth goal of the season and his fourth in three matches, continuing a remarkable late-season run for a player increasingly becoming Sacramento’s answer when a match needs a decisive moment. The season statistics now have Rodriguez at six goals and seven assists through 20 appearances.
“We practice day in and day out what spots we want to hit. We watch film on opponents. I kind of just saw an opening and I thought I would take it, and luckily it went in. But credit to the team for fighting, for finding ways to tie the game.”
The draw may leave Sacramento feeling it could have taken more from Tulsa, especially considering the balance of chances after the opening 20 minutes. But it also completes an impressive week. Republic took seven of nine available points while playing three times in eight days, including two difficult road trips.
Perhaps more importantly, the manner in which those points arrived continues to say something about this version of Republic. Sacramento has developed an ability to stay in matches after falling behind rather than allowing an early setback to dictate the rest of the night. Collins pointed to the growing belief within the group, while Desmond described an “obvious shift” in performances, results and understanding during the second half of the season.
Republic has three matches remaining before the postseason, and the Western Conference remains tight enough that every point can reshape positioning. Sacramento did not produce its sharpest performance in Tulsa, but after 10 consecutive matches without a defeat, this team has increasingly shown that beating it requires more than simply getting in front.
