Sacramento Republic FC falls 2-1 to Seattle's MLS team at US Open Cup
“Let’s make it the atmosphere we know Heart Health Park can be and be a difficult place for them to come and play and show them what Sacramento is all about,” Coach Mark Briggs said.
“Let’s make it the atmosphere we know Heart Health Park can be and be a difficult place for them to come and play and show them what Sacramento is all about,” Coach Mark Briggs said.
“Let’s make it the atmosphere we know Heart Health Park can be and be a difficult place for them to come and play and show them what Sacramento is all about,” Coach Mark Briggs said.
The Sacramento Republic FC on Tuesday fell to Major League Soccer's Seattle Sounders in their quarterfinal match-up in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
After Seattle scored two goals in the first half, Republic's Sebastian Herrera closed the gap right off the bat in the second half. He scored in the 49th minute off a corner by Jack Gurr.
Propelled by an enthusiastic, sold-out crowd at home, Republic continued to battle through the second half. The team almost tied the score in the 88th minute, but striker Trevor Amann was offside, so that goal did not count.
"Just our fans in these moments, in big games, our fans are the best," Coach Mark Briggs said afterward. "We didn't get the result we wanted but that was my team. That was Sacramento Republic."
The match at Cal Expo's Heart Health Park ends the team's run in the 2024 U.S. Open Cup.
They had hoped for another "cupset" against a higher-division MLS team after the Republic beat the San Jose Earthquakes at home in May.
During that match, Republic's captain Rodrigo "RoRo" López suffered a season-ending injury. Last year's star forward, Russell Cicerone, has also been out with an injury.
A lot has changed since the Republic's last Open Cup performance, as Sacramento has struggled to find its footing in league play despite adding veteran midfielder Justin Portillo to their roster.
Republic's USL Championship record since their last U.S. Open Cup has been two wins, three losses and two draws. They had scored just one goal in their past three league games.
The team has experimented with who to start or bring off the bench late in games to shake off the midseason slump to varied effect.
“We haven't been performing well in-league, especially at home, which is an area we have to change, but big games can change that confidence,” Briggs said ahead of the match.
One bright spot has been goalkeeper Danny Vitiello. Last season's goalkeeper of the year now leads the league with eight clean sheets, holding opposing teams scoreless.
Tuesday's match marked the Republic's second overall appearance in the quarterfinals of the nation’s oldest ongoing tournament. The club sought to rely on its veteran leadership behind players like Luis Felipe, who’s made his third career appearance in the Elite 8.
Back in 2022, Republic FC beat three MLS teams before losing to another, Orlando City SC, in the final.
"This tournament, we have shown here in Sacramento that this is our tournament. This is what we love," said Todd Dunivant, Sacramento Republic FC's president and general manager. "This is what our fans love. It’s an opportunity to really showcase what we can do on a big stage, on a national stage. We step up. Our fans step up.”
This was Sacramento Republic FC's first time playing a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal at home, and they had only taken on Seattle once before.
In the 2018 U.S. Open Cup round of 32, Republic beat the Sounders 2-1 in extra time.
The Seattle Sounders have won the U.S. Open Cup four times, including three years straight from 2009-2011. With Tuesday's win, the team has won six games straight.
After the match, some Sounders players said they appreciated the festival atmosphere in Sacramento.
"I loved it," said Josh Atencio, who scored a goal for Seattle and who will be headed to Paris as an alternate on the U.S. men's Olympic team. "The fans are loud and the announcer does a good job getting the fans into the game. It's a cool atmosphere. We came out at halftime and they were flashing phone flashlights around and stuff. We're the away team but it kind of got me amped up a little bit."
Sacramento Republic FC next plays a league match against North Carolina FC on Saturday at 8 p.m. at Cal Expo's Heart Health Park. Those with match tickets can get into the California State Fair for free.