USL PRO Game Report

Saturday, September 27, 2014

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sacramento Republic FC claimed the title at the 2014 USL PRO Championship presented by Nike as a goal in either half earned a 2-0 victory against the Harrisburg City Islanders in front of a sellout crowd at Bonney Field. Octavio Guzman and Tommy Stewart had the goals for Republic FC, which capped a remarkable inaugural season with a championship.

“It’s amazing, man, it’s something I can’t explain my feelings,” said Sacramento’s Rodrigo Lopez, who was named Most Valuable Player after a standout performance that included the assist on Guzman’s game-winning goal. “When the whistle blew, I just teared up, just from joy because of the hard work I’ve put in, that we’ve put in throughout the year. It’s very deserved by my teammates.”

The game opened at a frenetic pace, and Sacramento came close to an opening goal in just the second minute when Justin Braun couldn’t quite finish a cross from the right. Republic FC continued to probe down the flanks and produced a big chance in the 11th minute when a cross from the left was punched clear by Harrisburg goalkeeper Nick Noble, with the follow-up by Max Alvarez blocked on the goal line by Coady Andrews.

Sacramento again went close in the 15th minute when Braun was played in beautifully by Lopez on an angled pass into the penalty area. Braun’s shot beat Noble, but caromed off the left post and was cleared to safety, keeping the game scoreless.

Harrisburg settled in, however, and had a big chance to take the lead at the half-hour mark as it broke forward on the right. A curling cross by Morgan Langley found Antoine Hoppenot eight yards out, but his header was brilliantly saved by Sacramento goalkeeper Jake Gleeson. Langley also had a big chance a minute later as he beat the offside trap, but elected to try and pass to Hoppenot rather than shoot, and Republic FC’s defense was able to clear.

The missed opportunities came back to haunt Harrisburg when Sacramento took the lead nine minutes before the break. Lopez was again the architect, as he chipped a pass forward that found Guzman breaking from midfield, and the Mexican finished his chance clinically into the right corner from the top of the penalty area.

Braun almost added a second two minutes later as he won a 50-50 with Harrisburg’s Richie Marquez, only to shoot over the crossbar from 20 yards, but Republic FC maintained its lead until the halftime break.

Sacramento opened the second half on the front foot, and Mickey Daly went close to a second with a flick three minutes after the break. Braun continued to be a threat and sent a curling shot wide of the top-left corner, and put pressure on the Harrisburg back four as they tried to possess the ball.

Harrisburg had a good spell midway through the second half as Richie Marquez had a header go just wide of the right post from Jamiel Hardware’s free kick. McLaughlin also threatened, but was repelled well by Daly and Nemanja Vukovic as he attacked at pace. Vukovic in particular lived up to his USL PRO Defender of the Year billing, as his was another excellent performance in a game full of them for Republic FC.

“The thing is, it’s a group effort,” Republic FC coach Preki said. “Everybody is responsible, everybody was committed on every single play. Yeah, we made a couple of mistakes, but that’s going to happen because we’re an attacking team, we’re going forward, we’re pushing forward, and we’re creating chances. That’s what people want to see, that’s what I want to see, attacking football, and at the end of the day it paid off.”

Republic FC continued to carve out chances, however, and could have doubled its lead in the 68th minute as Lopez found space just inside the penalty area, only to send his shot over the crossbar. Stewart also went close on multiple occasions after coming on as a second-half substitute, the best with eight minutes to go as he rounded Noble but sent his finish high from the left side of the penalty area.

Harrisburg pushed forward for one final hurrah, and Robbie Derschang had an appeal for a handball waved away in the penalty area in the 89th minute. Republic FC almost became its own worst enemy a minute later as Klimenta’s header back was clawed away for a corner by Gleeson to prevent an own goal, but in stoppage time Stewart put the game away and sealed the championship.

For Lopez, the club’s first official signing, the victory capped a brilliant first season for the organization.

“It means a lot,” Lopez said. “Being in USL PRO, it’s such a competitive league now, and to be here and win a championship in such a competitive league, it says a lot, and hopefully MLS sees the hard work that everyone’s putting in here.”