The Colorado Rapids face Sacramento Republic FC on Tuesday for a Round of 32 matchup in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Sacramento advanced after a third-round 1-0 win against Oakland Roots SC and will host the Rapids at Heart Health Park.
Here are five things to know about the Republic before Tuesday’s matchup:
1. Sacramento Republic FC have been here before
Of the 32 teams featured in the fourth round of the tournament, only eight are non-MLS teams. Despite the strength MLS teams have displayed in the competition, the Republic, a USL Championship side, came close to providing the ultimate “cupset” last season.
In the 2022 Open Cup, Sacramento forced a deep run, finishing runner-up after a 3-0 loss to Orlando City. To get there, the club faced Sporting Kansas City, Los Angeles Galaxy, San Jose Earthquakes, Phoenix Rising FC, Central Valley Fuego FC and the Portland Timbers U21 team. It was the first time since 2008 that a non-MLS team was featured in the finals — Charleston Battery finished second to D.C. United. They are only the fourth non-MLS team to appear in the finals since the conception of MLS.
While the 2022 season was the deepest the club had gone in the Open Cup, Sacramento had been a mainstay in the Round of 32, appearing in the fourth round seven times out of the eight years the club had been in existence. This year would mark its fifth-consecutive appearance.
2. The Republic are dominating the USL Championship
There is only a single team in the USL Championship that is undefeated in league play. Sacramento Republic FC have posted seven wins, three draws and zero losses to rank top of the standings.
The club is buoyed by a stout defense that has only given up two goals in regular season - four less than the next best defense. The club’s offense has complimented its stout defense by tallying 14 regular-season goals, tied for second-most in the USL Championship. Sacramento has a goal differential of 12 in the league — no other team has more than six.
Through 10 matches across all competitions, the Republic have won five of its home matches, drawing its home opener 1-1. The club has recorded four clean sheets at home through all competitions. Of the four USL Championship matches at home, the one goal conceded during the home opener was the single goal scored by an opposing team at Heart Health Park. The Republic plays aggressively on both sides of the ball, giving them a foundation defensively and offensively.
3. Forward Russell Cicerone is stepping up
Russell Cicerone is a USL Championship Player of the Month candidate for the month of April.
Through the month, Cicerone led the league in scoring contributions with five and his three goals were the second-most in the league during April. He is tied for third-most goals in the USL Championship with four goals and tied for most goals on the team with teammate Luis Felipe. He had the team’s first and only multi-goal performance of the season after a 5-0 win against reigning USLC Eastern Conference champion Louisville City FC.
He is an essential part of the team’s offensive production amidst injuries to the group’s core and is a large part of the reason for the team’s regular season success.
In the Open Cup this season, he tallied a brace in the club’s second round 5-4 win against Crossfire Redmond. He played for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in 2022, scoring 15 goals and tallying six assists.
4. Sacramento Republic FC midfielder Rodrigo Lopez will be out for the game
Midfielder Rodrigo Lopez had a successful surgery on a tendon in his right leg on Friday. He will be unavailable for Tuesday’s matchup, and his timetable for return is currently undetermined.
Lopez made history as the first player to win both the tournament’s Lower Division Player of the Tournament and the overall Player of the Tournament honors. He scored four goals throughout the 2022 Open Cup campaign which earned him a share of the 2022 USOC Golden Boot. Lopez also led all players with four assists and a total of eight goal contributions.
Last season in the USL Championship he made 23 starts in 27 appearances and recorded 17 goal contributions — scoring eight goals and nine assists. He tied for fourth-most assists in the USL Championship in 2022. He was the focal point of the team’s offense, leading the team in goals, assists, shots, shots on target and chances created.
5. Republic goalkeeper Danny Vitiello leads the USL Championship in clean sheets
Vitiello ranks first in the league with six clean sheets, two more than the next best goalkeeper.
Although his backline helps circumvent a large influx of shots, Vitiello is helping the team command the most dominant defense in the league. He has 17 saves in the regular season — tied for 14th-most in the USL Championship.
He is coming off a 2022 season where he recorded eight clean sheets in 25 appearances. He recorded 63 saves after facing 86 shots last season. In 2020, with Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, he earned the 2020 Golden Glove award after taking over as starter halfway through the season. He recorded the lowest goals against average in the league with .5 goals against average, and logged six clean sheets in eight appearances.
