COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — The Colorado Rapids will resume their 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup campaign on Tuesday, May 9, as they take on USL Championship side Sacramento Republic FC at Heart Health Park in the tournament’s Round of 32 (8:30 p.m. MT; B/R App, B/R Football YouTube, Altitude Sports Radio AM950).
Robin Fraser’s side arrive in Sacramento off the back of a 3-1 road win over the LA Galaxy on Saturday, a result that extended the club’s unbeaten run across all competitions to eight games (3-0-5). Midfielder Connor Ronan played conductor to the Rapids’ success on the night, assisting all three of his side’s goals: Lalas Abubakar opened his 2023 account off a first-half Ronan corner kick and Kévin Cabral scored the game-winner against his former club before Jonathan Lewis combined with Ronan to ensure the result with a clever finish in the final minutes of play. It was the first time since 2019 that a Rapids player recorded three assists in an individual match (Jack Price).
The Rapids advanced to the Open Cup’s Round of 32 after earning a 3-1 win at home in the Third Round over USL League One side Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC on April 26. Lewis scored a brace and added an assist in the match, while Brazilian midfielder Max also got on the scoresheet with a goal and an assist. Colorado will be looking to ride their recent momentum into their first Round of 16 berth since the 2017 iteration of the tournament.
Republic FC will welcome the Rapids with momentum of their own after going unbeaten through their opening eight games of the USL Championship season. The club’s five wins and three draws have the club atop the league standings, while their six clean sheets on the year also lead the USL Championship. Sacramento has only allowed two goals in league play all season—five less than the next fewest amount—while scoring 14 goals, tied for third-most in the league. Forward Russell Cicerone and midfielder Luis Felipe lead the team with four goals apiece. The club will be without their captain and talisman, however, after midfielder Rodrigo Lopez underwent surgery last week to repair the rectus tendon in his right leg. Last year, Lopez was honored with the Open Cup’s Player of the Tournament award after leading the team in both goals and assists as Sacramento became the first non-MLS team to reach the Open Cup Final since 2008. The club’s historic run ended with a 3-0 loss to Orlando City SC at Exploria Stadium in the final.
Introduced in the 1913-14 season as the National Challenge Cup and rebranded in 1999, the U.S. Open Cup is the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the United States. The competition enters its 108th edition after suspending play in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The single-elimination tournament includes clubs from different professional leagues including Major League Soccer (MLS), the United Soccer League (USL) and the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA), as well as semi-pro and amateur teams who qualify through the first two rounds of the tournament. It spans across eight rounds, with the winner getting an automatic bid in the Concacaf Champions League.
