Today, USL Championship announced the Week 34 Team of the Week. With his performance over the final week of the regular season, Republic FC defender Lee Desmond has been named to the league’s top weekly squad for the second time this season.
Desmond had a strong showing on both ends of the pitch to help the Indomitable Club secure three points over USL Championship title contender Charleston Battery. With six clearances, two interceptions, seven duels won, and four possessions won, he led the team to secure its 12th clean sheet of the regular season.
In front of goal, he added his second goal contribution of the year with an assist on Khori Bennett’s game-winner. Republic FC perfectly executed a set piece that began with a couple of short passes before Jack Gurr sent a long cross to Desmond at the far post. Desmond skillfully headed the ball down for an easy tap-in from Bennett.
It has been a career year for Desmond. After dealing with injuries in his first two years in Sacramento, the Irish defender has become one of Republic FC’s most consistent players. In the 2025 regular season, he set new club-career highs with 105 clearances, 85% passing accuracy, 65% duel success, and two goal contributions. He has featured in each of the team’s conference-leading 12 clean sheets.
With the regular season campaign in the rearview mirror, Republic FC now turns its attention to the USL Championship Playoffs presented by Terminix. It’s a new competition and now the Indomitable Club is just four wins away from lifting a trophy for the first time since 2014, a moment that would be the perfect sendoff for longtime Captain Rodrigo Lopez, who is set to retire at the end of the season.
It all begins this Sunday, when Republic FC hosts Orange County SC in the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Kickoff from Heart Health Park is at 6:00 p.m. and tickets are available now at SacRepublicFC.com. The match will also be broadcast to a national TV audience on CBS Sports Network.
