Overview: SAC @ OC
- Date: Saturday, September 5
- Kickoff: 6:00 p.m.
- Location: Championship Soccer Stadium (Irvine, CA)
- Watch at Home: FOX40+, ESPN+
- Watch Party: Bambina’s Pizza & Pasta – first 50 guests get a free drink + slice of pizza!
Know Your Club – Republic FC
A Western Conference classic awaits as Republic FC heads to SoCal to take on Orange County SC.
Last week in Seaside, the squad extended its unbeaten streak to four matches in a 1-1 draw against Monterey Bay FC. Down a goal in the second half, The Quails began to build momentum as substitutes started to put their mark on the game. The push paid dividends in the 84th minute as Kyle Edwards and Cal Jennings connected for the equalizer. The play began as Jack Gurr lofted in a cross that Memo Rodriguez headed back to Edwards. With his back to goal, Edwards acrobatically put a bicycle-kick pass forward for Jennings, who put everything into it and stood strong through contact to head the ball over the line.
“You never really know what game you’re gonna get thrown into, and we just have to believe that, and you can make an impact,” said Jennings after the match. “Whether that’s fighting for second balls, whether that’s trying to provide energy, whether that’s just being in the right place at the right time. And honestly, I thought everybody who came on did a really good job at changing the energy of the game and helping us get back into it.”
Over the last two months, Republic FC is undefeated in all but one match, putting the club right in the mix of several teams battling it out for playoff spots. Six of Sacramento’s nine remaining opponents are teams currently sitting above the cutoff line, setting up an opportunity for results that could have major implications on the standings come late October.
Know Your Opponent – Orange County SC
After holding the top spot in the Western Conference for most of the season, Orange County will be looking to return to top form as the end of the regular season approaches. The Southern California side is winless in its last four matches, a surprising turn after an impressive nine-game undefeated streak that spanned three months.
Last weekend, they snapped a three-game losing streak in a 1-1 draw on the road against Oakland Roots. Oakland struck first as Florian Valot fired in a curling shot from just outside the 18-yard box in the 20th minute. But on the other side of the break, Orange County quickly leveled the match. A corner kick ricocheted inside the six-yard box before Yaniv Bazini got a foot to it for his team-leading eighth goal of the season. Despite its recent form, OC has proven to be a resilient squad this year, ranked second in the league with 10 points from losing positions.
The result dropped Orange County back to third place in the Western Conference, where they currently sit in third position with 35 points – holding tie breakers over Tulsa and San Antonio, and are just three points ahead of Sacramento.
Head-to-Head
With 32 previous matches in USL Championship play, Orange County is Republic FC’s most commonly faced opponent (14 wins, 11 losses, 7 draws). When they last met at Heart Health Park on May 2, the two clubs delivered a California Classic. It was a back-and forth affair before Michel Benitez delivered the decisive goal in the 95th minute to give Republic FC the 3-2 victory.
