Following their thrilling Week 1 victory, Republic FC heads south this week, where they’ll take on San Diego Loyal SC in their first of two meetings this season. Sacramento will be looking for their first all-time win of the fixture, which has seen the two squads draw in three of their five meetings.
At a Glance – SACvSD
- Saturday, March 19
- 7:00 p.m. PT kickoff
- Torero Stadium, San Diego, California
- How to watch: English and Spanish broadcasts available on Antenna TV 40.2, FOX40.com, FOX40 Mobile App, streaming on ESPN+
The Latest – Republic FC
Last Saturday’s season opener delivered on the anticipation for Sacramento. Late heroics leading to the 3-1 victory more than satisfied a strong crowd on hand for opening night and showed how resilient the club could be after a tough first half. As a reward for their performance, three Sacramento players – Douglas Martínez Jr., Ferrety Sousa, and Rodrigo Lopez were named to the Week 1 Team of the Week.
Saturday, Republic FC will again lean on goalkeeper Carlos Saldana, who had a tremendous night in the season opener. The 25-year-old may have only stopped four attempts against El Paso, but one was an 8th-minute penalty, and the other was a close-range poke that looked impossible to stop. Mark Briggs’ will need more big plays like that from his keeper this week to hang with a squad that dominated possession in their opponent’s penalty area and took 11 of 11 shots inside the box.
Opponent Report – San Diego Loyal SC
San Diego will come into the match Saturday with the same kind of momentum as Sacramento. Loyal SC took a victory over La Galaxy II in the 96th minute of their season opener, with Thomas Amang getting the final touch on a match-winning own goal. The club outperformed Los Dos in nearly every statistical category, taking the edge in possession, passing, chances created, and close-range opportunities.
On the defensive end, Landon Donovan’s men will be missing an important link. Offseason acquisition Nikko Boxall was called into international duty for New Zealand’s final round of World Cup qualifiers this week, leaving a big piece out of their backline.
Matchup History
Republic FC has yet to beat Landon Donovan’s men in five-all time contests, compiling a head-to-head record of 0-2-3. They last met in the final match of 2021, a contest that saw Republic FC come back late to take a draw.
Getting ahead early will be a focus for Sacramento, as they’ve scored first just once in the all-time fixture. However, the ability to battle back has also dominated the series, which has seen Sacramento come from behind to salvage a point on two occasions.
