Republic FC claimed victory for the second time in three contests to open the season Sunday, defeating FC Tulsa with a 87th minute game-winner off the foot of Duke Lacroix. Similar to the season’s first two matches, increased urgency and pace out of halftime put the opposition on their heels while more great performances off the bench helped secure three points.
Urgency
The first half of the contest was a tad slow-starting; each squad took their time to feel out 
their opposition. The two sides traded possession and seemed to have trouble stringing passes together to move into the attacking third. What resulted was just two shots total for the match from Jack Gurr and Matt LaGrassa before Tulsa found the net in the 29th minute, when a cross from Rodrigo da Costa went untouched into the goal.
After a 32nd minute penalty evened things up, Sacramento went into the break with a few things to figure out. They came out of the half and ratcheted up the pressure on Tulsa’s backline to immediate results, manufacturing five chances in the first ten minutes of the second half and coming close on a few set piece opportunities. By the time the hour mark rolled around, the visitors hadn’t attempted a shot on goal since their first-half score. Of the 15 shots tallied for Sacramento in the contest, 11 came in the final 45 minutes.
“It wasn’t the prettiest of games, but the guys showed the right mentality, the guys showed the right attitude,” said Head Coach Mark Briggs. “And when you do that, you grind out results.”
Super-Subs
For the second consecutive week, Mark Briggs played excellent chess with his changes as time ticked down – his reinforcements again strengthened the club’s offensive improvement from half to half. Duke Lacroix could have walked away with a brace if not for a 80th minute shot that rocketed off the left post, and created two chances. In his first action of the year, Mario Penagos was excellent on the attack, feeding through the ball that would be eventually flicked by Douglas Martinez and punched in by Lacroix for the game winner. Luther Archimede demanded all kinds of attention in the final 20 minutes, winning four duels and nearly drawing a penalty.
Next Man Up
In the absence of Carlos Saldana, who was unavailable for Sunday’s contest, Danny Vitiello made his club debut in the matinee. While some clubs may worry about a potential change at goalkeeper, the 2020 golden glove winner was fantastic, finishing the contest with three saves, and punching away two dangerous chances from the opposition.
“Danny stepped in and did the job today,” said Dan Casey. “He and Carlos are two great goalkeepers with different attributes, and he helped us get all three points.”
His impact reached beyond the score sheet too – great communication allowed Republic FC’s back line, which has grown stronger and stronger by the week, put together another great effort and keep the visitors at bay from close range.
Republic FC will be back in action this Saturday on First Responder’s Night at Heart Health Park, when Monterey Bay FC makes its first regular-season visit to Sacramento. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m., and the match will be broadcast live on FOX40, FOX40.com and the FOX40 News mobile app, and streaming on ESPN+.
