A historic moment for Republic FC – the 2022 U.S. Open Cup Final – has finally arrived. After six matches against foes at every level of the American Soccer Pyramid, Sacramento Republic FC will take on Orlando City SC of Major League Soccer for all the marbles.
At a Glance: #SACvORL
- Wednesday, September 7
- 5:00 PM PT kickoff
- Exploria Stadium, Orlando, Florida
- How to watch: ESPN+
- Watch Party: 4:00 PM PT at Caesar Chavez Plaza – RSVP at SacRepublicFC.com/WatchParty
- How to listen: SacTown Sports 1140AM and SacTownSports.com (English), LA Ranchera 104.7 FM and 890AM, LaRancheraSuperStation.com, La Ranchera Superstation App (Spanish)
The Latest – Republic FC
Republic FC knows the stage the match presents. Wednesday is the biggest match in club and city history. Sacramento will be ready to rise to the occasion just as they have at every stage of the Cup this season.
Mark Briggs’ men will be playing their second match in five days, having just faced Louisville City FC on Saturday. For many clubs, that kind of a turnaround is tough. But Sacramento’s had the same challenge in each of the last three rounds of the Open Cup. This season, Republic FC has won nine games on short rest across league and tournament play, including their Semifinal match the final week of July.
Know Your Opponent
Orlando City enters Wednesday’s match with a similar mindset as Sacramento. If they win, it’ll get them their first trophy in club history.
The hottest team in MLS has provided some recent thrillers. They enter the match on a four-game winning streak highlighted by three consecutive victories at the death over Charlotte, New York City FC, and Seattle Sounders. The club will be well rested, having not seen the pitch in a week come kickoff, and with as much momentum as any team in football they sit in a good spot to come out fresh and firing on all cylinders.
Head to Head
Wednesday marks the first time ever that Sacramento will face off against Orlando as an MLS side. In Republic FC’s debut season, Orlando City SC visited the Capital City as a USL club to split the points in a July 17th draw. The Lions have faced only one club that Sacramento has this season – LA Galaxy – claiming a 1-0 win on March 19.
