On Tuesday, the USL Championship announced that Republic FC’s Danny Vitiello was named to the league’s best XI and Rodrigo Lopez was named to Team of the Week Bench for Week 6. The two players’ contributions on Saturday held secure Sacramento’s 4-0 clean sheet win over Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, allowing the club to take sole possession of first place in the Western Conference standings.
Each player was integral to Sacramento’s sixth straight unbeaten result to start the 2023 season. For the match, Lopez tallied four chances created on the offensive end, keeping his hold on his league-leading tally with 19. His 37th minute cross led to the club’s second score, after Russell Cicerone flicked it along to Damia Viader on the back post. Lopez also won six of ten one-on-one duels on the defensive end and won possession for his club four times.
Vitiello continued his strong start to the 2023 campaign with a season-high six saves. His performance helped the club tally its fourth straight clean sheet – a new club record – fifth on the season, and the 30th of his professional career across all competitions.
This is Lopez’s 21st career selection to Team of the Week, and Vitiello’s fifth. Lopez last earned Team of the Week honors in Week 2 earlier this season following the club’s draw against Charleston Battery at Heart Health Park. Vitiello’s selection is his first as a member of Republic FC, he previously earned the honor four times as a member of Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in 2020 and 2021. So far this season, Republic FC has been represented on the league’s weekly top squad in five of six weeks, with Russell Cicerone, Luis Felipe, and Jack Gurr combining for six selections.
Republic FC is back in action this Saturday when Eastern Conference club Detroit City FC visits Heart Health Park for the first time. Tickets are available at SacRepublicFC.com/tickets, and the match will be broadcast live in English and Spanish on FOX40, Antenna TV 40.2, FOX40.com and the FOX40 App, and streaming on ESPN+.
