The biggest match of 2023 comes to Heart Health Park on Tuesday. The Indomitable Club welcomes an MLS opponent – Colorado Rapids – in the U.S. Open Cup for a berth in the Round of 16. It’s a win-or-go-home contest against a club that’s been strong defensively this season and challenged top competition week over week this season.
At a Glance: #SACvCOL
- Tuesday, May 9
- 7:30 p.m. PT kickoff
- Heart Health Park, Sacramento, California
- Tickets
- Drink Special – $5 draft beers from 5:30PM to 8:00PM
- Watch: B/R Football YouTube and B/R Football App
- Listen: SacTown Sports 1140AM and SacTownSports.com
Republic FC – The Latest
Sacramento will be fresh after a 10-day break following their Week 7 draw at FC Tulsa. The club claimed its 10th straight unbeaten result to begin the season and are now the lone undefeated side in the entire league. The club’s stellar April garnered league recognition, as the club maintained their spot atop the league-wide Power Rankings and Russell Cicerone nabbed a nomination for Player of the Month.
Know Your Opponent
Colorado has been stellar the past month, going unbeaten in seven straight games from March 18 to the end of April. All season, backline play has led the way, recording three clean sheets in that timeframe. However, they are just as capable on the attack. A result against red-hot St. Louis CITY SC on April 22 showcased their offensive potency with 13 shots on target against the top-seeded team in the West.
For the visitors, the match comes amid a challenging stretch of their schedule. Tuesday marks the club’s third straight away match after a trip north to Vancouver and then south to Carson to face LA Galaxy.
Head-to-Head
Tuesday marks the first competitive contest between the two squads. Sacramento and Colorado played a friendly match in February of 2016 at Heart Health Park, with the Rapids featuring a roster of players who are now USL mainstays.
Only two players on Sacramento’s roster have head-to-head history against Colorado – Luis Felipe and Matt LaGrassa. LaGrassa faced off with Rapids in the 2018 Open Cup with USL side Nashville SC in a stunning Cupset, and Luis Felipe has two appearances lifetime as a member of the San Jose Earthquakes.