Mark Briggs’ Men turn the calendar to September with a regional derby against Oakland Roots SC this Saturday. The two clubs will meet in Hayward for their final regular season matchup, and third this season. The match closes out a tough stretch of schedule for Sacramento of seven road contests in nine games.
At a Glance: #SACvOAK
- 7:00 PM PT Kickoff
- Pioneer Stadium, CSU East Bay, Hayward, CA
- Watch: FOX40, Antenna TV 40.2, FOX40.com and the FOX40 News Mobile App, ESPN+
Republic FC – The Latest
Wednesday, Sacramento fell 2-0 to Phoenix Rising FC. It marked the club’s first instance of two straight losses – coming over three-quarters of the way through the 2023 campaign. For only the third time all year, Sacramento let in more than one goal, conceding twice after the hour mark. Contributions off the bench would lead to the club getting one back, as Rodrigo Lopez assisted Shane Wiedt on a late corner kick, but the final whistle sounded with Sacramento trailing 2-1.
Saturday marks the final match for the club before its last bye week of the season. After the contest, the club won’t take the pitch until September 16. When the club returns, they’ll play four of its last six at Heart Health Park.
Know Your Opponent
Oakland has been in good form since mid-July and enters the weekend fourth in the Western Conference at 40 points. The club has won five of its last eight matches and went unbeaten from July 15 to August 4.
The club returns home to Northern California after playing in three different cities in a span of eight days. Their last result was a last-second defeat to Louisville City FC on August 26. After besting New Mexico United in Albuquerque, Roots played the the Kentucky club 1-1 through 90 minutes on the road before conceding a winner in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time.
Players to Watch
Goalkeeper Paul Blanchette has caught league-wide attention in recent weeks. He currently leads the league in saves at 96 – nearly 20 more than the next competitor – boosted by 14 in the last two matches. He’s been between the pipes for 9 clean sheets this season, good for second in the league.
The return of both Rodrigo Lopez and Sebastian Herrera improves Sacramento’s attack in a key area, both this week and down the stretch. Republic FC has scored just three goals from free kicks this season, and the combination of Herrera’s aerial prowess and Lopez’s accuracy on the cross could result in that number growing in the final weeks of the season. Lopez assisted Sacramento’s lone score on Wednesday in Phoenix from a corner kick, finding the head of Shane Wiedt.
Head to Head
Saturday’s match resumes one of the league’s most competitive series. Just one of nine all-time contests have been decided by more than one score, and five have resulted in draws. All-time, Sacramento has claimed three wins to Oakland’s one.
Sacramento has claimed victory in each of the last three, including two this season. The two sides faced off in the U.S. Open Cup on April 26, with a curler from Nick Ross deciding the match early in the second half. A month later on April 20, a goal apiece from Keko, Russell Cicerone, and Jack Gurr put down the Bay Area side in a 3-1 result.