Republic FC’s Academy squads laced their boots for another weekend of MLS NEXT play. On the heels of a strong showing against Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Lamorinda SC to open February, Sacramento’s youth sides kept their momentum with another unbeaten slate, earning five wins and three draws against Silicon Valley SA and SF Glens.
Saturday vs. Silicon Valley
Saturday’s schedule saw the three older squads each take on Silicon Valley SA at home, securing three unbeaten results. The U15s and U17s each claimed victories and the U16s settled for a scoreless draw. The U17s kicked off the day with an exciting win. After a stalemate through the first 89 minutes of the match, Sacramento broke through to seal the victory with a goal from Hugo Canedo in the final moments. The forward collected the ball just outside the penalty box for an 18-yard blast past the goalkeeper’s left side. After a scoreless first half, Salem Chandler gave the U15 squad the lead just 10 seconds into the second half and Javier Vigil extending the lead in the 72nd minute.
Sunday at SF Glens
All five squads headed to the Bay Area to take on San Francisco Glens Sunday, earning three wins and two draws. The U17’s surged off their momentum from Saturday with a 5-0 win. Forward Jackson Martin continued his exceptional form, bagging a hat trick to lead the effort. Since league play resumed in January, Martin has netted six scores in five games, including five in his last three. Zachary Looney and Roman Anast also added their names to the scoresheet for the club’s oldest squad. In the day’s second match, a pair of braces led the U16s to all three points in a 4-0 win – a first-half double from Sean Baitinger and a score in each half for Amr Alsaidi.
The U14s returned to the win column Sunday in a 3-2 result, with goals from Christian Ferreira and Evin Galvan getting the club on the board before the match winner from David Quintanilla. The U13s and U15s each earned a point – the U15s from a 1-1 draw and the the U13s from a come-from behind result secured with a 64th minute equalizer from Myles Smith.
Looking Ahead
The U15, U16, and U17s continue a busy stretch of games when they take on Ballistic United Sunday in league play. Last time out, each squad claimed victories against the Pleasanton side with the U15s reaching double-digits in a 12-1 score line, the U16s winning 2-0 and the U17s winning 9-0.
Entering the weekend, all five of the club’s youth sides sit atop their regional divisions in points. Sacramento’s U13 side enters this weekend as one of the top squads nationwide. Only one team in all of MLS NEXT in has more than their 49 points in league play, and they are one of five unbeaten squads on the season. Following a pair of victories, Sacramento’s U17s enter on a five-game winning streak.
