With only nine more regular season matches remaining, a busy stretch begins on Saturday for Republic FC. The Indomitable Club will kick things off with a contest against defending champion Phoenix Rising FC. It’s the first time that these two rivals meet at Heart Health Park since the 2023 Western Conference Final, when a late game-winner gave Phoenix the upset over top-seeded Sacramento. Both clubs are currently in playoff position, but the Western Conference table remains tight and crucial points are on the line.
At a Glance: #SACvPHX
- Saturday, September 14
- Kickoff 7:00 p.m. PT
- Heart Health Park (BUY TICKETS)
- Theme: Noche Latina powered by SMUD
- Watch in English and Spanish on Antenna TV 40.2, FOX40.com, and ESPN+
Republic FC – The Latest
In its last outing, Republic FC came home from a road trip without a point for just the second time this year in a 2-1 loss to Charleston Battery. Sacramento came out of the gate strong, and Aldair Sanchez put the squad up with his second goal of the year in the 18th minute. The defense shut down the high-powered Charleston offense, not allowing a single shot on target through the first 45. But the Battery would turn things around at halftime and get an equalizer from Golden Boot leader Nick Markanich on the other side of the break before Emilio Ycaza netted the game-winner in the 87th minute.
It was a good showing for Luis Felipe, who led the squad with two chances created, seven possessions won, and 75% duel success. Academy product Chibi Ukaegbu earned his fourth consecutive start, leading all homegrown players on this year’s squad.
At Heart Health Park, Mark Briggs’ team returned to form in August, picking up back-to-back home wins – and shutouts – against El Paso Locomotive and San Antonio FC.
The squad continues to hold onto second place in the Western Conference table and will look to get some separation from the rest of the park. Three points separate the second and sixth seeds. Of the eight opponents the club will face, five are currently above the playoff line and looking to lock in their spot in the postseason tournament.
Know Your Opponent
After a less-than-stellar start to the season, Phoenix Rising FC has turned its 2024 campaign around in recent weeks. The Arizona club is coming into Saturday’s match on the heels of a 1-0 win over FC Tulsa, controlling the first half with 10 shots and a strong defensive effort before Tomas Angel’s 45th minute penalty proved to be the difference maker. Phoenix has held opponents scoreless in six of its last seven matches and has not allowed a goal in its last four contests.
Remi Cabral leads Rising FC with six goals, however the French midfielder hasn’t seen the back of the net since the club’s first meeting with Republic FC on May 4. He was recently sidelined with an injury and missed six games before making his return last week against Tulsa.
Rising FC is currently sitting in seventh place in the standings with 33 points, but not much separates them from a pack of five teams that are battling it out for a spot in the postseason. They are just three points ahead of eighth-seed FC Tulsa, but teams 9 through 11 aren’t far behind with 28 points each.
Head-to-Head
Republic FC and Phoenix Rising are no strangers to each other. Across all competitions they have previously met 26 times and Phoenix holds the slight edge with nine all-time wins compared to Sacramento’s eight, while the points have been shared nine times. Since 2018, all but one match have been decided by one goal or less – the outlier was a 4-0 Republic FC win at Heart Health Park in 2023.
The two clubs met in the desert earlier this year and played to a 1-1 draw. Rodrigo Lopez once again created free kick magic, sending a right-footed shot through the through the Phoenix wall and into the back of the net. Remi Cabral evened things up on the other side of the break as his shot from the top of the box hit off the crossbar and over the line.
