- Voting is open at USLChampionship.com and runs through Thursday, June 26 at 9 a.m. PT
Sacramento, Calif., – Today, USL Championship announced that Republic FC captain and midfielder Rodrigo Lopez has been nominated for Week 16 Goal of the Week. The fan vote is open now through 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 9 at USLChampionship.com.
Following a tense first half, Republic FC found their breakthrough when Christian Parano was brought down 25 yards away from goal. Lopez stepped up to the ball and curled his free kick above the Rhode Island wall and into the top-left corner of the net. Not even a dive from 6’ 3” goalkeeper Jackson Lee could keep the precision set piece from finding its target. The score was Lopez’s first this season, propelling Republic FC to a win and 8th in the Western Conference.
Saturday’s win adds to a recent stretch of defensive dominance for the Republic, the club earning 4 clean sheets across their last 6 matches. The club currently sits above the playoff line in the tightly contested Western Conference, just 8 points behind top-seeded New Mexico United.
Republic FC’s road trip continues with a USL Cup game against Orange County SC Saturday night. Sacramento fell to Orange County 2-1 earlier this season, but they haven’t lost a USL Cup game in 2025 and sit in 1st place in Group 1. Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. at Championship Soccer
