Republic FC closes out its two-match road swing with a hard-earned point against defending league champions Pittsburgh Riverhounds in a 0-0 draw on Saturday night. Goalkeeper Danny Vitiello – the league’s all-time clean sheets leader – marked another special milestone as he became the first player in USL Championship history to record 50 shutouts for a single club.
Sacramento had a good go at goal in the 14th minute after Memo Rodriguez and Jack Gurr connected for a quick one-two on a short corner. Gurr’s cross was floated to the far post, where Mayele Malango put a header on target, but Pittsburgh goalkeeper Nico Campuzano dove to his left to make the save. Shortly after, Malango drove the ball up the left flank and put a cross into the box for Memo Rodriguez, but unfortunately the ball was a bit too high for Rodriguez to get a dangerous touch on it.
Danny Vitiello was called into action in the 21st minute when Pittsburgh’s Danny Griffin slotted a pass to Albert Dikwa. The 2023 Player of the Year put a quick touch on the ball to try to make something happen, but Vitiello quickly closed off the angle to end the play.
Another Riverhounds chance came in the 34th minute when Eliot Goldthorp put a cross into the box. Trevor Amann redirected the ball from point blank range, but Danny Vitiello went airborne to deny his former teammate the opening goal.
Minutes later, a great individual defensive effort from Jared Timmer opened up a play that nearly resulted in another Mayele Malango trademark curling goal. One-on-one with a Pittsburgh attacker, Timmer won a tackle and passed the ball off to Pep Casas. Casas sent a long ball forward for Jack Gurr, who acrobatically controlled it and laid off a pass to Malango on the left. The Malawi international created enough room between himself and the defender, allowing him the chance to loft in a shot that just narrowly glanced the crossbar for a goalkick.
On the other side of the break, it was once again Malango taking control of the left flank. He beat two defenders on the dribble to pass the ball to Memo Rodriguez at the top of the box. After his initial shot was blocked, Rodriguez followed through on the rebound to fire a one-touch volley across the front of goal, but the attempt went wide of the post.
A free kick in the final third created another opportunity in the 70th minute. Jack Gurr received a short pass on the right and put a big cross into a very crowded box. The ball fell near Kyle Edwards, but ultimately it to a shot by Memo Rodriguez that was deflected by a defender.
Sacramento continued to push to find the go-ahead goal until the final moments of the match. On a recycled corner kick, Memo Rodriguez got one more chance. Jack Gurr put a big switch across the field, where Rodriguez battled through multiple defenders to free himself for a close-range shot that forced a goalkeeper save at the near post.
The Indomitable Club’s clamp down defense was on display throughout the night. Across the 90 minutes, the defending champions were limited to just six total shots with three on target to mark Sacramento’s 6th clean sheet of the season.
“I’m really impressed with the players. I think coming on this week-long road trip with two of the toughest games in the schedule, having to play Tulsa and Pittsburgh on their seven days’ rest, I thought we were very, very good tonight,” said Head Coach Neill Collins. “I thought the performance was probably worth the three points, but I’m pleased with the point. Now we’ve just got to keep that point, move on, and know that we’ve got a home stretch coming up.”
Republic FC now returns home for a big Western Conference match up against Lexington SC on Saturday, August 15. That match kicks off from Heart Health Park at 8:00 p.m. and tickets are available now at SacRepublicFC.com. Throughout the night, the club is teaming up with Wilton Rancheria to celebrate Native American Heritage Night, with a special commemorative scarf giveaway at ingress.
Stats of the Match
- Danny Vitiello – 3 saves, becomes the first player in league history to record 50 clean sheets for a single club
- Lee Desmond – 8 clearances, 9 duels won (has recorded a total of 13 clearances, 19 duels won in Week 23)
- Pep Casas – 52/57 passing (91%), 6 possessions won
- Tim Leibold – first start for SRFC, 37/41 passing (90%), 5 possessions won, 2 clearances
Sacramento Republic FC 0 – 0 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
USL Championship
F.N.B. Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
August 8, 2026
Scoring Summary: SAC – none; PIT – none
Misconduct Summary: SAC – none; PIT – none
Sacramento Republic FC: Danny Vitiello, Lee Desmond (C), Jared Timmer, Tim Leibold (Chibi Ukaegbu 67’), Jack Gurr, Mayele Malango (Tyler Wolff 78’), Pep Casas (Aaron Essel 87’), Danny Crisostomo, Blake Willey (Arturo Rodriguez 78’), Memo Rodriguez, Forster Ajago (Kyle Edwards 67’)
Unused substitutes: Freddy Kleemann, Alfredo Midence, Jacob Randolph
Stats: Shots: 14, Shots on Goal: 5, Saves: 3, Fouls: 4, Corner Kicks: 7, Offsides: 1
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC: Nico Campuzano, Lasse Kelp, Owen Mikoy, Victor Souza, Max Viera (Perrin Barnes 61’), Charles Ahl (Sam Bassett 61’), Jackson Walti, Danny Walti, Danny Griffin (C), Eliot Goldthorp (Robbie Mertz 74’), Albert Dikwa, Trevor Amann (Yu Tskuanome 74’)
Unused substitutes: Junior Etou, Guillaume Vacter, Mike Sheridan, Aldair Flowers
Stats: Shots: 6, Shots on Goal: 3, Saves: 5, Fouls: 15, Corner Kicks: 1, Offsides: 2
