May 23, 2022 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – Sacramento Republic FC News Release
Next week, Republic FC welcomes Major League Soccer’s San Jose Earthquakes to Heart Health Park in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 16. It’s the first time ever the Indomitable Club hosts the Bay Area side, and it comes in the form of an elimination match in American soccer’s longest running competition.
The all-time fixture between the two clubs – three matches in the U.S. Open Cup in 2014, 2015, and 2019, has generated some thrilling contests. Every single match was a tightly-contested affair that saw Sacramento score first, and see the eventual winner or a critical equalizer find the net with less than 20 minutes remaining. Ahead of Wednesday, which looks to be a similar type of match, take a look back at the two clubs’ past meetings:
June 12, 2014: SAC 1 – 2 SJ at Kezar Stadium
A mid-week matchup in Kezar Stadium went San Jose’s way in the two sides first-ever meeting. However, for the Quakes the contest was anything but comfortable. Sacramento put pressure on the hosts for the entire match, outshooting them 14-9. Three of those shots came off the foot of Rodrigo Lopez, making his second appearance against San Jose after facing them early in his career while a member of Chivas USA.
What looked to be a scoreless first half ended 1-1 as both teams went to the locker room. A Justin Braun score in the 42nd minute, assisted by forward Chad Bartlome, put Sacramento up with just moments to go in the first half. But San Jose drew a penalty just before the break, and converted on the attempt to equalize. In the 73rd minute, the hosts netted the eventual winner.
June 15, 2015: SAC 2 – 2 SJ (SAC 7:8 SJ in penalties) at PayPal Park
Just 368 days later, the two NorCal Squads again faced off in the fourth round. Sacramento traveled to the newly constructed PayPal Park for an eventual thriller between regional rivals. The Indomitable club set the tone early, taking a 1-0 lead just six…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at OurSports Central Outdoor Soccer News…