Sacramento Republic scores late goal to stun Galaxy in U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal | Sportidiya

 Sacramento Republic scores late goal to stun Galaxy in U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal



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When the league accepted Sacramento as an expansion team in 2019 and when the City Council approved a $27.2 million funding package for a new soccer-specific stadium that same year, they were both making the same claims.

This summer's MLS season was planned to feature Sacramento Republic FC.

But the team's main financial supporter, billionaire businessman Ronald Burkle, made the loudest statement 16 months ago when he chose to take his chequebook and leave, citing problems with the stadium project. As a result, the team was forced to choose between a USL Championship spot and an MLS spot that it could no longer afford because the city felt it had outgrown both leagues.

Because of this, the U.S. Open Cup this year has served as more of a referendum for the Republic's players than a competition and a platform for them to prove that they belong in MLS. They made their point very obvious on Tuesday at Dignity Health Sports Park when they defeated the Galaxy 2-1 in the competition quarterfinal.

The Sacramento coach Mark Briggs remarked, "To get a result against perhaps the biggest club in the country in their stadium is something that will live in our players' memory.

Dreams are made of this, so to speak. It's the main focus of the competition.


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The game-winning goal came in the 70th minute, when midfielder Luis Felipe pulled up about 40 yards from the Galaxy goal and deflected a low left-footed drive by goalie Jonathan Klinsmann at the far post while being surrounded by nothing but space.

The shot, which gave Sacramento its second consecutive Open Cup victory over an MLS team after last month's triumph over the San Jose Earthquakes, more than made up for what it lacked in elegance with substance. Since FC Cincinnati in 2017, The Republic is the only USL club to defeat two MLS teams in the same competition.

Two seasons later, Cincinnati joined the MLS.

Sacramento will equal Cincinnati's feat when it takes on the winner of Wednesday's Sporting Kansas City-Union Omaha quarterfinal next month. Cincinnati was also the last USL team to go to the Open Cup's final four.
The triumph on Tuesday, though, was particularly noteworthy because of the opponents it faced as well as the results it produced.

The Galaxy are still the most successful team in MLS history, despite the fact that they haven't won a trophy since 2014. In contrast, The Republic hasn't advanced past the second round of the USL Championship playoffs in eight years.

None of that mattered Tuesday.

"Our squad was the best. Briggs stated, "We deserved to win the game. "It demonstrates that we are a football team that can contend with the top teams in this nation.

"Regarding MLS, that is up to people to debate and determine. I'm just concentrating on the group we have here, and I'm really happy of that group and the outcome we got tonight.

Rodrigo López's goal in the fourth minute gave Sacramento the lead. However, the Galaxy was given the equaliser 14 minutes later when Republic defender Conor Donovan unintentionally headed in an Efran lvarez corner kick.

Felipe, who had a brief MLS trial with San Jose, broke the deadlock 11 minutes in with a three-hop shot that startled Klinsmann. Greg Vanney, the coach of the Galaxy, had emptied his bench eleven minutes earlier and replaced it with Javier "Chicharito" Hernández, Victor Vázquez, and Julián Araujo.

However, Sacramento goalkeeper Danny Vitiello was exceptional, particularly in the closing minutes as the frantic Galaxy pelted the Sacramento goal.

Following the game's decisive final whistle, Vitiello's ecstatic teammates buried him beneath a dogpile in front of the goal before making their way to the south grandstands to celebrate with their fans.

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