NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, CFL stats



Sacramento Republic FC

Match Preview: Sacramento Republic FC vs Orange County Blues FC

September 2, 2016 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Sacramento Republic FC News Release


Sacramento Republic FC (12-6-8, 44 pts) finish a two-match home stand when they face Orange County Blues FC (10-12-4, 34 pts) on Saturday, Sept. 3. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. The match will be aired live on CW31 and will be streamed live at SacRepublicFC.com/matchday and YouTube.com/USL. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com.

This is the fourth and final match between Republic FC and Orange County Blues FC this season. The matchup is tied with each side claiming a win on the road and the two playing to a 3-3 draw in Southern California on July 10. Republic FC won the most recent matchup, a 1-0 victory on Aug. 24.

Republic FC are unbeaten in their last seven matches, after battling Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 to a scoreless draw on Aug. 27. The streak is the second-longest unbeaten streak for Republic FC this season, trailing only their nine-match unbeaten streak from May 7 - July 6.

Cameron Iwasa is on the verge of breaking several club records as the 2016 USL season comes to a close. Iwasa has scored 11 goals this season, tying Thomas Stewart's record setting 2014 USL season. With a start against the Blues, Iwasa will tie Patrick McLain's Republic FC record of 24 consecutive USL starts that the goalkeeper set in 2015. Iwasa also recently broke the record for most consecutive all competition appearances when he made his 35 straight appearance against WFC2, breaking Emrah Klimenta's previous mark of 33.

Danny Barrera is also having a record-setting season. The midfielder has recorded 42 consecutive USL appearances, a Republic FC record. He has also recorded eight assists on the season, tying Rodrigo Lopez's club record set in 2014.

Evan Newton and the Republic FC defense recorded their third consecutive shutout against WFC2 on Saturday. The defense has recorded five shutouts since Newton became the starting goalkeeper on July 10. The shutout was the team's record eleventh of the season, the most by Republic FC team in a single season. The defense also holds a 270-minute scoreless streak, their second longest streak of the season.

The match has a lot of playoff implications as the USL heads into the final weeks of the season. Republic FC currently sit in the top spot in the USL Western Conference with 44 points. Only 10 points separate Republic FC and the Blues, who are currently tied with San Antonio FC for seventh place in the Western Conference. With a win on Saturday and a loss or tie by Real Monarchs SLC, Republic FC will clinch a USL playoff berth for their third consecutive season.

The Blues have been off since playing Republic FC on Wednesday, Aug. 24. The Blues have followed each of the last three losses with a win dating back to July 23 and have won four of their last seven matches.

Former Republic FC midfielder Ivan Mirkoviæ will face his former team for the fourth time since being transferred to the Blues on Apr. 1. Mirkoviæ has started all three of the previous matches against Republic FC, playing a combined 260 minutes. He is currently second on the Blues in minutes (1,815) and leads the club in both fouls (52) and cautions (7).

Orange County co-leading scorer Trevin Caesar is expected to miss the match after he was called-up to the Trinidad & Tobago Men's National Team for their World Cup qualifying matches against Guatemala on Sept. 2 and the United States on Sept. 6. Caesar has seven goals this season.

The Blues will lean on their other co-leading scorer, Didier Crettenand and Roy Meeus. Crettenand has seven goals and an assist on the season, while Meeus has scored four goals and a club-leading four assists as a defender.

Check out the Sacramento Republic FC Statistics

• Discuss this story on the United Soccer League Championship message board...

United Soccer League Championship Stories from September 2, 2016


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central