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Sacramento Republic FC

A Closer Look: Three Takeaways from Republic FC's 1-1 Draw vs. FC Tulsa

April 15, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Sacramento Republic FC News Release


Republic FC maintained its unbeaten start to the season on Saturday night as the Indomitable club took a point in a draw vs. FC Tulsa. Sacramento secured points in its sixth straight match to remain as one of just four unbeaten clubs in the league, while keeping a share of the top spot in the Western Conference table. Following the match, have a look three takeaways from Republic FC's sixth straight unbeaten result to open 2024:

Sacramento Strikes First

Republic FC has scored first in every match this season, and Saturday's contest extended that streak. In 2024, Sacramento is one of just two teams to score first in every game.

Rodrigo Lopez's 33rd minute goal put the club in a position it has frequently taken advantage of in recent seasons - since the start of 2022, Republic FC has secured 40 wins and 12 draws when they score first, and only suffered two defeats.

"We got into great spots, we got into good areas," said Head Coach Mark Briggs after Saturday's match. "But we've got to make sure that we're more ruthless. We've got to make sure that we're hitting the target and we're making the goalkeeper work."

The Captain Finds the Net

Since Rodrigo Lopez returned to Sacramento ahead of the 2022 season, his contributions have almost always accompanied the club earning three points - Republic FC has secured points in 20 of 22 games where he has recorded a goal or assist in that span.

Ahead of Saturday, the club's captain had been knocking on the door. after being named to Team of the Week in Week 4, he put in a stellar shift in the club's Week 5 win. Saturday, he netted the opener for Sacramento in the 33rd minute, taking advantage of FC Tulsa being down a man to a red card. The left-footed score was his first of the season, coming off an assist from Luis Felipe.

"He has such great quality," said Jared Timmer of Lopez. "We need to find him in that attacking third as much as we can because as he showed tonight, he's able to put the ball in the back of the net."

Impressive Streaks Continue

Saturday's draw extended Sacramento's unbeaten run to six matches and kept Republic FC undefeated in 13 all-time contests vs. Tulsa - the longest unbeaten streak in any head-to-head fixture in league history. It also continued another impressive run - Republic FC has yet to trail at any point this season, a streak of 540 minutes played through its six games. With Louisville City FC's defeat to Charleston Battery last Tuesday, the Indomitable Club is the only team in the league not to face a deficit this season.

"I think we are really starting to find a rhythm and feel the confidence and the belief that we should have," Briggs said last week. "Now it's just about continuing to do the basics to the level that we want to and continuing to have trust and belief in one another."

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