Match Preview: Republic FC v Las Vegas Lights FC
July 2, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Sacramento Republic FC News Release
Republic FC continues its four-game homestand with its first mid-week fixture in league play this season Wednesday night. The Indomitable squad remains undefeated at home with a 4-0-2 record against Las Vegas Lights FC.
At a Glance: #SACvLV
Wednesday, July 3 - 7:30 PM kickoff
Heart Health Park, Sacramento, California
Watch: CBS Sports Network
Salute to Service Night
Republic FC - The Latest
Republic FC kicked off its four-game home stand with a 1-0 win over Eastern Conference side Hartford Athletic on Saturday night. Three minutes after stepping onto the pitch, striker Sebastian Herrera netted the game-winner in the 87th minute to take all three points on the night. It was the second-straight clean sheet for Sacramento, with goalkeeper Danny Vitiello blanking the visitors with five saves, marking his 40th career regular season shutout. Vitiello leads the league with eight clean sheets so far this season.
Know Your Opponent
Las Vegas enters Wednesday's eighth in the West. With new ownership and a new identity, the club claimed an early three-game winning streak, but soon fell into a four-game losing streak. However, last Saturday, the Lights stepped back into the wins column with a 2-0 victory against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC at home. Those three points put Vegas ahead of last season's total points (19).
Midfielder Valentin Noël currently leads the team this season with seven goals in his past 17 appearances. Forward Khori Bennett fresh off of two consecutive Team of the Week selections falls just under Noël with six goals so far this season. First-time Head Coach Dennis Sanchez, and former Republic FC Academy Director, looks to utilize the club's dynamic form for his inaugural season with the Las Vegas Lights in this week's match up against Sacramento.
Match Notes
The Indomitable Club is 4-0-2 against the Silver State side at Heart Health Park, with a goal differential of +6. Last season, in a 2-0 win, Da'vian Kimbrough made his debut for the Quails - the 16th academy graduate to make an appearance for Republic FC, and the youngest pro debut in American professional soccer.
Substitutes have been critical for Republic FC this year, combining to score eight goals (tied with LouCity for the best mark in the league). Sebastian Herrera's 87th minute goal on Saturday marked Republic FC's 8th score in the final 15 minutes in a league match. It is club's highest-scoring portion of matchplay this season and includes three game-winners.
Wednesday's match will be commenced by a major milestone for the league, with the one millionth fan stepping through the gates of Heart Health Park. There is no better fit than a Sacramento fan to be able to represent the true meaning of being a supporter of the USL Championship.
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