Match Preview: Republic FC V Oakland Roots SC
Published on July 6, 2021 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Sacramento Republic FC News Release
Down a goal late and competing in hostile territory, a resilient Republic FC overcame a deficit at the death to steal a point against San Diego Loyal SC following a 1-1 draw on Saturday.
The showdown in Southern California was the beginning of a busy stretch for Sacramento, as the game against Loyal SC was the first of four fixtures over a dozen consecutive days.
The point obtained on the road was a positive start to the string of matches on the horizon, and next up is the second of four regular season games against Oakland Roots SC when the two clubs clash this Wednesday night at Heart Health Park.
At a Glance: #SACvOAK
Wednesday July 7
8:00 p.m. PT kickoff
Heart Health Park, Sacramento, California
How to Watch: KQCA My58, Estrella TV Sacramento (Spanish), ESPN+ (Digital)
What's the latest on the team?
A never say die Republic FC (2-5-2, 8 points) side may have trailing late but never once did they stop believing that a point a road was no longer possible.
Trailing 1-0 with mere minutes remaining, a trio of second half substitutes connected to level the match deep into stoppage time. After Julian Chavez rifled a cross-field pass to Kharlton Belmar, the forward delivered a ball into the box that made its way to a leaping Mitchell Taintor. The defender connected with the cross and nodded his effort by the SD goalkeeper to steal a point from the hosts and secure a 1-1 result.
The goal was Taintor's first of the year and first since returning to Sacramento where he netted three times prior to joining San Antonio FC for the 2020 season. Belmar's assist was the first of his 2021 campaign after leading the club in assists the previous season.
Midfielder Mario Penagos saw his name in the starting eleven for the first time this season. The Republic FC Youth Academy product logged 80 minutes on the night and was credited with creating one scoring opportunity for Sacramento.
What about the visitors?
Oakland (1-3-2, 5 points) may sit at the bottom of the Pacific Division standings in eighth place, but the East Bay club has been sturdy on the defensive front as of late.
Following the 3-3 draw against Republic FC on June 2, Roots SC has surrendered just two goals in three games but has only claimed one point in the standings during those trio of fixtures. Oakland was dealt a 1-0 loss at the hands of Orange County SC on June 12 before playing to a 0-0 draw against Austin Bold two weeks later.
Recently, Roots SC fell 1-0 to San Diego Loyal SC on the road where Oakland held the hosts to just three shots on target.
Oakland has currently scored the fewest goals in the league - six - and the club's 56 shots taken this season is also the fewest in the USL Championship.
Head-to-Head
Republic FC and Roots SC may have only played one competitive match before, but they certainly put on a show for those tuning in.
On June 2 in Sacramento, the boys in Old Glory Red came back from a goal down on two separate occasions to secure a point against its Northern California neighbor.
After SRFC took an early lead by way of Darius Formella, Oakland answered back with a pair of strikes to secure a 2-1 lead. Cameron Iwasa equalized at the hour mark, but Roots SC restored its lead but minutes later.
Down but far from finished, the Indomitable Club responded almost instantly when Jordan McCrary bagged a leveler to tie the game at three all.
Overall (USL regular season & playoffs): 0-0-1
Home: 0-0-1 (GF: 3, GA: 3)
Away: 0-0-0 (GF: 0, GA: 0)
Single Match Tickets
Limited seats are still available for Wednesday night's match at Heart Health Park against Oakland Roots SC. Supporters interested in attending the match can purchase tickets by visiting https://www.sacrepublicfc.com/single-match-tickets
Raley's Tailgate
Raley's pre-match tailgate has officially returned to Heart Health Park!
Fans can purchase tailgate passes for this Wednesday's match here. Reservations will be an additional $5 and available for purchase online on a game-by-game basis.
Fans can also expect to see the return of the Kids' Zone, Marketplace, and Fan Zone inside Heart Health Park for Wednesday night's fixture against Oakland Roots SC with kickoff set for 8 p.m. PT.
United Soccer League Championship Stories from July 6, 2021
- San Antonio FC Plays Thrilling Contest against Liga MX Side Queretaro FC - San Antonio FC
- USL Statement: COVID-19 Test Results - July 6, 2021 - USL
- Match Preview: Republic FC V Oakland Roots SC - Sacramento Republic FC
- RGV FC Heads to Austin for Midweek Clash - Rio Grande Valley FC Toros
- Hounds Add Defender Tom Judge on Loan from Nashville SC - Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
- Preview: Riverhounds SC at Charleston Battery - Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
- Match Preview: Everything You Need to Know When Orange County SC Host Tacoma Defiance in Week 12 - Orange County SC
- Asante and Schmitt Named to USL Team of the Week - Phoenix Rising FC
- Official Club Statement Regarding Racial Abuse at May 29th Match - New Mexico United
- CHSvPIT Closed to Public, Kickoff Now 4 p.m. - Charleston Battery
- Kyle Murphy Named to USL Championship Team of the Week Bench - Memphis 901 FC
- Rowdies Have a Midweek Date with Miami - Tampa Bay Rowdies
- Neco Brett Named to USL Championship Team of the Week - Birmingham Legion FC
- El Paso Locomotive FC's Dylan Mares voted Player of the Week after two-goal game vs. New Mexico - USL
- Around the Leagues: Semifinal Showdowns in Continental Competitions - Sacramento Republic FC
- Sporting KC II Forward Jamil Roberts up for Best Play at 2021 ESPYS - Sporting Kansas City II
- Roots Sign Palo Alto Native Paul Blanchette - Oakland Roots
- Roots Field Trip: Fans Are Back at Temporary Venue - Oakland Roots
- Match Preview: ATL UTD 2 vs. Indy Eleven - Atlanta United 2
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