Republic FC Honors Rodrigo Lopez in 2025 Regular Season Finale
USL Sacramento Republic FC

Republic FC Honors Rodrigo Lopez in 2025 Regular Season Finale

Published on October 25, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Sacramento Republic FC News Release


With the number two playoff seed in the West locked-in, Republic FC honored a legend on Saturday night in the regular season finale at Heart Health Park in front of another sell-out crowd. Sacramento Republic FC saluted club talisman Rodrigo "RoRo" Lopez with video tributes, deafening roars from the crowd, and a presentation fit for the man who helped define Sacramento soccer. Even thought the Quails couldn't claim the points against Miami, 0-1, the evening remains a special moment in Sacramento soccer history.

Republic FC had a good opportunity to get on the board in the 12th minute when Rodrigo Lopez sent a ball forward for Lewis Jamieson. Jamieson drove the ball toward goal before unselfishly laying it off to Sebastian Herrera, but Seba's shot cleared the crossbar.

Miami responded with a shot in the 16th minute. Sebastian Blanco collected the ball with space in front of him and sent in a curling shot, but Danny Vtiello dove left to make his first save of the night.

The Indomitable Club got its first shot on target in the 29th minute. RoRo passed the ball to Cristian Parano for a backheel touch to Lewis Jamieson, and the Scottish striker cleared his defender, but the shot was stopped by the keeper.

Jamieson had another go in the 36th minute and once again it was Rodrigo Lopez making things happen. The 38-year-old midfielder split the defense with a ball forward and Jamieson used his speed to get past the defense. His shot was low and on target, but the keeper managed to get a fingertip to it for a corner kick. Another chance came moments later when Lopez could have gone for goal himself, but instead laid it off to Cristian Parano on the right flank. Parano's shot went across the face of goal before just narrowly glancing off the post.

Miami tried to steal a goal on the counterattack in the final seconds of the first half. As they drove down the left flank, Republic FC's defensive trio of Jared Timmer, Cody Baker, and Chibi Ukaegbu, broke out into an all out sprint to slow down the play and force a shot that was easily collected by Danny Vitiello.

Danny Vitiello denied the visitors once again on the other side of the break. In the 61st minute, Matias Romero had a quick turn in the box for a shot from eight yards, but Vitiello was right there to make the stop.

The highlight moment came in the 68th minute, when the sold out crowd at Heart Health Park rose to their feet to cheer on club legend Rodrigo Lopez as he came off the pitch in his final regular season game. The 22-year veteran was a force on the field throughout the night with three chances created and eight possessions won.

Republic FC continued to push as the match wore on. In the 74th minute, Michel Benitez took a beautiful one-touch shot from outside the box, but Miami's keeper made a great acrobatic dive to push it out.

Vitiello kept the clean sheet with another save in the 85th minute. Francisco Bonfiglio turned with the ball and put a well-struck shot on target, but Danny Vitiello dove left to keep it out. He made a great first save on the first header from the corner kick, but the rebound fell right to the feet of Daltyn Knutson for the lone goal of the night.

Republic FC wraps up the 2025 regular season with a record of 13 wins, eight losses, and nine draws, securing the squad the second seed in the Western Conference.

The club begin play in the USL Championship Playoffs presented by Terminix on Sunday, November 2, hosting seventh-seed Orange County SC at Heart Health Park. Kickoff is at 6:00 p.m. and tickets are available now at SacRepublicFC.com. The contest will also be broadcast to a national TV audience on CBS Sports Network.

Sacramento Republic FC 0 - 1 Miami FC

USL Championship

Heart Health Park, Sacramento, California

October 25, 2025

Scoring Summary: SAC - none; MIA - Daltyn Knutson 87'

Misconduct Summary: SAC - Da'vian Kimbrough (caution) 89'; MIA - Matias Romero (caution) 21', Sebastian Blanco (caution) 61', Gerald Diaz (caution) 90+5'

Sacramento Republic FC: Danny Vitiello, Jared Timmer (Freddy Kleemann 65'), Chibi Ukaegbu, Cody Baker, Michel Benitez, AJ Edwards (Jack Gurr 88'), Luis Felipe, Rodrigo Lopez (C) (Ryan Spaulding 67'), Cristian Parano (Da'vian Kimbrough 76'), Sebastian Herrera (Khori Bennett 76'), Lewis Jamieson

Unused Substitutes: Lee Desmond, Dominik Wanner, Jared Mazzola

Stats: Shots: 12, Shots on Goal: 3, Saves: 5, Fouls: 13, Corner Kicks: 9, Offsides: 1

Miami FC: Felipe Rodriguez, Jonathan Ricketts, Daltyn Knutson, Tulu, Nicolas Cardona, Diego Mercado, Matias Romero, Allen Gavilanes (Gerald Diaz 68'), Sebastian Blanco (Deian Veron 76'), Tobias Zarate (Ricardo Rivera 75'), Francisco Bonfiglio (Alejandro Mitrano 88')

Unused Substitutes: Rafael Martell, Francesco Celeste, Tobias Mas, Victor Arana

Stats: Shots: 10, Shots on Goal: 6, Saves: 3, Fouls: 17, Corner Kicks: 3, Offsides: 2

Check out the Sacramento Republic FC Statistics

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from October 25, 2025


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