Republic FC Sets League Attendance Record
Published on April 28, 2014 under United Soccer League Championship (USL) News Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Sacramento Republic FC welcomed a USL PRO regular-season record crowd of 20,231 to Hughes Stadium for its inaugural home opener on Saturday night, but the Harrisburg City Islanders played spoiler as they claimed a 2-1 victory for their first win of the season.
Orlando City had previously set the record of 10,697 last season, a mark that was smashed by the expansion franchise. Only five minutes in, however, the crowd was stunned as the City Islanders took the lead on former Austin Aztex's midfielder Robbie Derschang's first professional goal.
Republic FC recovered well as Adam Jahn scored off Max Alvarez's delivery to bring Sacramento level in the 32nd minute. The goal was the first for the San Jose Earthquakes loanee in a Republic jersey.
Harrisburg regained the lead early in the second half as Morgan Langley found an opening to break into the right side of the penalty and fired low past the goalkeeper for a 2-1 lead. Sacramento pushed hard to find an equalizer and tested City Islanders goalkeeper Nick Noble on multiple occasions, but Harrisburg was able to hold on to claim an important three points.
MONDAY
ROCHESTER 2, CHICAGO RESERVES 0: Goals in either half by Minh Vu and JC Banks gave the Rochester Rhinos victory against the Chicago Fire Reserves at Toyota Park.
The game opened slowly, but the Rhinos took the lead in the 22nd minute when a long pass by Tyler Rosenlund found Vu making a run behind the defense. The rookie lifted his finish over the advancing goalkeeper for his first professional goal.
The Rhinos put the game away with just under 10 minutes to go as Banks was played in on the right side and put away a finish for his second goal of the season as the Rhinos clinched their first win of the new campaign.
TUESDAY
ORLANDO 3, FC DALLAS RESERVES 2: Kevin Molino had a pair of goals and Adama Mbengue had a goal and an assist as Orlando City took victory against FC Dallas Reserves at Toyota Stadium.
Orlando came out sharply and Mbengue gave his side the lead in the 17th minute as he controlled just outside the top of the penalty area, drove into the right side and fired home a good finish.
Mbengue played a role as the Lions doubled their advantage two minutes after the break, with his low cross from the left being met by Molino at the near post. Dallas pulled a goal back in the 62nd minute as Diego de la Tejera put home a finish, but Molino added his second two minutes later to restore Orlando's two-goal advantage.
Dallas pulled a goal back in stoppage time as Walker Zimmerman's header from a free kick found the right corner of the net, but the Lions saw out the remaining minutes to take all three points.
THURSDAY
ORANGE COUNTY 4, HARRISBURG 1: Christopher Santana and Chris Cortez each scored twice as the Orange County Blues FC took victory against the Harrisburg City Islanders at Anteater Stadium.
Santana scored his first professional goal in the sixth minute as he curled home a shot from the left side of the penalty area into the right corner of the net. He added a second just past the midway point of the half as he capitalized on the rebound of Allan Russell's shot.
Harrisburg pulled a goal back just before the break when Philadelphia Union loanee Cris Hernandez was brought down just outside the penalty area. Hernandez curled home the free kick to make it 2-1 at halftime.
Orange County regained its two-goal advantage shortly after Cortez's introduction as a substitute. The former Chivas USA forward headed home powerfully from a corner in the 74th minute, and in the final minute capped the Blues' win as he tapped in a deflected cross on a counter attack.
FRIDAY
CHICAGO RESERVES 3, CHARLOTTE 2: The Chicago Fire Reserves rallied from an early two-goal deficit to take victory against the Charlotte Eagles at Trans America Field.
The Eagles got off to a strong start and took the lead in the 12th minute on a fine counter-attack. Jorge Herrera slid a well-weighted pass to Zak Boggs, who broke in and finished well. Herrera added a goal of his own three minutes later as he put away a cross by Drew Yates.
Chicago hit back in the 20th minute as Juan Luis Anangono found the back of the net, and the Fire Reserves got back on level terms in first-half stoppage time when Quincy Amarikwa beat Charlotte goalkeeper Doug Herrick to a ball into the penalty area and finished.
Anangono found the winner for the Fire eight minutes into the second half as he was able to get on the end of a cross by Harry Shipp. While the Eagles pushed for an equalizer, Kyle Reynish was able to maintain the Fire Reserves' lead for the remainder of the game.
ARIZONA 1, LA GALAXY II 1: Paolo DelPiccolo scored his first professional goal as Arizona United SC claimed a 1-1 draw with the LA Galaxy II at the Peoria Sports Complex.
The Galaxy II had the better of the first half and their pressure told in the 34th minute when Raul Mendiola was played into the left side of the penalty area and curled a shot home into the opposite corner.
United, which was coming off its first win in club history, battled back in the second half and its equalizer arrived in the 68th minute as a cross came to Brandon Swartzendruber and the forward slid a pass to his right to DelPiccolo, who finished.
Arizona pushed for a winner late and the Galaxy II were reduced to 10 men in the 89th minute when Bradley Diallo was sent off, but LA was able to earn a point in its first road game of the season.
SATURDAY
ORLANDO 2, OKLAHOMA CITY 1: Dennis Chin and Kevin Molino each scored for Orlando City as a sellout crowd of 4,230 at Pribil Stadium for OKC Energy FC's inaugural home opener saw its side fall to the Lions.
Orlando took the lead in the 25th minute as a cross by Yordany Alvarez found Chin for his second goal of the season. The Lions doubled their advantage just before the hour-mark as Kevin Molino was able to take advantage of an errant pass and rounded the goalkeeper before finishing from an acute angle on the left.
Energy FC pulled a goal back through Oklahoma City native Steven Perry in second-half stoppage time, which briefly gave OKC hope, but the Lions were able to see out the remaining minutes to take their second win of the week.
RICHMOND 5, DAYTON 1: Matt Delicâte had a pair of goals as the Richmond Kickers rallied from an early deficit against the Dayton Dutch Lions at Beavercreek Stadium.
The Dutch Lions took the lead in the fourth minute as Eli Garner got in behind the Richmond defense and slid a low shot past the advancing goalkeeper. Former Dayton standout George Davis IV got the Kickers back on level terms four minutes later with a fine shot, and the Kickers took the lead as Delicâte flicked home a near-post header from a corner to make it 2-1 at the break.
Richmond added to its lead in the 55th minute when Shane Smith brought down Delicâte as he broke in on goal, which earned the Dutch Lions defender a red card. Luke Vercollone converted from the penalty spot, and 13 minutes later Shay Spitz added a fourth with a good shot from distance. Delicâte then completed the scoring with 15 minutes to go as he headed home an angled cross into the right corner of the net.
CHARLOTTE 2, WILMINGTON 0: Second-half goals by Wells Thompson and Drew Yates gave the Charlotte Eagles victory against the Wilmington Hammerheads at Legion Stadium.
After a quiet first half the Eagles took the lead in the 56th minute as Thompson picked up possession 25 yards from goal and curled a good shot into the left corner of the net. Eagles goalkeeper Brock Duckworth kept his side ahead with a fine save against Wilmington's Daniel Lovitz, and Charlotte put the game away in stoppage time as Yates finished off a good counter-attack.
PITTSBURGH 0, CHARLESTON 0: The Pittsburgh Riverhounds and Charleston Battery finished scoreless at Highmark Stadium in a result that left both teams looking for their first wins of the season.
Both goalkeepers were forced into good saves to keep the game scoreless, with the best made by Charleston's Odisnel Cooper early in the second half as he turned aside a stinging shot by Kevin Kerr from 25 yards out. Michael Lisch, on loan to the Riverhounds from MLS partner the Houston Dynamo, was also solid and recorded his first professional shutout.
SUNDAY
ROCHESTER 1, CHARLESTON 0: JC Banks scored his third goal of the season as the Rochester Rhinos won their home opener against the Charleston Battery at Blackbaud Stadium.
The Rhinos' goal arrived in the 19th minute as a long pass from Lance Rozeboom was controlled by Tyler Rosenlund near the top of the penalty area. Rosenlund laid a pass into the path of Banks, who controlled and fired a good shot into the left corner of the net.
Charleston almost grabbed a late equalizer in second-half stoppage time from a corner on the left, which was met at the back post by Colin Falvey. The Battery's captain's header beat goalkeeper John McCarthy, but was headed off the line by Pat McCarthy to preserve the victory.
LA GALAXY II 3, ORANGE COUNTY 0: The LA Galaxy II got goals from Rafael Garcia, Travis Bowen and Gyasi Zardes as they swept to victory against the Orange County Blues FC and moved into a tie for first place with Orlando City.
The Galaxy II took the lead in the 33rd minute after they were awarded a free kick just outside the penalty area. Garcia stepped up and flicked a beautiful free kick into the top-left corner of the net.
LA added a pair of goals early in the second half as Bowen notched his first for the club after a good passing movement in the 50th minute. Zardes then put the game away 15 minutes later as he found space to turn and run from midfield, and fired a low shot into the right corner of the net to make it 3-0.
STANDINGS
Team GP W L T GF GA Pts
Orlando City 6 4 0 2 11 6 14
LA Galaxy II 7 4 1 2 15 9 14
Richmond Kickers 5 2 1 2 13 8 8
Sacramento Republic FC 6 2 3 1 10 8 7
Rochester Rhinos 4 2 1 1 5 4 7
Dayton Dutch Lions 5 2 2 1 4 9 7
OKC Energy FC 5 2 3 0 9 7 6
Charlotte Eagles 4 2 2 0 6 5 6
Orange County Blues FC 6 2 4 0 8 13 6
Wilmington Hammerheads FC 3 1 1 1 4 5 4
Arizona United SC 3 1 1 1 3 6 4
Harrisburg City Islanders 4 1 2 1 3 6 4
Charleston Battery 6 0 2 4 4 6 4
Pittsburgh Riverhounds 5 0 2 3 7 10 3
RESULTS
Monday, April 21
Rochester 2, Chicago Reserves 0
Tuesday, April 22
Orlando 3, Dallas Reserves 2
Thursday, April 24
Orange County 4, Harrisburg 1
Friday, April 25
Chicago Reserves 3, Charlotte 2
Arizona 1, LA Galaxy II 1
Saturday, April 26
Pittsburgh 0, Charleston 0
Richmond 5, Dayton 1
Charlotte 2, Wilmington 0
Orlando 2, Oklahoma City 1
Harrisburg 2, Sacramento 1
Sunday, April 27
Rochester 1, Charleston 0
LA Galaxy II 3, Orange County 0
SCHEDULE
Friday, May 2
Harrisburg vs. Charleston, 7 p.m. ET
Richmond vs. Rochester, 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, May 3
Wilmington vs. Rochester, 7:30 p.m. ET
Arizona vs. Charlotte, 10 p.m. ET
Sacramento vs. Orange County, 10:30 p.m. ET
Sunday, May 4
Dayton vs. Charleston, 7 p.m. ET
Orlando vs. Oklahoma City, 7:30 p.m. ET
United Soccer League Championship Stories from April 28, 2014
- Match Preview- City Set to Face Tampa Bay Rowdies in I-4 Derby on Wednesday - Orlando City SC
- Republic FC Sets League Attendance Record - USL
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