Republic FC’s home opener Saturday delivered in a big way, as the club took down a potent Locomotive FC squad to start the season behind a strong performance from Douglas Martinez and two critical saves from Carlos Saldana. After a gritty first half, Sacramento made some excellent adjustments at the break, eventually taking the lead – and the win – with two late scores.
Saldana Saved the Day
Things looked to be off to a tough start for Sacramento in the contest – not ten minutes after the opening whistle, Dan Casey was cautioned for a reckless tackle resulting in an El Paso penalty. Captain Richie Ryan stepped to the spot for the visitors, but goalkeeper Carlos Saldana came up with a big-time stop, denying the attempt before Ferrety Sousa cleared it out.
Later in the match, Saldana recorded possibly the most impressive of his four stops on the night. A 65th minute chance from Emmanuel Sonupe looking for a brace – possibly their most dangerous of the contest – left Sacramento at a numbers disadvantage. But Saldana found a way to kick the attempt away, allowing the club to start gaining momentum on the offensive end.
Welcome to Sacramento
Republic FC’s new additions contributed immediately in their club debuts – Man of the Match Douglas Martinez led Sacramento’s attack on the score sheet, tallying two shots, a goal and an assist. But contributions from Ferrety Sousa, Jack Gurr, Nick Ross, Lee Desmond, and Keko were equally important to Sacramento’s win.
“I think you saw a group of guys tonight that were hungry, and proud to support the badge on their chest,” said Head Coach Mark Briggs. “It shows what they’re all about.”
Keko put the nail in the coffin in the 90th minute, scoring a goal off the bench in his first-ever appearance in North America. Nick Ross led the club with two chances created, while Ferrety Sousa and Jack Gurr were excellent in manufacturing from the back, dropping in a few well placed balls over the top for Martinez and Rodrigo Lopez. If not for an excellent one-on-one effort from Lee Desmond, Sacramento may not have been able to take possession and net the game-winner in the 85th.
Second Half Adjustments
El Paso came out firing on all cylinders in the first half. Heavy pressure had Sacramento’s backline combination – which was playing together for the very first time – on their heels.
At the break, Mark Briggs made some adjustments that paid off as the second half went on. Communication between Dan Casey and Lee Desmond allowed Republic FC to lock things down in the back, keeping El Paso’s vaunted attack at bay. Up top, a tandem of Rodrigo Lopez and Douglas Martinez began chipping away on the visitors, and chances became more and more frequent as time ticked away. Eventually, Sacramento found themselves outperforming their opponents on all fronts to give them a crucial advantage when it mattered most.
“We struggled to figure it out in the first half,” said Briggs. “But we hung in there, and RoRo [Lopez] scored a goal right before half time and completely changed the momentum of the game. After that you saw the game shift.”
