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eCup Recap: Sacramento Republic FC, Mexico 0-3 Union Omaha, Norway

On Tuesday, the boys in Old Glory Red were downed in their opening Division A contest in the USL eCup FIFA20 Edition on Tuesday night against USL League One-club Omaha Union – competing as Norway, 3-0.

But it was a tough first match for all four teams that were promoted from Division B following last week’s results, as all four clubs including SRFC are returning to the second tier for next week’s round of fixtures.

Defender Ashkanov Apollon was in control of Republic FC’s 10-seeded Mexican National Team against the 7-seeded European squad playing at home. The match was back-and-forth for the entire first half until Norway’s Braut Erling Haaland found the breakthrough in the 43rd minute.

Haaland doubled Norway’s lead in the 52nd minute and Bournemouth forward Joshua King added a third to round out the win for the hosts.

Even though Republic FC is returning to Division B next week, the Indomitable Club will receive an automatic bye, setting up a Wednesday Quarterfinal matchup with victory guaranteeing a swift return to the top tier the following week.

Haaland doubled Norway’s lead in the 52nd minute and Bournemouth forward Joshua King added a third to round out the win for the hosts.

Sacramento’s next match in the virtual competition will be next week with a date, time and opponent to be determined in the coming days. Regardless of next week's date/time/opposition, the match be streaming live on the club’s Twitch stream, twitch.tv/SacramentoRepublicFC/.

Sacramento’s next match in the virtual competition will be next week with a date, time and opponent to be determined in the coming days. Regardless of next week’s date/time/opposition, the match be streaming live on the club’s Twitch stream, twitch.tv/SacramentoRepublicFC/.

Fans following Republic FC’s eCup matches have the opportunity to donate to club partner Raley’s Food for Families, the charity the Indomitable Club will be representing throughout the virtual competition. Additional information about the eCup can be found on the official USL eCup: FIFA20 Edition page and the full schedule can be found on the eCup Schedule page.

USL eCup FIFA20 Edition

Division A | Opening Round

Tuesday May 19, 2020

Venue: Eastpoint Arena

USL eCup FIFA20 Edition

Division A | Opening Round

Tuesday May 19, 2020

Venue: Eastpoint Arena

Ash’s Starting XI – Guillermo Ochoa; Jesus Gallardo, Nestor Araujo, Hector Moreno©, Luis Rodriguez; Hector Herrera, Andres Guardado, Rodolfo Pizarro; Hirving Lozano, Uriel Antuna, Raul Jimenez.

Scoring Summary – OMA – Erling Braut Haaland (43’, 52’), Joshua King (66’).

eCup Preview: Republic FC, Mexico vs. Union Omaha, Norway

The boys in Old Glory Red – representing the Mexican National Team – are officially in the top division of the inaugural USL eCup FIFA20 competition and 10-seeded El Tri will open play this week against League One’s 7-seeded Union Omaha – competing as Norway.

The league took note of Mexico’s run of positive results last week as SRFC climbed into the top ten of the weekly Power Rankings for the first time during the competition. This was also the second consecutive week the boys in Old Glory Red took a major leap in the rankings, as Republic FC moved from 15th to ninth place this week.

Heading into this week’s round of fixtures, defender Ashkanov Apollon will take control of El Tri for Tuesday’s match against Norway with kickoff set of 6 p.m. PT. The match will be streaming live on the club’s Twitch stream, twitch.tv/SacramentoRepublicFC/, and the winner will face Saint Louis FC’s France in the quarterfinals on Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. PT.

After a solid run during the play-in bracket that culminated with Norway reaching the Quarterfinals before falling to OKC Energy FC’s Portuguese team, the European nation earned a spot in Division A last week and began the campaign with a 4-2 win over Las Vegas Lights FC – representing Uruguay. However, for the second straight quarterfinal contest, Norway was defeated by Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal – this time, by a 4-1 score line.

Mexico’s defense will be put to the test, as Norway is averaging over two goals per game during the eCup thus far. Leading the Norwegian front lines are Bournemouth striker Joshua King and Borussia Dortmund’s coveted young forward Erling Braut Haaland. The talented, young Haaland is a towering presence at 6-foot-4 and he’s equally as lethal with both feet as he is in the air, dominating the skies.

Republic FC earned promotion to Division A and a shot at Haaland after recording victories in the Quarterfinals and Semifinals last week, however, the Indomitable Club were denied a Division B Championship win after taking an early 1-0 lead before New England Revolution II’s Russian squad scored four unanswered goals to take the match, 4-1. Mexico’s lone goal was scored by forward Raul Jimenez, his team-best sixth of the tournament.

A second-place finish in the second division last week also granted Sacramento 375 points in the overall league standings. The club that finishes the five-week competition with the most cumulative points will be crowned the overall winner of the USL eCup FIFA 20 Edition.

Fans keeping tabs on Republic FC’s eCup matches have the opportunity to donate to club partner Raley’s Food for Families, the charity the Indomitable Club will be representing throughout the tournament. Additional information about the eCup can be found on the official USL eCup: FIFA20 Edition page and the full schedule can be found on the eCup Schedule page.

Tune-In Schedule Presented by Hard Rock Hotel & Casino: Week of May 18-24, 2020

The Tune-In Schedule presented by Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain, will be updated weekly and will highlight all the content in store for the upcoming week.

DATE	TIME (PST)	PLATFORM(S)	EVENT
Monday, May 18, 2020	2:30 PM	Twitter, FB, IG	Monday Motivation with Ash Apollon
Tuesday, May 19, 2020	6 PM	Twitch	USLeCup vs Union Omaha
Tuesday, May 19, 2020	7 PM	Twitter, FB, IG	Tasty Tuesday Presented by Raley's
Wednesday, May 20, 2020	12 PM	Buzzsprout	The Breakaway: Episode 8 w/ Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu
Thursday, May 21, 2020	2:30 PM	Twitter	Skills Challenge
Friday, May 22, 2020	4 PM	Republic FC Mobile App	Happy Hour Trivia Presented by 805
Saturday, May 23, 2020	9:30 AM	Twitter	Bundesliga Virtual Watch Party

DATE	TIME (PST)	PLATFORM(S)	EVENT
Monday, May 18, 2020	2:30 PM	Twitter, FB, IG	Monday Motivation with Ash Apollon
Tuesday, May 19, 2020	6 PM	Twitch	USLeCup vs Union Omaha
Tuesday, May 19, 2020	7 PM	Twitter, FB, IG	Tasty Tuesday Presented by Raley’s
Wednesday, May 20, 2020	12 PM	Buzzsprout	The Breakaway: Episode 8 w/ Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu
Thursday, May 21, 2020	2:30 PM	Twitter	Skills Challenge
Friday, May 22, 2020	4 PM	Republic FC Mobile App	Happy Hour Trivia Presented by 805
Saturday, May 23, 2020	9:30 AM	Twitter	Bundesliga Virtual Watch Party

Republic FC Rise to USL eCup First Division

The Indomitable Club earned promotion to Division A after piecing together a string of positive results as Republic FC – representing the Mexican National Team – will march into the top league of the competition when play resumes.

As the 10-seed in the top league, El Tri is now set to clash with 7-seeded Union Omaha – playing as Norway – on Tuesday at 6 pm PT. The match will be streaming live on the club’s Twitch stream, twitch.tv/SacramentoRepublicFC/, and the winner will face Saint Louis FC’s France in the quarterfinals on Wednesday evening.

After an opening round bye in Division B, Republic FC went to battle against Tampa Bay Rowdies – competing as Colombia – and breezed by the Floridian club, 3-1. Justin Sterk, winner of the inaugural SRFCxFIFA20 Tournament, made his debut for SRFC and impressed on his very first showing. The following day, current Republic FC left back Juan Barahona had the Playstation4 controller in-hand for the Indomitable Club and the defender delivered a second consecutive three-goal performance as El Tri advanced to the title game after holding off Charleston Battery’s Greece-side, 3-2.

Victories in the quarters and semis last week saw SRFC solidify a spot in the top tier early in the week and the boys in Old Glory Red even took an early lead in the Championship match before falling to John Oliveira, pro esports player for MLS-side New England Revolution, currently representing their USL-affiliate in the virtual tournament.

In the fourth minute of the title match, Mexican striker Raul Jimenez lifted El Tri to a 1-0 lead before four unanswered goals by NE Revs II’s Russian squad granted the Eastern Conference club the 4-1 win. Jimenez’s early strike was the Wolverhampton Wanderers talisman’s sixth goal of the tournament.

A second-place finish in the second division meant Sacramento was awarded 375 points in the overall league standings. The club that finishes the five-week competition with the most cumulative points will be crowned the overall winner of the USL eCup FIFA 20 Edition. The higher the division each club competes in, the higher the points prize at the end of each week is.

Republic FC’s positive midweek results saw the Indomitable Club not only earn a spot in the Championship match, but the club also climbed the weekly Power Rankings into the top ten. Previously ranked 15th, the boys in Old Glory Red are now in ninth place of the 32-team league.

Supporters following Republic FC’s eCup matches have the opportunity to donate to club partner Raley’s Food for Families, the charity the Indomitable Club will be representing throughout the virtual competition. Additional information about the eCup can be found on the official USL eCup: FIFA20 Edition page and the full schedule can be found on the eCup Schedule page.

Record-Breaking Hometown Hero Still Hunting For More Glory

Cameron Iwasa has made an unforgettable mark on his hometown club from his first moments on the pitch.

In only his second league game with the Indomitable Club, Iwasa recorded his first career assist during a dramatic 3-2 win over arch rivals LA Galaxy II and scored his first career goal in the very next game against Portland Timbers II.

Cameron Iwasa has made an unforgettable mark on his hometown club from his first moments on the pitch.

Now, the Sacramento native’s name sits at or near the top of most of the Indomitable Club’s offensive statistical categories including goals, appearances and assists. And he’s also no stranger to the league’s leaderboards – currently ranked ninth all-time in league history with 48 goals during league play over the entirety of his USL Championship career.

His accolades are the hallmark of an accomplished player building a remarkable career. But Iwasa wasn’t always chasing down long passes to slam into the back of the net. Standing at the plate and swinging a bat were the origins of his pro sports dreams.

Double Play: Trading in the Bat for the Boots

At Jesuit High School, Iwasa was a two-sport star between baseball and soccer, and the beautiful game surprisingly wasn’t always the game he saw himself playing at the next level.

The forward thoroughly enjoyed playing both sports at the athletic juggernaut Jesuit, but Iwasa was well-aware that splitting his time was putting him at a massive disadvantage when it came to college recruitment.

At Jesuit High School, Iwasa was a two-sport star between baseball and soccer, and the beautiful game surprisingly wasn’t always the game he saw himself playing at the next level.

“I always thought that I going to play baseball. Then sometime in my junior year, things started to shift towards soccer. It’s hard to get recruited out of high school because the kids that were on the academy team were the ones that were getting recruited early. And since I played baseball meant I couldn’t play for the academy team,” Iwasa said.

But his time on the soccer field ended up sparking his college career. During a tournament in Southern California, Iwasa’s skills were on full display and his talents happened to catch the eye of one particular Orange County college.

“It was actually at UC Irvine and they saw me play and we kept in contact after that, but it was kind of a freak chance that they saw me.”

“As the years went along, I would say by my junior year, I thought maybe this [playing professionally] is something I could do. After my last game of my senior year – I remember we lost in the Sweet Sixteen – I went back to the hotel and reflected on the year with my teammates. Then my coach called me aside and said ‘hey, this agent is reaching out and wants to represent you.’”

“It was actually at UC Irvine and they saw me play and we kept in contact after that, but it was kind of a freak chance that they saw me.”

The dream was becoming a reality. Iwasa took the leap, attended the league’s combine and put his best foot forward.

“I felt pretty good about my chances of being drafted,” Iwasa said. “I didn’t know how high or where, but I had a feeling I’d at least get drafted.”

The dream was becoming a reality. Iwasa took the leap, attended the league’s combine and put his best foot forward.

“I felt pretty good about my chances of being drafted,” Iwasa said. “I didn’t know how high or where, but I had a feeling I’d at least get drafted.”

Trials to Hometown Triumph

Iwasa’s pro soccer journey began with a fourth-round selection by Montreal Impact in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. Although he and the club did not reach an agreement, the striker’s path to the pros was far from over.

“I was hoping to go higher but it’s crazy how one day someone just picks your name off a list and literally the next day I was on a flight to Montreal to go to preseason.”

The Canadian club and Iwasa were unable to reach an agreement, so it was back to SoCal for the future Sacramento soccer legend.

“I went back to Irvine because I still had all my stuff there, I didn’t have time to pack it up and move it since it was a day after the draft that I had to fly out.”

Unbeknownst to Iwasa, the next whirlwind experience in finding a clubhouse was just a straight shot from Irvine up the I-405 to Carson.

“Galaxy II wanted me to come in and train and sign with them. So, I went there and trained for two days and was going to sign but during those two days San Jose called. They flew me out to Arizona, and I trained with them for over a month and then I was really feeling good about that, thought I was going to sign, then two weeks into the regular season they ended up releasing me. The next day I got a call from Republic, went there and I signed,” Iwasa explained.

“I showed up on a Tuesday, signed on Thursday and played in the first game on Saturday, came off the bench. So that whole preseason journey was a wild ride for sure.

“I was hoping to go higher but it’s crazy how one day someone just picks your name off a list and literally the next day I was on a flight to Montreal to go to preseason.”

The Canadian club and Iwasa were unable to reach an agreement, so it was back to SoCal for the future Sacramento soccer legend.

“I went back to Irvine because I still had all my stuff there, I didn’t have time to pack it up and move it since it was a day after the draft that I had to fly out.”

Unbeknownst to Iwasa, the next whirlwind experience in finding a clubhouse was just a straight shot from Irvine up the I-405 to Carson.

“I showed up on a Tuesday, signed on Thursday and played in the first game on Saturday, came off the bench. So that whole preseason journey was a wild ride for sure.

Even though Iwasa appeared in his home debut match, the forward was bottom of the pecking order and recognized he was going to have to earn every minute in 2015. His resiliency was to be tested more than ever before, and as history would tell us, he passed with flying colors.

“The first year in Sacramento was tough for me. [Having] Preki as a coach was one of the best things to ever happen to me in my career, because he really turned me around,” Iwasa said. “I think coming out of college and having a long stint with a MLS team and even though I didn’t sign. I kind of came in a little cocky and I came in thinking I was better than I was. He really put me in my place and made me earn it.”

“So, for the first month or so I didn’t really play that much,” he said. “There were a couple of older guys and they’re coming off winning a championship the year before, so it was a bit tough.”

Iwasa earned his time, but an injury setback changed his fortune for the rest of the season. Did that deter his competitive drive in any way? Far from it.

“It was a grind of an offseason, [Republic FC] brought me back and picked up my option, so I thought ‘ok, this is prove it time’. I came back in 2016, during the preseason we had four strikers on the roster,” Iwasa explained. “I just had to grind, and I ended up getting a chance in the first home game of the year, came off the bench and scored a goal. Five or six games into the season, I scored again and ended up moving into the starting lineup and scored a number of goals and started making a little bit of a name for myself.”

Iwasa earned his time, but an injury setback changed his fortune for the rest of the season. Did that deter his competitive drive in any way? Far from it.

It was his first-career game-winner, notching a home opener victory against Arizona United. That strike, only the second goal of his professional career, spawned Iwasa’s 12-goal breakout campaign that caught the eye of MLS-side Sporting Kansas City.

Sporting for a Season then Back to Sac

Sporting lured him to Kansas City but Iwasa became a staple in Swope Park Rangers’ squad, scoring a pair of goals for the midwestern side while on loan with the USL club.

“I really enjoyed my time in Kansas City, a very relaxed town. Sports fans there are phenomenal and it’s a very cool city,” the striker said.

Iwasa’s extremely grateful for the opportunity KC offered, and when the 2017 season came to a close, a handful of new opportunities presented themselves for the forward to evaluate. One of which was the chance to build on the already impressive professional foundation he manufactured during his time back home in California’s Capital City.

“I had a couple different legitimate offers to play for solid USL teams, but it was a similar thought process for me that I had after college,” Iwasa said. “I wanted to play closer to home and obviously being somewhere where I had previous success and the fact that it was my hometown made it an easy decision once again.”

When he returned for a second stint in his hometown, despite an extremely successful 2016 campaign, once again Iwasa wasn’t handed anything on a silver platter and was forced to earn his minutes through a commitment to diligence and a refusal to relinquish his resiliency.

Sporting lured him to Kansas City but Iwasa became a staple in Swope Park Rangers’ squad, scoring a pair of goals for the midwestern side while on loan with the USL club.

“I really enjoyed my time in Kansas City, a very relaxed town. Sports fans there are phenomenal and it’s a very cool city,” the striker said.

It was a new regime in Sacramento this time around when Iwasa returned home. A new head coach, Simon Elliott, and a new General Manager, Todd Dunivant, welcomed the striker back to California but Iwasa was going to have to impress the bosses before hoping to pick up where he left off on the pitch.

“It’s not like I was coming back to play for someone who knew me, it was all new people that I hadn’t worked with before so from that perspective, I had something to prove,” Iwasa said.

“Up to that point, I had the one goal in 2015, didn’t really play much. I had a good year in 2016, got signed by a MLS team and then didn’t really play much that year so I wanted to prove that 2016 was not the anomaly and that’s the person who I actually was, so I had a lot to prove and a lot that fired me up heading into that year.”

How did Iwasa fair in his first season back in Old Glory Red?

He not only proved himself, he set records. His 17 strikes were a new club record for goals scored during a single season and on August 11, 2018, his goal against RGV Toros FC elevated him to the summit of the Indomitable Club’s all-time goal scoring list.

“It’s not like I was coming back to play for someone who knew me, it was all new people that I hadn’t worked with before so from that perspective, I had something to prove,” Iwasa said.

How did Iwasa fair in his first season back in Old Glory Red?

He didn’t stop there following his sensational first season back in his hometown. Another 17-goal campaign tied the record he set the previous year and in the third game of the regular season, Iwasa collected his first career hat trick and it just so happened to be the fastest one scored in SRFC history – only 27 minutes.

Nobody has scored more goals for the Indomitable Club than Iwasa, nobody has graced the pitch more in an Old Glory Red kit than Iwasa and nobody represents the resilient fighting spirit of Republic FC better than Iwasa.

eCup Recap: Republic FC, Mexico 1-4 New England Revolution II, Russia

The Indomitable Club – competing at the Mexican National Team – were downed 4-1 by New England Revolution II representing Russia on Friday but Republic FC are still a lock to compete in Division A next week after earning promotion to the top tier.

Friday’s second place finish in the Division B grants the Indomitable Club 375 points in the overall league standings. The club that finishes the five-week competition with the most cumulative points will be crowned the overall winner of the USL eCup FIFA20 Edition. The higher the division each team competes in, the higher the points prize at the end of each week.

Against professional EA Sports FIFA player for New England Revolution, John Oliveira, the boys in Old Glory Red couldn’t have scripted a better start until the legitimate eSports pro simply found his groove. Justin Sterk, winner of the inaugural SRFCxFIFA20 Tournament, stunned the opposition with an opening goal in just the fourth minute of the match. Forward Raul Jimenez powered home a header after Hirving Lozano whipped in a perfect cross from the right flank.

The goal was the Wolverhampton Wanderers striker’s sixth goal of the competition.

It was as if Russia was a sleeping giant and the goal immediately woke up the European nation because after El Tri took the lead, Russia was too much to handle. Two goals from Alexandr Golovin and scores from Denis Cheryshev and Fyodor Smolov granted Russia the 4-1 win.

The goal was the Wolverhampton Wanderers striker’s sixth goal of the competition.

Republic FC will look to bounce back next week in Division A with the next game, time and opponent to be determined in the coming days. All of next week’s matches will be streamed live on the club’s Twitch stream, twitch.tv/SacramentoRepublicFC/. Check back soon for updates on next week's fixtures!

Indomitable Club supporters tuning into the eCup matches have the opportunity to donate to SRFC partner Raley’s Food for Families, the charity the club will be representing throughout the tournament. Additional information about the eCup competition can be found on the official USL eCup: FIFA20 Edition page and the full schedule can be found on the eCup Schedule page.

USL eCup FIFA20 Edition

Division B | Championship Game

Friday May 15, 2020

Venue: Estadio Azteca

USL eCup FIFA20 Edition

Division B | Championship Game

Friday May 15, 2020

Venue: Estadio Azteca

Justin’s Starting XI – Guillermo Ochoa; Jesus Gallardo, Nestor Araujo, Edson Alvarez, Luis Rodriguez; Hector Herrera, Andres Guardado ©, Rodolfo Pizarro; Hirving Lozano, Jesus Corona, Raul Jimenez.

Scoring Summary – SAC – Raul Jimenez (4’); RUS – Denis Cheryshev (10’), Fyodor Smolov (44’), Alexandr Golovin (77’, 89’).

SRFC’s Complete Guide to the Bundesliga

Soccer fans, rejoice. Live matches are returning!

While it isn’t the same as a night at Papa Murphy’s Park, we know that fans around the globe will be fixated on Germany this coming weekend as the Bundesliga makes its triumphant return to play. To get you ready for this weekend’s fixtures – first kickoffs set for 6:30 a.m. PT – let’s check out what makes the Bundesliga special, including the SRFC connection.

It’s no secret that the Barclay’s English Premier League may be the most watched and richest league in the world, but according to Forbes, the Bundesliga attracts the highest average attendances of any league in world soccer.

Soccer fans, rejoice. Live matches are returning!

German’s top tier of professional soccer – founded in 1963 – features an 18-team league in a promotion/relegation-format with three teams destined to drop at the end of every regular season campaign and is one of the fiercest and most competitive leagues in all of Europe. Over the last decade, four German clubs have competed in the UEFA Champions League Final.

Some of the beautiful game’s most notable names have graced Germany’s topflight in the past and the Bundesliga still features some of soccer’s biggest stars.

Even Republic FC features ties to German football. During Defender Dekel Keinan’s time with Maccabi Haifa, he took to the field twice against action against Bayern Munich in Champions League action. Winger Villyan Bijev also graced the German soccer pitch when he joined Fortuna Dusseldorf on-loan from Liverpool FC during the 2011-2012 season. And Republic FC goalkeeper coach Romuald Peiser played in Germany for Bayer Leverkusen II after rising through Paris Saint-Germain’s youth system. Peiser made over 70 appearances for the German club before continuing his impressive professional soccer journey.

Some of the beautiful game’s most notable names have graced Germany’s topflight in the past and the Bundesliga still features some of soccer’s biggest stars.

Who To Watch

Bundesliga has no shortage of the game’s greats and players on the rise. Perhaps there’s no true striker more lethal in the global game than Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski. The Polish forward has bagged over 150 goals for his Bavarian club and doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon.

And young stars are beginning to shine in the league. Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho joined from Manchester City last season while Erling Braut Haaland only signed with the club a few months ago and in the short time both youngsters have been with the clubs. Keep a watchful eye on Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz and Bayern’s Alphonso Davies– two players whose names are at the top of the European acquisition rumor mill.

There’s also an opportunity to watch the future of the US Men’s National Team with several stars suiting up for German clubs. USMNT shot-stopper Zack Steffen mans the pipes for Fortuna Dusseldorf, on loan from Manchester City. 21-year-old American prodigy Tyler Adams should see plenty of time for Leipzig. On the attack for Schalke 04 is Weston McKennie, who’s a regular for the club and one rising star that could soon be a Dortmund staple is Giovanni Reyna – son of USMNT legend Claudio.

And don’t forget about veteran players that have a few years of Bundesliga soccer under their belts including Fabian Johnson (Borussia Monchengladbach), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Alfredo Morales (Fortuna Dusseldorf) and John Brooks (Wolfsburg).

Lucky for soccer spectators collectively watching from around the world, one of the league’s biggest derbies is set for Saturday when Borussia Dortmund clashes with Schalke 04 in The Revierderby. Separated by about 20 miles, this one is known as ‘the mother of all derbies’ and is one of, if not, the biggest rivalry in Germany. In November of 2017, Dortmund took a 4-0 lead before Schalke stormed back to steal a point following a dramatic 4-4 draw.

And after the match, if you’re itching to talk about it, check out Republic FC’s Let’s Talk Soccer to share your thoughts about anything in the beautiful game!

Learn more about the League

The German giants that have dominated the Bundesliga since its existence has been FC Bayern Munich. The historically successful and illustrious Bavarian club has been crowned German champions 29 times, have been labeled Europe’s best following UEFA Champions League glory on five separate occasions and lifted the Meisterschale– Bundesliga’s coveted trophy – the last seven straight times dating back to the 2012-2013 season. Trailing Munich by four points in the current table with 51 is Borussia Dortmund, the club that boasts the highest average attendance of any club in the world and is home of The Yellow Wall. Draped in the club colors of black and yellow, USMNT standout Christian Pulisic’s former club is also commonly known as die Schwarzgelben– which translates to the black and yellows – and the eight-time domestic champions are famous for creating one of the best atmospheres in all of global soccer.

Hot on Dortmund’s tail is RB Leipzig with 50 points from 25 fixtures. Like Manchester City of England and Paris Saint-Germain in France, Leipzig has stormed onto the European stage rather rapidly over the last few years after fearlessly spending top dollar to acquire top talent. Unlike City and PSG, however, Leipzig have yet to claim a major trophy in the club’s existence.

In fourth place is Borussia Monchengladbach, a consistent club with a name that may sound familiar because USMNT skipper Michael Bradley played for the German squad from 2008-2011. Trailing by two points in fifth place is Bayer 04 Leverkusen and commonly teased as ‘Neverkusen’ because of the club’s history of consistently claiming second place. Die Werkself’s last major trophy was the DFB-Pokal in 1992-1993 and have since finished second in the Bundesliga five times.

FC Schalke 04 is rich in history but enduring somewhat of a rebuild. Currently managed by former USMNT player David Wagner, the seven-time German champions won all their domestic league titles before 1960. VfL Wolfsburg is just one point behind Schalke but have experienced much more recent success having won a league championship and two trophies in the last decade. SC Freiburg, a club notorious for bouncing between the first and second divisions of German soccer, appears to finally have a mid-table topflight campaign on their hands. A point off Freiburg in the middle of the table is TSG 1899 Hoffenheim who in 2000 was competing in Germany’s fifth tier and after a third place 2017-2018 Bundesliga finish, the German-side competed in the 2018-2019 Champions League for the first time in club history.

eCup Preview: Republic FC, Mexico vs New England Revolution II, Russia

Following Friday’s 3-2 win for the boys in Old Glory Red – competing as the Mexican National Team – over Charleston Battery representing Greece, Sacramento is set to square off against New England Revolution II – playing as Russia – for the Division B title at 5:30p.m. PT today.

Even though Republic FC has already secured promotion to Division A next week, victory in the championship game – which will be streaming live on the club’s Twitch stream, twitch.tv/SacramentoRepublicFC/ – grants the Indomitable Club 500 points in the overall league standings. The club that finishes the five-week competition with the most cumulative points will be crowned the overall winner of the USL eCup FIFA20 Edition.

Returning to the Playstation 4 controller for today’s championship match for Republic FC is Justin Sterk, winner of the inaugural SRFCxFIFA20 Tournament. Sterk impressed during his debut fixture on Wednesday when he guided El Tri to a 3-1 Quarterfinal triumph over Tampa Bay Rowdies representing Colombia.

But Sterk has a tall order ahead of him on Friday, as he goes head-to-head against a team that recently knocked out an Argentina-side that was fresh off a seven-goal victory. Russia – a four-star-rating in FIFA20 – stymied the South American juggernaut and managed to contain Messi and company to just one goal over 90 minutes. The match went into extra time where Fedor Smolov snagged the game-winner goal to advance his side into the final.

Russia’s win was the second time in as many games the fixture came down to the wire, as the European nation netted a game-winner against Philadelphia Union II’s Spain in the dying moments of the match. The team has a staunch defense, led by Mario Fernandes, but up top lurks Denis Cheryshev, Alexandr Golovin, the towering Artem Dzyuba and the timeless Yurik Zhirkov – all proven playmakers that have plenty of experience finding the back of the net on both the national and club levels.

Friday’s Semifinal victory for the boys in Old Glory Red, which was broadcast live in Spanish on the club’s Twitch stream for the first time during the virtual competition, featured Republic FC defender Juan Barahona making his eCup debut with the controller in-hand and the LB made an incredibly positive first impression.

Barahona’s El Tri took a 1-0 lead early in the first when Raul Jimenez scored his team-best fifth goal of the tournament complements of some mesmerizing passing team passing between Jesus Gallardo and Jesus Corona. Mexico made it 2-0 in the 20th minute when Andres Guardado connected with a header that was provided by Hirving Lozano after saving the ball off the end line. Greece got one back before the break, but Corona contributed his first goal of the campaign when he delivered the game-winner in the 63rd minute. Greece scored a second with the final kick of the game to round out the 3-2 win for Mexico.

All supporters enjoying the Indomitable Club’s eCup matches have the opportunity to donate to SRFC partner Raley’s Food for Families, the charity the club will be representing throughout the virtual competition. Additional information about the eCup can be found on the officialUSL eCup: FIFA20 Edition page and the full schedule can be found on the eCup Schedule page.

eCup Recap: Republic FC, Mexico 3-2 Charleston Battery, Greece

The Indomitable Club’s Mexican National Team netted three stunning strikes en route to a 3-2 win over Charleston Battery – competing as Greece – during Thursday's Semifinal match of the USL eCup FIFA20 Edition.

Current Republic FC defender Juan Barahona made his debut for the boys in Old Glory Red and the left back put forth a very convincing effort, especially on the offensive front. Not only was this game a first for the Salvadorian, but it was also the first match the club broadcast in Spanish.

The win secures a spot in week one's Division B Championship fixture Friday at 5:30 p.m. PT against New England Revolution II – representing Russia.

The Indomitable Club’s Mexican National Team netted three stunning strikes en route to a 3-2 win over Charleston Battery – competing as Greece – during Thursday’s Semifinal match of the USL eCup FIFA20 Edition.

The win secures a spot in week one’s Division B Championship fixture Friday at 5:30 p.m. PT against New England Revolution II – representing Russia.

It didn't take long for Barahona to get Mexico – who’ve already secured promotion to Division A next week – out in front when Raul Jimenez netted his team-best fifth goal in the 16th minute after some scintillating passing from his compatriots. Jesus Gallardo and Jesus Corona played a perfect give-and-go before Gallardo spotted the Wolves striker who steered his shot into the back of the net.

It didn’t take long for Barahona to get Mexico – who’ve already secured promotion to Division A next week – out in front when Raul Jimenez netted his team-best fifth goal in the 16th minute after some scintillating passing from his compatriots. Jesus Gallardo and Jesus Corona played a perfect give-and-go before Gallardo spotted the Wolves striker who steered his shot into the back of the net.

Mexico doubled its lead four minutes later when Andres Guardado nodded home a powerful header after Hirving Lozano played a ball back in off the end line. Lozano’s shot was saved by the Greek goalkeeper but 'Chucky' was able to keep the ball in play and guided a header towards the captain who connected with a header of his own that beat the visiting shot-stopper.

Greece managed to get one back before the break when Ioannis Fetfatzidis weaved his way into El Tri’s box and sunk his shot from point blank.

Mexico doubled its lead four minutes later when Andres Guardado nodded home a powerful header after Hirving Lozano played a ball back in off the end line. Lozano’s shot was saved by the Greek goalkeeper but ‘Chucky’ was able to keep the ball in play and guided a header towards the captain who connected with a header of his own that beat the visiting shot-stopper.

Greece managed to get one back before the break when Ioannis Fetfatzidis weaved his way into El Tri’s box and sunk his shot from point blank.

But Mexico kept its foot on the gas pedal and were rewarded for pushing forward when Corona scored his first goal of the tournament. The versatile playmaker slammed his right-footed effort from close range into goal after constant pressure from El Tri forced Greece into a turnover in its own half that Luis Rodriguez collected then rifled a well-weighted ball to Corona who delivered the game-winner.

Greece managed to find a second goal in the 90th minute when Dimitris Limnios slipped one by Guillermo Ochoa to cement the final score at 3-2.

Returning to action for Republic FC in the Championship contest will be Justin Sterk, winner of the inaugural SRFCxFIFA20 Tournament, in control of El Tri against NE's Russian squad. Kick off is set for 5:30 p.m. PT and the fixture will be streamed live on the club’s Twitch stream, twitch.tv/SacramentoRepublicFC/.

All Republic FC supporters keeping tabs on the Indomitable Club’s eCup matches have the opportunity to donate to SRFC partner Raley’s Food for Families, the charity the club will be representing throughout the tournament. Additional information about the eCup competition can be found on the official USL eCup: FIFA20 Edition page and the full schedule can be found on the eCup Schedule page.

Greece managed to find a second goal in the 90th minute when Dimitris Limnios slipped one by Guillermo Ochoa to cement the final score at 3-2.

Returning to action for Republic FC in the Championship contest will be Justin Sterk, winner of the inaugural SRFCxFIFA20 Tournament, in control of El Tri against NE’s Russian squad. Kick off is set for 5:30 p.m. PT and the fixture will be streamed live on the club’s Twitch stream, twitch.tv/SacramentoRepublicFC/.

USL eCup FIFA20 Edition

Division B | Semifinal Game

Thursday May 14, 2020

Venue: Estadio Azteca

USL eCup FIFA20 Edition

Division B | Semifinal Game

Thursday May 14, 2020

Venue: Estadio Azteca

Juan’s Starting XI – Guillermo Ochoa; Jesus Gallardo, Nestor Araujo, Hector Moreno, Luis Rodriguez; Hector Herrera, Andres Guardado ©, Jonathan dos Santos; Hirving Lozano, Jesus Corona, Raul Jimenez.

Scoring Summary – SAC – Raul Jimenez (16’), Andres Guardado (20’), Jesus Corona (63’); CHS – Ioannis Fetfatzidis (40’), Dimitris Limnios (90’).

eCup Preview: Republic FC, Mexico vs Charleston Battery, Greece

The Indomitable Club’s 3-seeded Mexican National Team triumphed 3-1 over 6-seeded Tampa Bay Rowdies – representing Colombia – on Wednesday, setting up a seismic Semifinal showdown against 10-seeded Charleston Battery – competing as Greece – today at 5 p.m. PT.

The upcoming virtual contest against the 2004 UEFA European Champions will feature Republic FC defender Juan Barahona making his eCup debut. Not only will viewers be able to catch a glimpse of Barahona’s FIFA20 skills for the first time, but the club’s Twitch stream will be broadcast in Spanish for the first time for SRFC supporters during the competition.

Yesterday, winner of the inaugural SRFCxFIFA20 Tournament Justin Sterk had the controller in-hand and his victory over TB’s eSports gamer Carlos Rueda guaranteed Sterk’s side would be promoted to Division A for next week’s matches. Raul Jimenez bagged a brace – elevating his team-high goal scoring tally to four – and Hirving Lozano registered his first goal of the tournament before Colombia collected a consolation strike moments before the end of the match.

Colombia was an extremely attacking side full of flair unlike Thursday’s European opposition that is more of a gritty and balanced squad. Greece may only be a three-and-a-half-star rating on FIFA20 but the Mediterranean nation trounced Division B’s second-seeded Phoenix Rising FC’s Netherlands squad in their Quarterfinal contest, 7-1, and registered 21 total shots.

Battery defender Rennico Clarke had the Dutch in cruise control and will once again be in charge of his side for Thursday’s fixture against Barahona’s Mexico. Clarke’s Greece had a 4-1 lead at the half and snuck three more second half scores by the opposing goalkeeper to round out the one-sided match. It’s hard to be believe but the Netherlands actually had a 1-0 advantage to open up the game.

Greece’s goalscoring phenom yesterday was Anastasios Donis who ended the afternoon with five goals from nine shots. Alongside Donis, fellow playmakers Efthymios Koulouis, Anastasios Bakasetas, Petros Mantalos and Dimitris Limnios each can create plenty of scoring chances for the European team that’s very tough to score against.

Even though Sacramento has already secured promotion to Division A next week, victory on Thursday means the boys in Old Glory Red will be competing in Division B’s championship match against the winner of New England Revolution II – representing Russia – and El Paso Locomotive FC – playing as Argentina and Lionel Messi.

Regardless of today’s outcome against Charleston's Greece, Sacramento will have another eCup contest later this week with a potential fixture for third taking place at 4:30 p.m. PT tomorrow whereas the Div-B championship match would kick off Friday at 5:30 p.m. PT.

Regardless of today’s outcome against Charleston’s Greece, Sacramento will have another eCup contest later this week with a potential fixture for third taking place at 4:30 p.m. PT tomorrow whereas the Div-B championship match would kick off Friday at 5:30 p.m. PT.

Republic FC fans following the Indomitable Club’s eCup matches have the opportunity to donate to SRFC partner Raley’s Food for Families, the charity the club will be representing throughout the entirety of the tournament. Additional information about the eCup competition can be found on the official USL eCup: FIFA20 Edition page and the full schedule can be found on the eCup Schedule page.