Sacramento Republic FC is gears up for playoff match against El Paso in the USL Championship Western Conference semifinals at Heart Health Park.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Sacramento Republic FC is gearing up for a win-or-go-home playoff match against El Paso Locomotive FC in the Western Conference semifinals of the USL Championship.
The team earned this opportunity thanks to Sacramento native Blake Willey’s game-winning goal against FC Tulsa in a 1-0 win in the quarterfinals.
This will be the third matchup with El Paso this season.
“Both teams have changed, and I think just how he said, like the experience that we’ve had in the second half of the season, the maturity we’ve shown in terms of just seeing out games has been the difference, and we just have to execute that again,” said Sacramento Republic FC midfielder Danny Crisostomo.
In the first matchup on March 28, Republic FC lost at home 2-1. In the second match, Sacramento topped El Paso 1-0 at home on October 17. Head coach Niell Collins thinks there will be a lot of familiarity between the sides since the last matchup was the second to last of the season, which was a confidence booster.
“I think the game in El Paso was really just a sign of the team’s togetherness, their belief in being patient, staying in the game, trusting it. And we got a really late goal,” Collins said. “We’re going to need all the same things this Saturday. It’s going to be a tight game. There’s not going to be much between the teams, so we’re going to need every inch of that.”
El Paso led the Western Conference for a large part of the season, before Sacramento jumped ahead in the standings. Republic FC defender Jack Gurr expressed a respect for what the Locomotive do but a confidence in his own club.
“They’re a really good side, but like I said, I put us up against anybody and us as a collective,” said Gurr. “I think we have the best team, but it’s down to us to show it.”
Including the quarterfinals win, Republic FC is on a 14-match unbeaten streak.
“At the end of the day, it’s a game like no other. So we’re going to continue to try and do what we do best and hope to come out on top,” said Republic FC forward Cal Jennings/
Saturday’s game will take place at Heart Health Park at 7 p.m. on November 7.