Octavio Guzman has always been a solid contributor for Sacramento Republic FC, whether it is in central midfield, wide midfield, or once even at right back. So when Seattle Sounders 2’s Amadou Sanyang came in with a crunching two footed challenge and sent the 24 year old crumpling to the ground, he put the possibility of continuing that good play at risk.
“It was a worrying challenge,” said Republic coach Paul Buckle after training on Tuesday. “it was a challenge that could have got him seriously injured… He’s lucky because when a player goes in with straight legs against a player standing there’s every chance there’s a broken leg involved.”
Fortunately for Guzman and the Republic there was no broken leg from the challenge, although Guzman was sporting a brace on his right knee and has been ruled out of selection for a while. “That’s a disappointment because he’s a big part of our team and he’s been playing very well,” said Buckle. “But what comes with that is an opportunity for somebody else, which is a positive side of a negative.”
The question now is: who will step in to fill Guzman’s place? While it could be anyone on the roster, our money is on Joaquin Rivas replacing Guzman if the Republic sticks with the 4-3-3 that they trotted out against S2. Although Justin Braun actually came on for Guzman in that match, Rivas had come in for Max Alvarez, the other starting winger, at halftime. If Alvarez gets trotted out on the right wing again, it seems likely that Rivas will be the starter on the left wing.
Who do you think should replace Guzman in the starting XI this Saturday against Colorado Springs? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter.
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I think Rivas would be the logical choice. I haven’t had the chance to see Colorado Springs play though, so they could certainly experiment with putting both Stewart and Braun on the field at the same time. The top 3 seemed like a 2-1, which could easily shift to a 1-2. I have also seen Braun come from a more wide position which could prevent problems and open space for Stewart. So I’ll say Rivas would be the safe pick, Braun a little more adventurous. One thing for sure is, this Republic team is deep, leaving Buckle several good options.
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Braun would definitely be interesting for sure. It’ll also be interesting to see where Braun slots in once he’s fully healthy. Another reason I said Rivas is apparently Buckle is pretty high on him. Particularly because of his speed. That’s one thing that Braun really seems to lack compared to Rivas.
I’m unsure of what you mean by 2-1 and 1-2 though. Are you talking about how Alvarez, Stewart, and Guzman were set up?
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In the US Open Cup game vs. San Jose, Preki used a similar formation. Justin Braun was the lone striker, with Guzman and Iwasa on the wings. Maybe Iwasa would be a nice replacement for Guzman. The Open Cup lineup seemed pretty potent. I don’t remember how much of the offense went through Iwasa, but he has shown that he’s attack minded. Iwasa and Alvarez on the wings, with Thommy Stewart up top again.
The next two games are both against Colorado, one home and one away. It’s a great opportunity for us to regain some points after the long break. I’m excited to see what changes Buckle makes. Based on last week’s lineup, it’s obvious he has attacking and goal scoring on his mind.
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I don’t remember Iwasa being particularly effective on the wing during USOC, but you’re certainly right that he’s attack minded. Starting him on the wing wouldn’t be a bad move either.
The Colorado Springs games are definitely important ones. It’s the only two chances that SRFC has to take away points from a team that has been doing very well in the Western Conference so far this year. If the team takes care of business against them it will make the move up the Western Conference much easier.
I’m also excited to see Buckle’s changes. Not only did the team play great on their first time out under him, but just seeing the changes gives us all a lot to talk about. Which is always fun.
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