:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/54731295/IMG_4297.0.0.jpg)
Sacramento Republic’s first opponent of the 2017 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup has been decided! Republic will face off against FC Anahuac next Wednesday, May 17 at Papa Murphy’s Park.
The U.S. Open cup is a one hundred and three year old tradition that will come to Papa Murphy’s Park Wednesday, May 17. This single elimination tournament features teams from all tiers of the pyramid in the United States, from amateur teams up to MLS professionals.
FC Anahuac won the right to face Republic next week by beating Sonoma County Sol in the first round of USOC play. The match was scoreless for the full 90 minutes, but goals came in extra time. Each team scored once, sending the match to PKs, where the visitors prevailed 5-4.
FC Anahuac hails from Las Vegas, Nevada. They play in the United Premier Soccer League, an amateur division which they won last year. Republic have no history with FC Anahuac yet, but they do have a past with the defeated team.
Sonoma County Sol is from Santa Rosa, California and were runners up in the National Premier Soccer League, also an amateur division.
The Sol faced Republic in the third round of the 2015 U.S. Open Cup. Republic won that game 4-2 and went on to play, in the author’s opinion, the best game of soccer Republic has ever produced. It was the fourth round against the San Jose Earthquakes. Although Sacramento eventually fell 5-6 on penalty kicks, they dominated much of the match in an aggressive 4-3-3. Emrah Klimenta, Octavio Guzman, and Rodrigo Lopez all had standout performances. Republic were up 2-0 until the around the 70th minute when Chris Wondolowski does what he does best, and got on the end of two passes in the box to tie the game. Despite the heartbreak, it was an incredible match that captured the essence of what cup soccer is all about.
Hopefully we get to see more of that this year, starting with Wednesday’s game.
What do you think about Republic’s first USOC opponent of the year? Excited to watch Republic enter one of the biggest tournaments in US soccer once again? Sound off in the comments below!