2025 Match Recap: Sacramento Republic FC 0, San Antonio FC 0

It's the final game in this homestand for the Republic as San Antonio rolled into town. It's always a testy affair between these two sides, and I wouldn't expect anything less. Neither side could score as this match ended in a goalless affair. There were a couple of chances for both teams, but neither could negotiate their way past the respective defenses.

San Antonio fell just short of the playoff line last season, finishing in 9th in the Western Conference. They were three points away from making the postseason. At the end of the season, San Antonio replaced their coach, Alan Marcina. Coach Carlos Llamosa stepped in to lead this team for the 2025 season. And so far, it has been a streaky season for San Antonio. They started with 4 straight wins but followed it with 3 consecutive losses across all competitions. They came into this match tied for 3rd in the conference standings and were looking to start another winning streak after beating Las Vegas 3-0 last time out. The last time these two sides met came in early October. San Antonio won 2-1 on the night, with a Sacramento own goal being the decider.

After the blowout wins against Las Vegas, there was a feeling that Sacramento might have turned a corner. But, there was still curiosity about how they would fare against some stiffer opposition. And we got that answer as FC Tulsa came into town and stifled the Sacramento attack. The Republic lost 0-1 and only had one shot on target. Tulsa's defense is one of the top defensive units in the league, so it was disheartening to see the Republic fail to break them down for the second time this season. San Antonio's defense is not on the same level as FC Tulsa, so hopefully, the Sacramento strikers can find their way through this backline.

Coach Carlos Llamosa had this lineup for San Antonio:

The squad is set ✅@Toyota | #sponsored pic.twitter.com/WhMMZXYGUO

— San Antonio FC (@SanAntonioFC) June 15, 2025

Coach Neill Collins made this selection for Sacramento:

Here is tonight's starting XI vs San Antonio FC ⚽

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— Sacramento Republic FC (@sacrepublicfc.com) June 14, 2025 at 7:49 PM

There are only a couple of changes from the last match against Tulsa. Luis Felipe returned to the starting lineup. He lined up out wide in the winger position, with Nick Ross and Michel Benitez holding down the midfield.

Both of the teams had spells of possession in the early phases of the match. When off the ball, Sacramento was trying to apply their counter-press on the San Antonio backline. And on the other hand, San Antonio was trying to build their way forward through the wings.

The first decent chance of the night came in the 23rd minute, and it fell to San Antonio. Sacramento had earned a corner kick, but the clearance found its way to Luis Paredes. The midfielder took the ball and sprinted all the way to the other end of the field. Jared Timmer was the closest defender as he was sprinting behind in a recovery run. Paredes got into the Republic's box but hooked his shot wide of the goal.

The two teams were making passes in and around each other's boxes, but the respective defensive units did well to keep the opportunities to a minimum.

Sacramento got a chance in the 38th minute from a free-kick opportunity. The ball was bouncing around in San Antonio's box, and it fell to Nick Ross. He got a chance at net from close range, but Richard Sanchez did well to clear it from his box before Sebastian Herrera could crash in on it.

Neither side held the advantage at halftime. Sacramento has looked the more threatening of the two sides, with them applying constant pressure outside of San Antonio's box. However, they were unable to find that final pass to unlock the defense and score a goal. San Antonio seemed comfortable absorbing pressure. They were able to break out at speed and get behind the backline but haven't forced Danny Vitiello into action.

Both sides were looking for an attacking spark going into the second half. Crosses were put into both teams' boxes, but they couldn't find their marks.

Cristian Parano put in a free-kick opportunity in the 64th minute. Luis Felipe flicked the ball on as he ran across, but the headed opportunity was put over the bar.

San Antonio got a chance of their own in the 66th minute. Paredes again was threatening the Sacramento goal as he got a free run behind the Sacramento defense. He got into the Republic's box. Jared Timmer didn't give up on the play, as he made a recovery run to slide in and block the opportunity.

Coach Collins made some changes in the 68th minute. Russell Cicerone and Blake Willey came into the match and took the places of Ryan Spaulding and Sebastian Herrera. Willey moved to the winger as Michel Benitez slid to the left wingback position, with Luis Felipe lining up in the midfield.

And another substitution was made shortly after in the 73rd minute. Chibi Ukaegbu took to the pitch to replace Freddy Kleeman.

The full-time whistle came with neither side finding the back of the net. It just seemed slightly stale from both teams. San Antonio only really found their chances via Paredes. The backline did well to halt most of the opportunities from San Antonio. The Republic attack again seemed flat for a second match in a row. A lot of balls were put into the box, but it was difficult to find the end of them. Next up is a midweek match against Birmingham. Onwards!

Key Takeaways:

• They had a lot of crosses, but they couldn't get to the end of them. It seemed to be the Republic's only method of attack, as the middle of the park seemed abandoned.
• These performances are a stark contrast to the Las Vegas games. We went from scoring nine goals in two games to being shut out in the next two. Where is the creativity?
• The backline performed well when called upon. Jared Timmer singlehandedly stopped the most dangerous opportunity from Sacramento.

Sacramento Republic FC: 0 goals, 7 shots, 3 shots on target, 37.7% possession, 4 corners, 3 offsides, 2 yellow cards, 0 red cards.

San Antonio FC: 0 goals, 12 shots, 1 shot on target, 62.3% possession, 3 corners, 3 offsides, 2 yellow cards, 0 red cards.

Republic FC Lineup: Danny Vitiello, Michel Benitez, Freddy Kleeman (OUT, 73'), Lee Desmond, Jared Timmer, Jack Gurr, Ryan Spaulding (OUT, 68'), Luis Felipe, Sebastian Herrera (OUT, 68'), Nick Ross, Cristian Parano

Republic FC Bench: Jared Mazzola, AJ Edwards, Chibi Ukaegbu (IN, 73'), Rayan Djedje, Dominik Wanner, Blake Willey (IN, 68'), Rodrigo Lopez, Trevor Amann, Russell Cicerone (IN, 68')

What were your thoughts on the match? Sound off in the comments below!

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Check out the stats from this match here!

(Photo Credits to Sacramento Republic FC)