2025 Stats Recap #5: 8/30-9/27

We are in the home stretch! There are five games left in the regular season. And with us reaching the home stretch, we have another stats recap. This last stretch saw the Republic go on a successful road trip to New Mexico and Tampa Bay. But we also saw a loss on the road to Monterey. The point of this article is to show who has been showing up over the past five matches for the Republic in each of the respective categories. Below are some prerequisite readings, including match recaps from the stretch and previous stats recaps. Enjoy!

If you want match recaps for the past five matches:

• 8/30/25: 2-0 at New Mexico
• 9/6/25: 2-0 at Tampa Bay
• 9/13/25: 2-2 vs. Phoenix
• 9/20/25: 2-0 at Colorado Springs
• 9/27/25: 0-1 at Monterey

Previous stats recaps:

• Stats Recap #1: 3/8/25-4/12/25
• Stats Recap #2: 4/19/25-6/7/25
• Stats Recap #3: 6/14/25-7/12/25
• Stats Recap #4: 7/19/25-8/23/25

This analysis only considers games from the USL Championship. These stats reflect the season in its entirety. Therefore, the statistics below are not exclusive to the fifth set of matches but rather represent a running total for the season up to this point.

Minutes:

1. Danny Vitiello - 2,250 minutes played
2. Michel Benitez - 2,074 minutes played
3. Freddy Kleeman - 2,049 minutes played

Still remains pretty consistent at the top. Danny Vitiello is the top choice keeper for the regular season. And Michel Benitez and Freddy Kleeman are dependable anchors in the backline. The only minutes missed between this set of players came from Benitez, as he was used as a late sub in the Phoenix match and came off late against Monterey.

Goals:

1. Russell Cicerone - 8 goals scored
2. Cristian Parano - 5 goals scored
3. Rodrigo Lopez and Sebastian Herrera - 4 goals scored each

Shots:

1. Russell Cicerone - 40 shots taken (18 on target, 10 off target, 12 blocked)
2. Cristian Parano - 31 shots taken (12 on target, 13 off target, 6 blocked)
3. Sebastian Herrera - 24 shots taken (8 on target, 14 off target, 2 blocked)

Total xG (Expected Goals):

1. Russell Cicerone - 7.02
2. Sebastian Herrera - 3.06
3. Cristian Parano - 2.50

Assists:

1. Rodrigo Lopez - 5 assists
2. Sebastian Herrera and Russell Cicerone - 4 assists each
3. Jack Gurr, Michel Benitez, Blake Willey - 3 assists each

I mentioned this in the State of the Republic podcast, but Russell Cicerone accounts for 20% of the Republic's goal contributions in the regular season. Through these last five matches, Russell Cicerone is the only one of the Republic strikers to register an xG value in each match. His total xG over the last 5 is 2.16. The next one up is Khori Bennett at 0.85. Of course, it doesn't help that some players have been struggling with injuries or just returning from them (i.e., Lewis Jamieson, Sebastian Herrera, Cristian Parano). It is somewhat worrying that no other players have moved up in the rankings, given that Herrera and Parano are currently out. But Cicerone has been driving the Republic attack and is currently the main threat, leading the line.

Touches on the Ball:

1. Michel Benitez - 1,303 touches
2. Freddy Kleeman - 1,220 touches
3. Jack Gurr - 1,206 touches

Passes Completed:

1. Freddy Kleeman - 947 passes completed (809 short passes, 138 long passes)
2. Lee Desmond - 888 passes completed (758 short passes, 130 long passes)
3. Michel Benitez - 812 passes completed (729 short passes, 83 long passes)

Average Passing Accuracy (minimum 50 passes):

1. Rayan Djedje - 89.5% passing accuracy on 173 passes completed
2. Jared Timmer - 85.1% passing accuracy on 804 passes completed
3. Cristian Parano - 84.3% passing accuracy on 461 passes completed

Jared Timmer has been held out due to injury, and that results in the rise of players like Freddy Kleeman and Rayan Djedje to carry that load. Kleeman was outside of the top three at the last update in touches on the ball and is now seen taking more responsibilities in the backline. Rayan Djedje also makes his first appearance with average passing accuracy in his limited minutes so far. I expect his numbers to come down a little bit as he continues to get more minutes, but it's not unlike the Republic defenders to lock out these passing categories.

Chances Created:

1. Jack Gurr and Russell Cicerone - 33 chances created each
2. Rodrigo Lopez - 28 chances created
3. Michel Benitez - 15 chances created

It's interesting to note the relationship between the number of chances created for a player and the assists they receive in return. If you go back up, Rodrigo Lopez leads the assist race, and behind him are Cicerone and Gurr. Maybe it has something to do with the spaces that each player usually occupies, as Gurr and Cicerone are typically found on the wings, whereas Roro is in the center of the park. However, the drop-off after Roro is concerning, as Benitez follows with only 15 chances. If the Republic wants to be a serious contender for the championship, more players need to be involved in the attack and look for ways to affect the scoreline.

Tackles:

1. Jack Gurr - 40 tackles committed
2. Michel Benitez and Luis Felipe - 36 tackles committed
3. Nick Ross - 32 tackles committed

Fouls Won:

1. Jack Gurr - 43 fouls won
2. Sebastian Herrera - 42 fouls won
3. Cristian Parano - 40 fouls won

Duels Won:

1. Freddy Kleeman - 130 duels won on a 64% duel win rate
2. Michel Benitez - 112 duels won on a 54% duel win rate
3. Jack Gurr - 110 duels won on a 54% duel win rate

Jack Gurr has been finding his form recently, as he has been unusually quiet this season compared to 2024. We're accustomed to him sprinting up the wing and putting in crosses. However, it's good to see him return and report for his defense duties as well. He was second in tackles and fouls won and was left off the list for duels won, so it's good to see him make appearances in all three categories.

Yellow Cards:

1. Michel Benitez - 8 yellow cards
2. Rodrigo Lopez - 6 yellow cards
3. Jack Gurr, Freddy Kleeman, Nick Ross, Sebastian Herrera - 5 yellow cards each

It is worth noting that Benitez has received another good behavior bonus, so he is effectively on 6 yellow cards.

What do you think of these stats? Who performed to your expectations? Who exceeded them? Let me know in the comments below!

Check out the full spreadsheet here!

(Photo Credit to Sacramento Republic FC)