2025 USL Cup Recap: Sacramento Republic FC 0, Hartford Athletic FC 1

The right to call yourselves the 2025 USL Jagermeister Champion hung in the balance as Sacramento Republic hosted Hartford Athletic. And it would be the visiting Hartford side to claim that crown, thanks to a second-half strike from Samuel Careaga.

The tale of the tape so far for Hartford is the tale of a surprise package that has shaken things up in the Eastern Conference. After not qualifying for the playoffs the three previous seasons, Hartford has positioned itself for a fight for home-field advantage as they were 5th in the Eastern Conference table. And pair that with a cup run filled with solid performance to get them to this stage. Athletic were coming into this match hot, having won 10 of their previous 13 matches across all competitions. The two matches they lost on this run were to Indy Eleven and Pittsburgh Riverhounds. This run also includes the quarterfinal win against San Antonio and their semifinal win over Greenville. This would be Hartford's first time playing for some silverware.

On the other side of the field was the Sacramento Republic. Solid defensive performances have spearheaded their run through the competition. Jared Mazzola and the backline have only let in one goal through this competition, and that was back in the group stages against Orange County. In the knockout stage, a pair of stunning penalty shootouts have brought this game to this match. Props to all the penalty kick takers who stepped up in those moments, but Jared Mazzola has made himself a hero coming up with saves on both occasions. Sacramento holds the historical record between these two sides, having won both times they have met. The last match ended in a 1-0 result, with Sebastian Herrera scoring the late goal on the night. This would be the Republic's third time playing in a final, following its league win in 2014 and the magical Open Cup run in 2022.

Coach Brendan Burke had this lineup for Hartford:

Your @USL_Cup Final 𝑿𝑰

Presented by @LibertyBank_CT pic.twitter.com/TKCRnY3oF6

— Hartford Athletic (@hfdathletic) October 5, 2025

Coach Neill Collins made this selection for Sacramento:

Starting XI for the Final ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/M7b0ChjyFA

— Sacramento Republic FC (@SacRepublicFC) October 5, 2025

As expected, the first team lineup was set by Coach Neill Collins after resting most of them in the midweek match against Orange County. Jared Mazzola continued to be the cup keeper as he earned the nod in goal for the Republic. The typical backline of Djedje, Kleeman, and Desmond was tasked to anchor the defense. Gurr and Benitez would be the wingback pairing. A little fold in the lineup with the midfield, as it would be the experienced Rodrigo Lopez being paired with Nick Ross. This is in place of the younger Blake Willey being asked. And then the frontline of Felipe, Bennett, and Cicerone was tasked with trying to break down the stout Hartford defense. One thing to mention on the bench is Sebastian Herrera reappearing on the teamsheet after being held out due to injury.

Both teams were trying to settle into the match early, but it was Hartford that came out firing in the 5th minute, due to a rare miscue out of the Republic backline. Jared Mazzola was drawn out of goal by a long ball over the top. Adewale Obalola was looming and beat the Republic keeper to the ball and dribbled around him. Obalola moved centrally to get himself in a better position to shoot, but when he did, it got blocked by Freddy Kleeman.

Sacramento was having to weather an early storm from Hartford as Hartford appeared to be outdueling the Republic. Hartford were forcing the issue and getting themselves in better positions to challenge the Republic backline. Sacramento was mainly trying to break the tempo that Hartford was playing at to relieve themselves of the relentlessness of the Hartford attack. The Hartford press was stifling for the Republic to try and build possession out of. Long balls were necessary if the Republic wanted to build out of the back and connect with the midfielders and forwards.

Russell Cicerone came close off a corner kick in the 20th minute. A cross put in by Rodrigo Lopez was flicked on by Cicerone. The looping shot fell all the way to the back post, but deflected off it and was cleared.

The Republic got a chance in the 23rd minute off another corner kick. Rodrigo Lopez took the corner kick and swung in a cross into the Hartford box. And Lee Desmond came flying in to win the header, but he aimed it on the wrong side of the post.

Sacramento was finding more success in the attack as the first half continued. A couple of chances where the Republic had some great buildup to get themselves right outside of the Hartford box, but were let down by the shot.

At halftime, there were no goals scored for either side. Hartford started the match on the front foot, putting Jared Mazzola and the Republic defenders to the test. Their aggressive press made it difficult to find a foothold early, as the Republic players were struggling to get out of their own half. The man-marking on Rodrigo Lopez was especially difficult as he had an Athletic defender in close proximity at all times. For the Republic, for a good portion of the match, their best chances came from corner kick opportunities, with Russell Cicerone hitting the woodwork. There were signs of a more productive buildup with Jack Gurr and Luis Felipe getting on the end of things, but they were off target. Hartford was leading in shots taken by a 7 to 5 margin. And they had the advantage with shots on target, 2 to 0.

A pair of chances came to Hartford, threatening the Republic's goal in the 51st minute. The first one came with a ball played through the Republic defense and got to the halftime substitution, Kyle Edwards. The striker feinted one way and moved the other to shake free of his mark, but his shot was blocked by Jared Mazzola and out for a corner.

And then, off the corner kick, Hartford grabbed the lead. A short corner kick routine by Sebastian Anderson was played to Samuel Careaga at the top of the Republic box. Careaga had loads of space and took his chance from distance. The shot was beautifully taken as it flew through the mess of players in the box and past Jared Mazzola into the back of the net.

OH MY, SAMUEL CAREAGA! 😱 @hfdathletic leads in the Final!#USLJägermeisterCup pic.twitter.com/qpP6bhGH63

— USL Jägermeister Cup (@USL_Cup) October 5, 2025

Oh man, you could feel the air get sucked out of the stadium when this one hit the back of the net.

Coach Collins made a substitution in the 57th minute. Looking for an attacking spark, Collins asked Parano to step into the match to replace Khori Bennett. This moved Cicerone to the middle of the front three, and Parano was stationed out wide.

Sacramento was trying to find a way back into the match, but Hartford was doing well to halt any advances from the Republic. There were a couple of questionable calls, including a potential penalty due to a head-to-head collision on Michel Benitez.

To try and change the fate of the match, Coach Collins made a trio of substitutions in the 73rd minute. Sebastian Herrera, Blake Willey, and Ryan Spaulding were all called upon to replace Luis Felipe, Rodrigo Lopez, and Michel Benitez.

One more substitution was made by Neill Collins in the 84th minute. Coach took off one defender and replaced him with an attacker, as Lewis Jamieson was called on to push for an equalizer and replace Freddy Kleeman.

The desperation was showing late in this match for the Republic to find an equalizer. The Republic had a flurry of chances in the 87th minute, as Lewis Jamieson swung in a pair of corner kicks. From the second chance, the ball was recycled back to Jamieson to swing in another cross that found the head of Sebastian Herrera. His chance ended up being caught by Antony Siaha.

Sebastian Herrera would get his marching orders after receiving a second yellow in stoppage time. His first yellow was given in the 76th minute.

A couple more chances were not enough for the Republic as the final whistle blew. Hartford Athletic are your 2025 Jagermeister Cup Champions. I am going to give props to the Hartford Athletic coaching team, who had a game plan that took the Republic out of their element from the jump. The Republic were struggling to get in this match with their midfield essentially being locked out of being the creators that they are. That was a rough goal to give up for the Republic defense, but it was a well-taken shot from Samuel Careaga. One chance of silverware is now gone, and now all focus returns to the league and the push for the playoffs. Next up for the Republic will be this same Hartford Athletic side, but this time in Connecticut. Onwards!

Key Takeaways:

• I feel like there was a lot left on the table for the Republic attack. Having only one shot on target is unlikely to win you many matches, let alone a championship.
• The Republic's creativity just wasn't there tonight.
• Despite the result, this was a great cup run. We have to shake it off fast with the playoffs on the horizon.

Sacramento Republic FC: 0 goals, 11 shots, 1 shot on target, 63.9% possession, 7 corners, 1 offsides, 1 yellow card, 1 red card.

Hartford Athletic FC: 1 goal, 14 shots, 4 shots on target, 36.1% possession, 6 corners, 3 offsides, 4 yellow cards, 0 red cards.

Republic FC Lineup: Jared Mazzola, Rayan Djedje, Freddy Kleeman (OUT, 84'), Lee Desmond, Jack Gurr, Nick Ross, Luis Felipe (OUT, 73'), Michel Benitez (OUT, 73'), Rodrigo Lopez (OUT, 73'), Russell Cicerone, Khori Bennett (OUT, 57')

Republic FC Bench: Danny Vitiello, Jared Timmer, Chibi Ukaegbu, Ryan Spaulding (IN, 73'), AJ Edwards, Blake Willey (IN, 73'), Sebastian Herrera (IN, 73'), Lewis Jamieson (IN, 84'), Cristian Parano (IN, 57')

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 thanks to Sacramento Republic FC)