2026 Match Recap: Sacramento Republic FC //, FC Tulsa //

Oh man we are back. The 2026 season is here and Sacramento drew one of the toughest tests to get their campaign started as their first opponent was the defending Western Conference Champions, FC Tulsa.

FC Tulsa shocked the USL last year, going from not qualifying for the playoffs in 2024 to winning the Western Conference regular season title and hosting the championship match in 2025. In the championship it would go all the way to a penalty shootout where Tulsa would ultimately lose to the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. And now they come into this season wanting to prove their success was not a fluke and that they would be competing for titles for the forseeable future. But if they want to replicate their success last season, Tulsa would have to do it without their talismanic striker Taylor Calheira. Calheira finished third in the golden boot race last season with 17 goals in the regular season. That performance earned him a move to the MLS and Sporting Kansas City. So now the question for Tulsa is are the replacements, namely Nelson Pierre and Rémi Cabral, be enough to match that lost firepower?

Speaking of teams that have revamped their attack, Sacramento came into this season with a new look in both the forwards and midfielders. Only Blake Willey and Da'vian Kimbrough were the only returning players of those two position groups to be on the roster for the 2026 campaign. And looking at the players that were brought in, there is plenty of creativity that will hopefully supply the side with goals. But one of the questions I had for Neill Collins that will be answered in the opening minutes is what formation will he set the team up in? There is a lot of midfielder depth, so what formation does he think will harness all that potential the best? We know the Republic defense is elite, and they've been kept mostly intact, will this be the season the attack can match that?

Coach Luke Spencer made this selection for Tulsa:

Coach Neill Collins had this setup for Sacramento:

Key Takeaways:

Sacramento Republic FC: / goal, / shots, / shots on target, ///% possession, / corners, / offsides, / yellow cards, / red cards.

FC Tulsa: / goal, / shots, / shots on target, ///% possession, / corners, / offsides, / yellow cards, / red cards.

Republic FC Lineup: Danny Vitiello, Michel Benitez, Lee Desmond, Freddy Kleeman, Jared Timmer, Jack Gurr, Rodrigo Lopez, Blake Willey, Justin Portillo, Sebastian Herrera, Cristian Parano 

Republic FC Bench: Jared Mazzola, Ryan Spaulding, Cody Baker, Dominik Wanner, Chibi Ukagebu, Nick Ross, Luis Felipe, Russell Cicerone, Khori Bennett

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)