Aug. 24, 2026

2026 Match Recap: Sacramento Republic FC 2, Phoenix Rising FC 2

2026 Match Recap: Sacramento Republic FC 2, Phoenix Rising FC 2

Two old Western Conference rivals faced off as both Sacramento and Phoenix were trying to vault up the standings. Sacramento got an early advantage thanks to goals from Tyler Wolff and Memo Rodriguez. But Phoenix fired back with two goals of their own to end the match on even terms.

It's an arms race in the league right now as teams prepare for a playoff push with the transfer window closing soon. Phoenix have made some noise by bringing in Juan David Torres on loan. Torres has earned two All-League First Team selections in the previous two years for the Charleston Battery. And he was tied for second in the league last year with 10 assists to his name. I don't expect to see him in this match. But when he is implemented in Pa-Modou Kah's system, he will be supplying the likes of Hope Avayevu with quality looks. These two squads have faced off twice already this season, as Phoenix got the better of the Republic in the last match, winning 2-0.

Sacramento has also remained busy in the transfer market as they try and charge up the table. The signing of Cal Jennings to try and bolster the attacking ranks of the roster will hopefully convert more chances into goals. The Republic's finishing has left a lot to be desired so far this season. But more recently, the club announced that Republic Academy graduate Chibi Ukaegbu has transferred to the Houston Dynamo. Here's hoping that Chibi can continue to develop his game and continue playing on bigger stages. The Republic won the first match between these two sides this season, also winning by a 2-0 scoreline. Blake Willey and Dominik Wanner were the goalscorers on that night.

Coach Pa-Modou Kah had this lineup for Phoenix:

Coach Neill Collins made this selection for Sacramento:

Coach Collins opted to make no changes to the starting lineup from the last match against Lexington. One note on the bench is that Cal Jennings is now available for selection as he gets named to the teamsheet for the first time in this match.

The match opened at a frenetic pace as both teams were pushing the tempo. Phoenix had a couple of chances that came from corner kicks, but Sacramento fended them off early. The Republic were trying to break the press and find some counterattacking opportunities to stop the Phoenix pressure.

The first chance for the Republic came in the 10th minute. Blake Willey floated a cross across the top of the Phoenix box after some great passing to get down the wing. Lee Desmond made the late run to try and head his shot in from distance, but Patrick Rakovsky was able to meet the challenge.

And Sacramento would get the scoring opened in the 19th minute. The play started from a throw-in that worked to Mayele Malango on the opposite flank that he's normally at. Malango sent a cross into the box to Tyler Wolff in the middle of the Phoenix box. A quick header was enough to beat Patrick Rakovsky to give the Republic an early lead.

With some focused pressure, Sacramento capitalized on a mistake from the Phoenix defense in the 27th minute. Memo Rodriguez forced Patrick Rakovsky into a rushed pass, which was immediately picked off by Danny Crisostomo. Now with just the keeper to beat, Memo Rodriguez lofted a ball that hung in the air for a minute before coming back down and bouncing in the back of the net.

Sacramento was pushing Phoenix back deep into their own half as the first half went on. They generated some opportunities but weren't able to capitalize on them. Blake Willey had a chance fly over the bar, and a couple of offside calls halted some promising Republic attacks. 

But Phoenix clawed one back before halftime. Phoenix forced a turnover on the flank and countered quickly to catch the Republic backline out of position. Dominique Badji picked up the ball and played a breaking ball through to Diego Gomez. He drew the attention of the Republic defenders before he quickly passed the ball off to Ihsan Sacko, open and running into the Republic box. Danny Vitiello came off the line to try and cut the angle down, and he got a hand on Sacko's shot, but it wasn't enough to keep the ball from going in the goal.

Sacramento held the advantage going into the halftime interval. This game was open, as both teams were generating opportunities. Both teams seemed to like how this match was going in terms of possession. Sacramento wants possession, and that's what was happening as they piled pressure on Phoenix's penalty box. That being said, Phoenix likes to play off the break, and that's how they got their goal. It would be a battle to see who could best break the opposing press and score next. Sacramento had more opportunities, and the lead at the break could've definitely been more in their favor.

Coach Collins opted to make a substitution in the 54th minute. Mayele Malango got replaced by Ryan Spaulding.

Both teams were pushing for that all-important next goal. And to try and aid Sacramento's efforts, Coach Collins made a pair of substitutions in the 72nd minute. Cal Jennings was called on to make his debut and take the place of Tyler Wolff. And Arturo Rodriguez was asked to step in for Danny Crisostomo.

Phoenix found the equalizer in the 84th minute. Phoenix was chasing the equalizer as Tate Schmitt put a long cross aimed at the opposite post. Ihsan Sacko was first to the ball as he struck the ball mid-air and got it past Vitiello.

Coach Collins tried to snatch a winner at the end with his substitution as the game entered stoppage time. Kyle Edwards and Aaron Essel stepped on to replace Memo Rodriguez and Pep Casas.

But the Republic couldn't salvage a win as the match ended even at two goals apiece. Sacramento started this match off great and had Phoenix on the back foot in the first half. But as the match went on, Phoenix grew into this game and was able to get some great opportunities of their own. The Republic definitely could've used this result to help them keep up in the Western Conference. Next up for the Republic is a visit to Monterey. Onwards!

Coach Collins on the Republic's performance:

“I think for the first 44 minutes of the game, we were absolutely outstanding. I thought it was well worth a two-nil lead. Really should have been more. We had another great opportunity. Blake [Willey] put it over the bar, that should have made it three-nil. I don't think two-one was a fair scoreline going in at halftime, but listen, that happens. We got punished for a couple of mistakes, and in then the second half we just never got going. I never felt overly threatened defensively, but I didn't think we did enough as we had in the first half, which can happen. But just probably we didn't do a couple of the basics well enough in the second half. We didn't keep our performance level at that level we had earlier, and we know that Phoenix only takes a couple of moments to punish you and they did. It ends up being a really disappointing night with the result. The first half performance is as good as you're going to see, so it's a tough one."

Tyler Wolff on the club's recent trajectory:

“Yeah, I think you know we're still adding guys, and I think we haven't peaked yet. I think each game, the past couple months, we've been growing each game little by little, and I think we're almost there to where we really feel like we're firing on all cylinders. There's a couple pieces, a couple mental moments where we just need to be a little more compact, a little stronger, and I think we'll be a really tough team to play.”

Key Takeaways:

  • The Republic had the tactics right. I mean, most nights two goals would be enough to get you a win. But Phoenix did well with the opportunities they had to equalize the result.
  • Tyler Wolff continues to make a case for himself to remain involved in the Republic's attack.
  • This game was another one that was in the Republic's hands, and it slipped out of their control.

Sacramento Republic FC: 2 goals, 6 shots, 3 shots on target, 59.8% possession, 3 corners, 2 offsides, 1 yellow card, 0 red cards.

Phoenix Rising FC: 2 goals, 9 shots, 2 shots on target, 40.2% possession, 2 corners, 4 offsides, 2 yellow cards, 0 red cards.

Republic FC Lineup: Danny Vitiello, Lee Desmond, Jared Timmer, Tim Leibold, Jack Gurr, Pep Casas (OUT, 90'), Danny Crisostomo (OUT, 72'), Mayele Malango (OUT, 54'), Memo Rodriguez (OUT, 90'), Blake Willey, Tyler Wolff (OUT, 72')

Republic FC Bench: Jacob Randolph, Ryan Spaulding (IN, 54'), Freddy Kleeman, Aaron Essel (IN, 90'), Arturo Rodriguez (IN, 72'), Alfredo Midence, Kyle Edwards (IN, 90'), Cal Jennings (IN, 72')

Photos and quotes thanks to Sacramento Republic FC.

SRFC Match Recaps
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Riyan Lacara

All Is Quail Blog Author/Co-Host

The “numbers guy”, Riyan! Riyan is a native of Sacramento and has been following the Republic since day one. He has covered the team across different media outlets including now his own, All is Quail Soccer. Aside from putting numbers in spreadsheets, he has a love of video games and finding a good book to put in his ever growing to-read pile.

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