2026 Stats Recap #2: 4/11-5/30

We are now 10 matches into the regular season, and the Republic are outside the playoff positions. Where is the room for improvement? This article will take a deep dive into who is performing well for the Republic. For those new here, I keep a running spreadsheet of the Republic's season that you can access using the link at the bottom of this page. And from there, I provide regular updates on who is performing well in the different categories. This will be the second update for 2026, and I will provide one after every five matches except for the last one, which will be at the end of the season, playoffs or not.

If you want to read the match recaps for the past 5 matches:

• 4/11/26: 1-1 at Las Vegas Lights FC
• 4/21/26: 1-1 at Brooklyn FC
• 5/2/26: 3-2 vs Orange County SC
• 5/23/26: 1-2 at San Antonio FC
• 5/30/26: 0-2 at Phoenix Rising FC

This stats recap will only reflect matches in the USL Championship. So, no Open Cup or USL Cup stats will be part of these stats recaps. But, if you want to read the match recaps for those competitions, you can check them out here:

• 4/14/26: 0(8)-0(9) vs Minnesota United
• 4/25/26: 4-0 vs Spokane Velocity FC
• 5/16/26: 1-0 at Oakland Roots SC

If you also want to read relevant stats recaps from last year, you can check these out. One will be from the 2025 season, after the first 10 matches of last year's campaign, and the other will be the overall stats recap at the end of the season.

• 2025 Stats Recap #2: 4/19-6/7
• 2025 Stats Recap Finale

There has been a lot of flux in the roster over the past five matches. Players are going down with injuries, while others are returning. We've seen the introduction of Tyler Wolff out on the wing. And the reintroduction of Jack Gurr back into the lineup. All of these players moving around affect who can perform consistently for the Republic. So, who has kept their form amongst the roster disruptions?

Goals:

1. Michel Benitez - 3 goals.
2. Kyle Edwards and Forster Ajago - 2 goals each.
3. Dominik Wanner, Freddy Kleeman, Blake Willey, Mark-Anthony Kaye, and Arturo Rodriguez - 1 goal each.

Shots:

1. Forster Ajago - 14 shots taken (6 on target, 7 off target, 1 blocked).
2. Arturo Rodriguez - 13 shots taken (6 on target, 3 off target, 4 blocked).
3. Michel Benitez - 12 shots taken (5 on target, 4 off target, 3 blocked).

Total xG (Expected Goals):

1. Forster Ajago - 3.70.
2. Michel Benitez - 2.92.
3. Kyle Edwards - 1.37.

Assists:

1. Arturo Rodriguez - 3 assists.
2. Michel Benitez, Ryan Spaulding, Jack Gurr, Kyle Edwards, Forster Ajago - 1 assist each.

Y'know, it's kind of alarming that Michel Benitez is leading the attack in goals? I mean, we are a third of the way through the regular season, and no one has really taken control of the striker spot. Granted, Benitez's three goals in the league come from the penalty spot, so that perhaps speaks to the Republic's ability to put themselves in dangerous positions. But when your strikers are not the leading scorers and are not even listed among the league leaders, that might set off some alarms. In comparison, the league leaders, Rubio Rubin, Khori Bennett, and Ihsan Sacko, are each on 8 goals at this point in the season. So, the likes of Forster Ajago and Kyle Edwards are well off the pace in terms of goal production. Forster Ajago is currently the most due for a goal as he has the greatest difference between xG and goals scored. On the other hand, Kyle Edwards is overproducing, as his xG is above his goal tally. The gap in production may simply be due to the creators of the Republic not being consistently available. I'll be curious to see how this section shakes out as players like Jack Gurr and Pierre Reedy can get more minutes.

Touches on the Ball:

1. Lee Desmond - 758 touches.
2. Michel Benitez - 671 touches.
3. Freddy Kleeman - 551 touches.

Passes Completed:

1. Lee Desmond - 642 passes completed (553 short passes, 89 long passes).
2. Freddy Kleeman - 473 passes completed (413 short passes, 60 long passes).
3. Michel Benitez - 437 passes completed (393 passes completed, 44 long passes).

Average Passing Accuracy (minimum 200 passes):

1. Danny Crisostomo - 91.76% average passing accuracy on 413 passes completed.
2. Lee Desmond - 87.13% average passing accuracy on 642 passes completed.
3. Freddy Kleeman - 86.29% average passing accuracy on 473 passes completed.

With Freddy Kleeman going down with an injury in the USL Cup match against Spokane, it will be interesting to see who steps up in his place. We've seen Aaron Essel and Chibi Ukaegbu step in there. But Jared Timmer came back from his injury and will be the primary receiver of those minutes. Timmer's passing numbers are similar to last season, with an average accuracy of around 85%. But he has had only two appearances so far in the league, and neither of them was for a full 90 minutes. So, as Timmer gets more minutes, his numbers will even out, and I'll want to see where he lands at the next interval. At this point last season, Freddy Kleeman completed the most passes at 399 passes completed, and Michel Benitez had the most touches at 629 touches on the ball. There is a sizable gap comparing this season to those marks. This may be a result of the 4-back system the Republic is playing this season, as there are fewer players in the back line to spread possession. One of the complaints last season was that there was a lot of side-to-side passing with the defense. And the switch to a 4-back may be a result of the Republic wanting to play more forward, and Jared Timmer being unavailable to start the season. When Freddy Kleeman returns to full health, it will be interesting to see how Neill Collins deploys his defenders if he has Kleeman, Timmer, and Desmond available at his disposal.

Chances Created:

1. Michel Benitez and Arturo Rodriguez - 13 chances completed each.
2. Ryan Spaulding, Forster Ajago, and Mayele Malango - 6 chances created each.
3. Jack Gurr, Mark-Anthony Kaye, and Aaron Essel - 5 chances created each.

The Republic created 36 scoring chances through the first 5 matches this season. At this interval, the Republic is standing on 80 chances created. Michel Benitez contributed greatly over the last five matches. At the first check-in, he was at 4 chances created. And now he's leading the team at 13. Which is good enough to be tied for 32nd in the league with Arturo Rodriguez. Other players have slowed down in this department, but with the reintroduction of players like Jack Gurr and Pierre Reedy, I expect production to step back up.

Tackles:

1. Michel Benitez - 26 tackles committed.
2. Mark-Anthony Kaye - 20 tackles committed.
3. Arturo Rodriguez - 15 tackles committed.

Fouls Won:

1. Ryan Spaulding and Arturo Rodriguez - 18 fouls won each.
2. Forster Ajago - 16 fouls won.
3. Mark-Anthony Kaye - 12 fouls won.

Duels Won:

1. Freddy Kleeman - 52 duels won on a 78% duel win rate.
2. Lee Desmond - 49 duels won on a 62% duel win rate.
3. Michel Benitez - 47 duels won on a 61% duel win rate.

Michel Benitez is just so good, man. At the bare minimum, he has maintained his production across all categories from last season. No matter where you play him on the field, wing back, wide midfielder, or defensive midfielder, he will give you quality minutes. There will be a noticeable gap in the absence of Freddy Kleeman and his aerial dueling ability, and the Republic will need to find a way to cope with it.

Yellow Cards:

1. Aaron Essel - 5 yellow cards.
2. Michel Benitez, Fredy Kleeman, and Arturo Rodriguez - 3 yellow cards each.
3. Dominik Wanner, Mark-Anthony Kaye, Forster Ajago, and Mayele Malango - 2 yellow cards each.

Despite leading the team in yellow cards, I still rate Aaron Essel highly. He is of a similar mold to Benitez, so you can put him in different positions on the field. I think he does his best work as a defensive midfielder, but it's hard to put him in that position when you have Kaye and Crisostomo healthy. He might get a tackle wrong here and there, but his work rate is not to be questioned. He is on 5 yellow cards, but he's had no good behavior bonuses so far this season, so he is 3 yellow cards away from a suspension.

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 thanks to Sacramento Republic FC).