2026 USL Cup Match Recap: Monterey Bay FC, Sacramento Republic FC

Both Sacramento and Monterey came into this match looking to further solidify their positions ahead of the final week of the group. After an early red card and going down in the second half, Sacramento battled back to force a penalty shootout, where they came out victorious.

Monterey were on a recent upswell coming into this match. After firing coach Jordan Stewart, Monterey has gotten its first two wins this season in its previous two matches. New coach Alex Covelo injected some life into this Monterey attack. Even if this team is situated at the bottom of the conference table, they are playing like a team possessed. For a team preview of this Monterey side, you can check it out here. It will be interesting to see how Coach Covelo lines up his Monterey side and who will start this match.

Sacramento would also be looking for a similar change in attacking form to Monterey. The Republic returned home after a two-game losing streak that saw them fall to San Antonio and Phoenix. It might be a case of injuries hampering Neill Collins's team selection, but they came into this match hoping that a change in competition could bring back their form. These two teams drew earlier in the season, with Forster Ajago scoring on that night. A win in 90 minutes for Sacramento, combined with Boise failing to record a point in their match against Spokane, would seal a group win for the Republic.

Coach Neill Collins made this selection for Sacramento:

Lineup has arrived ‼️#SACvsMB | @TiemannLawFirm pic.twitter.com/8Ul9sFkQZ2

— Sacramento Republic FC (@SacRepublicFC) June 7, 2026

Coach Collins made plenty of changes for this match. Four changes were made to the starting lineup. Jared Timmer reclaimed his start in the backline over Aaron Essel, who did not show up on the teamsheet. Dominik Wanner and Memo Rodriguez got starts in the attacking midfield over Mayele Malango and Arturo Rodriguez. And up top, it would be Kyle Edwards over Forster Ajago. Some notes on the bench, Blake Willey returned to the squad after being unavailable in Phoenix. And Pierre Reedy was named to the squad for the first time after being held out due to a preseason injury.

Sacramento nearly opened up the game in the 8th minute. Michel Benitez swung a corner kick into the Monterey box and headed on by Jared Timmer. But the goal was called back as Tyler Wolff made contact with Fernando Delgado in the box.

The opening half hour was filled with an energetic Sacramento side creating opportunities for themselves. Dominik Wanner and Jack Gurr were looking good to open the match. And the midfield duo of Mark-Anthony Kaye and Danny Crisostomo looked much improved in comparison to the last match against Phoenix. Sacramento's chances were glancing as they couldn't get on target, but they were also doing a decent job of keeping the ball away from Monterey.

But a straight red shown in the 30th minute would make things an uphill climb for the Republic. Monterey broke away on a counterattack, with Jared Timmer being the last man back. He dragged back Riley Bidois and, in a DOGSO incident, would be given a red card. Mark-Anthony Kaye dropped back to take Timmer's spot in the backline. The Republic would be sitting back for the rest of the first half as Monterey tried to force an advantage.

The red card forced Neill Collins to make an early substitution. Chibi Ukaegbu stepped on to fill in the gap in the backline. Kyle Edwards would be the sacrifice for this substitution.

Sacramento was still showing signs of life in the 41st minute as Tyler Wolff won the ball cleanly in the midfield. A tackle and a quick 1-2 with Mark-Anthony Kaye led to Wolff breaking past the Monterey backline. Fernando Delgado stepped up to block the shot for a corner kick.

Despite being a man down, the Republic looked the better side throughout the half. The possession was split 73-27 in favor of Monterey, but the visiting side only managed 1 shot that wasn't on target. The Republic got 6 shots with 1 on target, and a couple of those shots came after going down a man. It was another defensive miscue that put the Republic in a hole. But this lineup looked up to the challenge and was fighting for the win, in comparison to their recent performances on the road.

At halftime, Coach Collins made another substitution with Blake Willey taking the center spot of the midfield in place of Memo Rodriguez. The Republic would be led by a front three that was made up of midfielders, with Willey, Wolff, and Wanner.

Monterey opened the second half looking to capitalize on their man advantage. They were knocking on the door of the Republic box, building pressure and earning multiple corner kicks. One of these corners led to the opening goal in the 53rd minute. A short corner was eventually played into the box by Sebastian Lletget to the far post. The ball was brought down by Zackery Farnsworth, and it fell to Riley Bidois in front of the Republic net. Bidois was able to get just enough of a touch to sneak it past Vitiello and into the back of the net.

Sacramento was still pressing for an equalizer and got a lucky break in the 60th minute. A cross was put into the Monterey box and was deflected off the arm of a Monterey defender. This resulted in the ref awarding a penalty to the Republic. Michel Benitez stepped up as he's done all season to take the attempt. And he neatly put his shot into the back of the net to equalize the match.

Composure from the spot🤩 pic.twitter.com/YXrTYReIuL

— Sacramento Republic FC (@SacRepublicFC) June 7, 2026

Coach Collins made a pair of substitutions in the 67th minute. Ryan Spaulding and Mayele Malango stepped on to replace Dominik Wanner and Mayele Malango. Spaulding would move into the left back spot and shift Michel Benitez up into the defensive midfield.

For his club debut, Pierre Reedy came into the match in the 80th minute to take the place of Tyler Wolff.

The end of regulation came as neither side could find a breakthrough, pushing this game to a penalty shootout.

In the shootout, a save from Danny Vitiello was enough to make the difference. Ryan Spaulding would get the game-sealing kick as Sacramento converted all of their penalty attempts.

Still feeling the hype from last night🤩🤩 pic.twitter.com/sZogARkS6M

— Sacramento Republic FC (@SacRepublicFC) June 7, 2026

The Republic showed great fight to keep battling Monterey despite being a man down. And they got rewarded for their efforts with two points going to their total. They haven't sealed their group yet, but if the Republic can just avoid being defeated in regulation at Boise, that should be enough to get them into the knockouts. The team looked much better than in their last road match in Phoenix. Hopefully, this performance can instill some belief back into the squad with the rest of the season to play for. Next up is a match at altitude as they visit Colorado Springs. Onwards!

Coach Neill Collins on the team's performance:

“I'm a great believer that when you have disappointment, it's always about how you respond, and the team responded so well tonight. I thought in the first 30 minutes prior to the red card, we were excellent. Should have been ahead, hated to see the goal that got ruled out. It seemed like very, very soft decision, so we should have been ahead. And then when the red card happens, you always fear the worst for 10 men. It's a long time, but the players were fantastic, and I think the least we deserved a point, and then to get the extra point on penalties - it's a very positive night.”

Lee Desmond on the squad's recent performances:

“We really have to show that this week, because when you play like we did the last two weeks, it's been a tough two weeks, just tough to accept, because we have such high standards, and when you drop a load on, it hurts. So it was nice to bounce back… we didn't win in a normal time, but sometimes those types of performances where you have to really stick together and grind, you can actually learn more about each other as a team, and that's what happened tonight. So I'm happy for everyone."

Key Takeaways:

• This is the Republic we want to see consistently. If the Republic wants to fight its way back to the top of the conference, this is the minimum that they need to bring.
• Despite being down a man, the Republic looked like the more dangerous team for long stretches of the game.
• Sacramento's penalty pedigree comes to help them again. Shoutout to everyone who stepped up, and to Danny Vitiello for making a critical save.

Sacramento Republic FC: 1 goal, 7 shots, 2 shots on target, 27.6% possession, 6 corners, 2 offsides, 1 yellow card, 1 red card.

Monterey Bay FC: 1 goal, 5 shots, 1 shot on target, 72.4% possession, 6 corners, 1 offside, 2 yellow cards, 0 red cards.

Republic FC Lineup: Danny Vitiello, Michel Benitez, Lee Desmond, Jared Timmer (RED CARD, 30'), Jack Gurr, Mark-Anthony Kaye, Danny Crisostomo (OUT, 67'), Tyler Wolff (OUT, 80'), Memo Rodriguez (OUT, HT'), Dominik Wanner (OUT, 67'), Kyle Edwards (OUT, 36')

Republic FC Bench: Josh Moya, Ryan Spaulding (IN, 67'), Chibi Ukaegbu (IN, 36'), Pep Casas, Pierre Reedy (IN, 80'), Blake Willey (IN, HT'), Mayele Malango (IN, 67'), Arturo Rodriguez, Forster Ajago

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)