2026 USL Cup Recap: Athletic Club Boise 2, Sacramento Republic FC 0

The final match of the USL Cup group stage is upon us as the Republic travels to Boise with the group lead hanging in the balance. Sacramento comes into this match in control of their own destiny, as any result apart from a loss in regulation will see them clinch the autobid from the group. On the other hand, Boise will need a win in regulation against Sacramento and hope that Oakland can beat Spokane in their contest. And the one result that the Republic couldn't let happen did, as Boise scored twice to knock the Republic out of this competition.

Boise has come out of the gates flying in their inaugural season. They sit in 5th place in the USL League One Standings. But they have scored some upsets against USL Championship opposition, giving themselves a shot at progressing to the knockout phase of this competition. Boise opened this competition with a penalty shootout win over Las Vegas. And then followed that performance up with a 4-3 shootout win over Monterey. Despite being in the league below, put them in front of their fierce home crowd, and they are not competition to be easily overlooked.

Sacramento has had an up-and-down season and is looking for some stable footing. If anything, they've been consistent within this competition as they haven't failed to secure a win so far. The first two matches were a 4-0 win against Spokane and a 1-0 win over Oakland, both in regulation. Their last group match saw them secure the win via penalty shootout over Monterey. But despite this run of form, the Republic have lost three of their five league matches. They come into this match hoping to build off of their 2-1 win over Rhode Island, their last time out.

Coach Nate Miller had this selection for Boise:

Tonight’s Starting XI💜 pic.twitter.com/1Fyjx5Nwrb

— Athletic Club Boise (@ac_boise) July 12, 2026

Coach Neill Collins made this lineup for Sacramento:

Ready for USL Cup action#ACBvsSAC pic.twitter.com/ycUMdpgrj0

— Sacramento Republic FC (@SacRepublicFC) July 12, 2026

Collins made a couple of changes to the starting lineup from the club's victory over Rhode Island. Tyler Wolff earned a start out on the attacking flank. Danny Crisostomo returned to be slotted in the defensive midfield alongside Blake Willey. This led to Mark-Anthony Kaye starting as the club's left-back.

And Boise got the game going early in the 7th minute. Nick Moon dribbled down the center of the park, played a quick pass to Thomas Amang, and then Moon received the ball back outside the Republic box. No one on the Republic defense could track Moon's run as he got the ball and fired a shot into the roof of the Republic net to give Boise the lead.

We heard this man is magic 🪄😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/L5pERJIT1H

— Athletic Club Boise (@ac_boise) July 12, 2026

Sacramento looked to even the match in the 16th minute. Mayele Malango broke free down the left flank and played a low ball to Kyle Edwards in the Boise box. Edwards got a spin on the ball before getting his shot off, aimed at the low corner. Jonathan Kliewer dived to his right in time to smother the shot.

Sacramento spent much of the first half trying to break down the Boise defense. Mayele Malango chipped a ball over some of Boise's defenders in the 36th minute and found the head of Blake Willey. The headed effort from Willey forced Kliewer to tap the ball over the bar, resulting in a corner kick.

Both teams had a variety of chances, but it was Boise walking into the halftime break holding the advantage. Sacramento was the primary aggressor of the match, but did not test Kliewer's goal enough to say that they deserved a goal for their efforts. Boise capitalized on an early misstep and held on until halftime. The home side were finding spaces to try and thread balls through, but those chances were eventually snuffed out. Sacramento would need a better performance in the second half to get a result out of this match and progress into the knockout stages.

Sacramento struggled to find a way past the purple wall of Boise defenders in the second half. And because of that, Coach Collins brought on Forster Ajago for Kyle Edwards in the 60th minute.

But Boise made things worse for Sacramento in the 64th minute. Omar Yehya took on Aaron Essel out wide on the flank. He found some space to put in a low cross to Tumi Moshobane in the Republic box. Moshobane won his duel against Danny Crisostomo and got a clear shot at goal to double the advantage.

TUMMMIII TIME ⏰⏰⏰ pic.twitter.com/6DGEFSsueB

— Athletic Club Boise (@ac_boise) July 12, 2026

Again, Boise got a clean opportunity in the 71st minute on the counterattack. Keegan Oyler received the ball as he blasted past the Republic backline, but his shot was blocked by Danny Vitiello.

In the 72nd minute, a trio was brought on for the Republic. Ryan Spaulding, Pep Casas, and Arturo Rodriguez all took the spots of Mark-Anthony Kaye, Mayele Malango, and Memo Rodriguez.

And immediately after, Ryan Spaulding had to be pulled out after suffering an apparent leg injury. He was replaced by Dominik Wanner.

As the final whistle blew, Sacramento's USL Cup campaign came to an end. In a match where they needed any kind of result against a team already eliminated, the Republic came out flat. And they were punished for it. I'm sure the injuries play a part in the team selection, but I doubt the squad was set up for success with this lineup. This was a pretty pathetic performance, being bossed around like this. And if this is how the squad will perform in pressure-packed moments, it does not bode well for the rest of the season as the playoff race comes into view. The Republic now only has the league to focus on, as their next match will be on the road at Charleston. Onwards!

Key Takeaways:

• Sacramento had their destiny in their hands, and they did not get a firm grasp of it.
• Was now the right time to slot Kaye in as left back? Surely, there must've been other options. You had Wanner, Spaulding, and Chibi on the bench to start this one, and Kaye was the best option?
• If this isn't a wake-up call for everyone in the Republic organization, and nothing comes of it, we are in deep trouble. The Republic is just on the playoff line, with everyone behind them closely following.

Sacramento Republic FC: 0 goals, 13 shots, 5 shots on target, 65.2% possession, 8 corners, 2 offsides, 1 yellow card, 0 red cards.

Athletic Club Boise: 2 goals, 7 shots, 3 shots on target, 34.8% possession, 1 corner, 1 offsides, 0 yellow cards, 0 red cards.

Republic FC Lineup: Danny Vitiello, Tyler Wolff, Lee Desmond, Aaron Essel, Jack Gurr, Mark-Anthony Kaye (OUT, 72'), Danny Crisostomo, Mayele Malango (OUT, 72'), Memo Rodriguez (OUT, 72'), Blake Willey, Kyle Edwards (OUT, 60')

Republic FC Bench: Jacob Randolph, Ryan Spaulding (IN, 72')(OUT, 78'), Chibi Ukaegbu, Pep Casas (IN, 72'), Dominik Wanner (IN, 78'), Arturo Rodriguez (IN, 72'), Forster Ajago (IN, 60')

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)