Know Your Opponent 2026: El Farolito SC

Everyone's favorite Burrito Boys will be making ANOTHER trip to Sacramento.

There is another shuffling of the format for this year's edition of the Open Cup 32 Open Division amateur teams will enter the first round proper alongside 17 sides from the USL Championship, 13 sides from USL League One, and 2 teams from MLS NEXT Pro. As a result of finishing in the top half of the USL Western Conference table last season, Sacramento qualified for the 2026 edition of the competition. El Farolito earned their spot also from last season's performance, via being the last Open Division team standing in the Open Cup and earning the John Motto Trophy. These two teams met in last year's edition of the Open Cup, with Sacramento coming away with a narrow 1-0 victory. Sebastian Herrera was the difference maker that night.

I am going to be honest. There isn't a whole lot of film to analyze for El Farolito right now, as the NPSL season hasn't kicked off. They're still in the process of deciding the different divisions for this upcoming season. So, there will be some gaps in the analysis.

El Farolito SC

Manager: Santiago Lopez

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Record: 0-0-0

Last 5 Games: N/A

Path to Open Cup: N/A

Players to Watch: N/A

Top Goalscorers: N/A

Top Yellow Cards: N/A

So, yeah. There isn't a whole lot of information available about this El Farolito squad. As far as I can tell, this will be the team's first competitive match this season. Looking at last season however, this team still came away with some silverware. As mentioned above, El Farolito earned the John Motto Trophy. But, they also earned the Hank Steinbrecher Cup. This competition is set up to figure out the best amateur soccer team in America. In order to enter the Hank Steinbrecher Cup you must be the champion of one of the amateur competitions or leagues. This includes the USASA National Amateur Cup, National Premier Soccer League, USL League Two, or the previous edition of the Hank Steinbrecher Cup. El Farolito were also runners-up in last year's NPSL finals as they fell to North Carolina-based Hickory FC, 3-2. El Farolito were led by a dual attacking threat of Dembor Benson and Edgard Kreye. Both scored 10 goals in the NPSL season, as they finished joint 5th in the NPSL Golden Boot race. And then in the backline is Kevin Gonzalez, the reigning NPSL Golden Glove winner. I expect his goal to be buzzing with activity but he will be up to the task. This is a side that knows its way in do-or-die matches. Remember their run last year? They knocked off Monterey Bay in comeback fashion before they made their way to Sacramento. So, out of all the amateur sides to be possibly drawn against, El Farolito is on the rougher end of the draw.

Republic's Way To Victory: We know this El Farolito team will put up a fight. And they are especially looking for some revenge on Sacramento after ending last year's run. But there is something to be said about this being El Farolito's first competitive match this season. According to this profile written by Liliana Michelena, from Mission Local, the team has had a stunted preseason, with it being only one month and having friendly matches cancelled. Sacramento needs to use that lack of chemistry to their advantage. I'm expecting to see a rotated squad in this matchup for Neill Collins. But Sacramento needs to exert their dominance and not give El Farolito any sign of hope. Because we remember the last time between these two. El Farolito were giving Sacramento a run for their money, especially late as they were chasing an equalizer. Sacramento needs to show their quality, no matter who is playing, and grab control of this game early if they want to win. Because if you give El Farolito a glimpse, they will do anything to exploit that.

(Photo thanks to Sacramento Republic FC)