USOC Quarters: Just Two To Watch

LA Galaxy (MLS) vs Sacramento Republic (USLC)

Tuesday, 06/21/22 - Dignity Health Sports Park - Carson, CA 10:30 pm (EST)

Los Angeles Galaxy, winners of the US Open Cup in 2001 and 2005, losers of the Final in 2002 and 2006, have no problem acting like they’ve been there before. This year, they haven’t even had to leave the cozy confines of SoCal to keep it going - winning 5-1 over Orange County SC (USLC) in the third round; going from Carson to Irvine to knock out NISA’s Cal United Strikers in the Round of 32; then slipping LAFC the micky in a 3-1 cup iteration of El Traffico. They’ve been just fine in the league as well, not steamrolling it, but are staying even-keeled in 5th place and competing week-in / week-out. If there is a weakness, its their league goal difference, which is just +2 but the Galaxy have shown scoring in the cup is a different matter and are +7 from the three previously mentioned games.

Similarly, guests Sacramento Republic of USL Championship, have had a comfortable run in the Cup with all of their matches at home in California’s Capital: 2nd Round, 6-0 over Portland Timbers U23s (a drubbing so bad they changed their name to Capital FC to wipe it from their memory); 3rd Round, 2-1 win over Central Valley Fuego; Round of 32, 2-0 over fellow USLC side Phoenix Rising; Round of 16, knocking out MLS franchise from the South Bay, San Jose Earthquakes, 2-0. None of this is meant to marginalize how exciting the matches were and some of the dramatic efforts, especially of club legend, Rodrigo Lopez but that the Republic have trodden a similar path to get to this confrontation with LA Galaxy.

The Republic are unbeaten in their last five matches; outscoring opponents 8-1 (including a 2-0 win over LA Galaxy 2 just last week) in that time and have not given up more than 2 goals in a game since a 3-0 pre-season loss to San Jose Earthquakes back in February. Unlike the teams LA have beaten so far, Sacramento aren’t just happy to be here, they belong - if the Galaxy have any hope of avoiding embarrassment in this game they’ll have to shut down Head Coach Mark Briggs’ 4-2-3-1 with Rodrigo Lopez (3 Cup goals, 2 league goals, 28 chances created) Douglas Martinez (1 Cup goal, 3 league goals, 14 chances created) and Damia Viader (all around menace).

LA’s Head Coach, Greg Vanney, also likes to play a 4-2-3-1 and its unsure if both having just one up top will result in a cagey match or if either can find the boldness to get more bodies forward. It really depends on who is more scared to lose and who plays like they have nothing to lose. Fortune in knock-out tournaments favors the bold and something tells me Sacramento Republic aren’t afraid to risk it all for the reward of getting to the Semi Finals.

Sporting Kansas City (MLS) vs UNION OMAHA (USL1)

Wednesday, 06/1122 - Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, MO 8:30 pm (EST)

Hosts Sporting Kansas City are sitting in 12th place in MLS’ Western Conference - right around halfway through the season and well out of a playoff position. That league is funny, though, and things chance fast - they picked up a win, away to Nashville last weekend and get right back to work this coming weekend, away to fellow strugglers, Seattle Sounders. It’s too early to say they don’t have anything to play for and should hone in on the cup. However, as winners of the US Open Cup in 2017, 2015, 2012, and in 2004 as the Kansas City Wiz - they have a pedigree of deep runs in the competition and an appreciation of the rewards which come with winning the silverware. Will they be up for it? Maybe, but we know their competition will be.

”The goal, every season, is to compete to win every competition that we’re in. Whether that’s USL League One regular season; USL League One playoffs or finally, this year, US Open Cup,” Union Omaha General Manager Peter Marlette told us in a recent interview. The giant-killing Union Omaha of USL League One have played exactly that way too - they’ve won the games they were expected to, entering in the second round with the rest of their league peers, and defeating USL League Two champions, Des Moines Menace, 2-1 to advance to the third round.

In Round 3 they travelled to Chicago and knocked former US Open Cup champion themselves, Chicago Fire of MLS - advancing after penalty kicks, 5-4. Union Omaha faced fellow League One side Northern Colorado Hailstorm in the Round of 32, defeating them 2-0 at home. Then travelled to Minnesota and knocked out another MLS team, this time Minnesota United, with a pair of second half goals and a brave defensive performance.

Head coach Jay Mims is ready to turn more heads today, when they drive three hours south from Omaha, Nebraska to Kansas City to take on MLS’ Franchise in that town, Sporting KC. Currently, the Owls from Omaha are 9th (out of 11) in League One, but have two games in hand and are only six points out of topping the table. Mims’ small squad is thick as thieves and have been led to believe they can take on anyone in the country, "I think we’ve put a team together, that, in one game can beat any team in this country, no matter what the level is. I do still believe that and we started to prove that in the Open Cup. I’m not saying we can take this roster and go play in MLS, and compete week-in week-out at that level, but in a knock-out competition, I think we can win any game we play in.”

by Joshua Duder