Sacramento Republic F.C. will host Seattle Sounders in U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals

May 22, 2024, 7:29 PM | Updated: May 23, 2024, 11:00 am

Sacramento Republic FC

San Francisco 49ers Beat Writer

Update: Sacramento Republic F.C. will play host to Seattle Sounders in the U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals in July. Seattle overcame a 1-0 deficit at halftime Wednesday, taking down Phoenix Rising F.C., 2-1, to advance to the competition’s next round.

Original Story:

The soccer gods have shined down on Sacramento Wednesday evening, granting Sacramento Republic hosting rights in the U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals.

Sacramento Republic F.C. will officially play host in the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals, announced by the U.S. Soccer Federation Wednesday. They will play the winner of USL Championship side Phoenix Rising F.C., or MLS side Seattle Sounders, on July 9th or 10th.

This will be the first time The Indomitable Club has hosted a quarterfinal clash at home, already achieving much success in the competition in recent years. Should the Republic advance further, they will also host a semifinal matchup of the U.S. Open Cup.

More details regarding exact date and time will be revealed later this week.

BREAKING: Sacramento Republic FC WILL HOST in the U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals. And they will face the winner of PHX Rising or Seattle Sounders this evening.

July 9th or 10th at Heart Health Park🔥

— Amiliano “Amil” Fragoso (@AmilianoFragoso) May 23, 2024

Republic FC advanced to the Quarterfinals with an extra-time win over MLS side San Jose Earthquakes Tuesday night. Down 3-2 heading. into the final period of extra time, Sacramento flipped the script, scoring two goals in three minutes to punch their tickets to the next round. Two goals by Kieran Phillips in the first half, and late heroics by Luis Felipe and Sebastian Herrera were enough to snatch the win in a derby classic.

“I told them before the game, in Cup games, anything can happen. Absolutely anything can happen. So when things happen, as a group, we’re going to bend and we’re going to struggle, but we don’t break,” Republic coach Mark Briggs said post-match Tuesday. “And I thought tonight we bent a little more than I would have liked, but we didn’t snap, and that shows the collective spirit, the collective togetherness which allowed us to come back into the game and eventually win it.”

Despite winning the draw, the Republic almost missed out on hosting however. Cal Expo had reportedly told Sacramento Republic that they would not be allowed to host the next round of the tournament if they advanced past the Round of 16, due to “state fair preparations”. That remains true after the match Tuesday, setting off a firestorm of criticism towards Cal Expo.

“Well, that’s an absolute travesty. It’s an absolute joke,” Briggs stated in response to the news. “How can we not play here on our home stadium? How can we not allow our fans [the opportunity]? How can we not allow our club to be put on a national platform…They’re not only hurting the team, they’re hurting the city.”

After more than 12 hours of reflection, Cal Expo changed course, allowing Sacramento Republic the opportunity to host should they win the draw.

And alas, they did.

The @opencup Quarterfinals are coming to @HeartHealthPark for the first time in club history 🔥

We’ll host the winner of Seattle Sounders/Phoenix Rising on July 9th or July 10th. Exact time and date TBD.

Get ready to pack the house, Sacramento! #CupSZN pic.twitter.com/nvwIRGYpVX

— Sacramento Republic FC (@SacRepublicFC) May 23, 2024

Sacramento Republic returns to USL Championship action this Saturday, hosting Birmingham Legion F.C. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. and tickets are available now at SacRepublicFC.com/tickets. The match will also be broadcast in English and Spanish on FOX40 and Antenna TV 40.2, as well as streaming on ESPN+, FOX40.com, and through the FOX40 News mobile app.