In a weekend battle for the top of the USL Western Conference table, Sounders FC 2 (4-2-1, 13 points) visits defending USL champion Sacramento Republic FC (4-4-0, 12 points) for a rematch of the Rave Green’s 4-2 win in their inaugural match at Starfire Stadium.
“Preki and his team will have revenge on their mind this weekend,” said S2 Head Coach Ezra Hendrickson. “Our group has learned a lot on the road so far, and we should be able to go in there and get points.”
Fans should expect to see a very different match this weekend as Sacramento returns to near full strength with the addition of Rodrigo Lopez, who was out for the previous match on March 21. Lopez was a league MVP finalist for the SRFC in 2014, and has returned to similar form this season. He is tied for second league-wide with five goals, including a strike from 60-yards out against Whitecaps FC 2 that won USL Goal of the Month for April.
S2 provides a goal-scoring force of its own, however, with nine different players finding the back of the net already this season. Forward Darwin Jones leads the team with four goals, tied for fourth in USL. Andy Craven had a standout game against Sacramento in the home opener, battling off two defenders to score the team’s first-ever goal. The rookie from North Carolina has two goals and a team-leading four assists on the year.
Since the two teams’ first meeting, both sides have had varying amounts of success. S2 remains an undefeated 4-0-0 at home, but has only picked up one point in three games on the road. This trip to Sacramento will be a test for the Rave Green, who will want to establish themselves at the top of the table. Sacramento lost at home for only the second time in two seasons, but coming off a bye week, the team will be well rested to defend its turf.
“Regardless of how they have struggled recently, we know they are a really good team,” said Hendrickson. “When we played them at home, it was an evenly-matched game until late in the second half, so we aren’t taking them for granted.”
Kickoff for the rematch is at 7:30 p.m. PT and will be live-streamed here.
