SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The San Jose Earthquakes fell to Sacramento Republic FC 4-3 in extra time on Tuesday night at Heart Health Park in the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 16.
San Jose struck first in the 11th minute when Benji Kikanović outpaced his defender on the left wing and fed a streaking Preston Judd, who coolly slotted the ball past Republic goalkeeper Danny Vitiello to open the scoring. The hosts answered when former Earthquakes midfielder Luis Felipe’s cross found Kieran Phillips for the equalizer six minutes later. Sacramento pulled ahead before halftime when Jack Gurr raced down the right wing and his cross was finished by Phillips for his second of the night.
The Quakes refused to fold after intermission, and with 10 minutes left in regulation, Quakes winger Cristian Espinoza bent a free kick from well outside the box into the back of the net to tie the score. With the Republic assailing the net in stoppage time, debutant goalkeeper Jacob Jackson made multiple point blank-saves to keep the match knotted 2-2 as the whistle blew for extra time.
In the 100th minute, San Jose pulled ahead when second-half substitute Hernán López played a give-and-go with Preston Judd to put the Quakes ahead. However, after the extra-time intermission, the Republic responded with two quick goals from Luis Felipe and Sebastian Herrera in the 107th and 108th minute to recapture the game for good in a match that saw four lead changes.
The Quakes return to Major League Soccer regular-season play Saturday, May 25, when they face Austin FC at home. Kickoff from PayPal Park is set for 7:30 p.m. PT and will be broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, as well as on local radio AM 810 The Spread (English) and AM 1370 La Kaliente (Spanish).
MEDIA ASSETS
GAME NOTES
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup – U.S. Soccer's Club Championship in its 109th edition – has crowned a champion since 1914 in every year except 2020 and 2021. The history-filled tournament is conducted on a single-game-knockout basis and open to all professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. In 1999, the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the United States was renamed to honor American soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt.
The Earthquakes now hold a 21-19 all-time record in U.S. Open Cup play and fell to 18-6 against non-MLS clubs.
The Quakes and Republic played a rematch of their 2022 Round of 16 battle at Heart Health Park, which Sacramento won 2-0. The Quails’ magical run ended in the U.S. Open Cup final that season in a 3-0 loss to Orlando City SC.
Quakes goalkeeper Jacob Jackson started in his club debut, making five saves, with many at point-blank range to keep San Jose in the game. Defender Oscar Verhoeven made his 2024 first-team debut and played 45 minutes.
New San Jose midfielder Hernán López scored his third goal in his last four games in all competitions. The Black and Blue’s new Designated Player from Argentina came on in the 67th minute.
Forward Preston Judd scored his second goal and earned his first assist in all competitions this season, while winger Benji Kikanović notched his first assist of 2024.
Winger Cristian Espinoza scored his third goal in all competitions this campaign.
Sacramento Republic FC 4 - 3 San Jose Earthquakes
Tuesday, May 21, 2024 – Heart Health Park; Sacramento, Calif.
Weather: 78° Sunny
Scoring Summary:
SJ (0-1) – Preston Judd (Benji Kikanović) 11’
SAC (1-1) – Kieran Phillips (Luis Felipe) 17’
SAC (1-2) – Kieran Phillips (Jack Gurr) 38’
SJ (2-2) – Cristian Espinoza (unassisted) 80’
SJ (2-3) – Hernán López (Preston Judd) 100’
SAC (3-3) – Luis Felipe (Cristian Parano, Rafael Jauregui) 107’
SAC (4-3) – Sebastian Herrera (Cristian Parano) 108’
Misconduct Summary:
SJ – Preston Judd (caution) 54’
SAC – Rodrigo Lopez (caution) 56’
SAC – Trevor Amann (caution) 70’
SJ – Cristian Espinoza (caution) 104’
SACRAMENTO REPUBLIC FC: Danny Vitiello; Lee Desmond, Damia Viader (Aldair Sanchez 87’), Shane Wiedt (Cristian Parano 105’), Jack Gurr, Jared Timmer (Chibi Ukaegbu 79’); Luis Felipe, Rodrigo Lopez (C) (Rafael Jauregui 59’), Nick Ross; Kieran Phillips (Jonathan Ricketts 79’), Trevor Amann (Sebastián Herrera 87’).
Substitutes not used: Jared Mazzola (GK).
POSSESSION: 49%; SHOTS: 15; SOG: 9; CORNERS: 6; OFFSIDES: 0; SAVES: 4; FOULS: 5.
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES: Jacob Jackson; Oscar Verhoeven (Bruno Wilson 46’), Tanner Beason (C), Daniel Munie, Paul Marie (Hernán López 67’); Alfredo Morales (Jackson Yueill 46’), Niko Tsakiris (Amahl Pellegrino 79’), Jack Skahan; Benji Kikanović (Tommy Thompson 105’), Ousseni Bouda (Cristian Espinoza 46’), Preston Judd.
Substitutes not used: William Yarbrough (GK).
POSSESSION: 51%; SHOTS: 19; SOG: 7; CORNERS: 4; OFFSIDES: 1; SAVES: 5; FOULS: 11.
EARTHQUAKES HEAD COACH LUCHI GONZALEZ
On coming back from a second-half deficit to equalize and then take the lead in extra time before the game-deciding sequence:
“I thought it was much better and that's why we were able to kind of turn the game in terms of possession, terms of creation, in terms of our defensive stability in transitions and in the run of play. I thought the guys executed but then in extra time they're scoring two goals in three minutes, four minutes. Those are two, three minutes we would love to take back.”
On rotating the lineup for the match:
“I don't want to extend maybe guys playing extra minutes that are a little more unpredictable. … Whether they started or they finished the game, we're up 3-2 in extra time with multiple guys that started the last game. It's an 18-man roster, not 20 like in MLS. There's things that we have to adapt to and there's guys we definitely needed to offload midweek so that they can be ready in their MLS game.”
On Sacramento’s scoring plays:
“At the end of the day, they weren't transition moments. They were moments of them breaking our press or breaking our lines. For me, I think we executed until we didn’t, simple.”
On goalkeeper Jacob Jackson, who made several point-blank saves to keep the Quakes in the game:
“There was good feedback on just his him as a teammate in the locker room and his talent. He has MLS experience and he's available and fit our cap. ... We wanted to give Jacob the opportunity tonight because there's good competition there. I thought Jacob was fantastic tonight in the goal. ... We'll look at the tape but we're glad to have him in our depth in our competition.”
EARTHQUAKES FORWARD PRESTON JUDD
On the road match in Sacramento:
“When you come out to their home. It's a tough game. They have good fans. They're a tough team to play. ... It's just not always how you write it up. It's a game within a game. … We got broken down. We just weren't together. Even if we're doing the wrong thing. I think we all need to be together doing it.”
On the ebbs and flows of the game with four lead changes:
“We got momentum. We dominated the second half and we were on top of them. We had two minutes break down. That's just the beautiful game of football. You break down for a little bit. You get scored on and you lose the game. It's just how it is.”
On the back-to-back Sacramento goals in overtime:
“The two goals in a minute and a half was pretty tough, but I think we still fight until the very end to get that tight equalizer. We always will fight to win. That's just who we are.”
