Sac Republic to host Sporting Kansas City in historic U.S. Open Cup semifinal
Sacramento Republic FC will host Sporting Kansas City on July 27 in the semifinal match of the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
“One of the biggest matches in club history is coming to the Indomitable City,” the team tweeted on Thursday.
The game will be played at Sutter Health Park, home of the River Cats baseball team. Tickets can be purchased beginning at 1 p.m. Friday on the Republic’s website.
The club advanced to the final four after defeating the Major League Soccer team LA Galaxy 2-1 on the road. It was Sacramento’s first-ever quarterfinal appearance. The win marked the second time Sacramento beat an MLS team in this year’s tournament.
Also, Republic FC became the first club outside the MLS to make the semifinal round of the tournament since FC Cincinnati did so in 2017. Sacramento plays in the second-tier USL and is the only remaining lower division team in the U.S. Open Cup.
Sacramento and Sporting Kansas City have never met, and Tuesday’s match will be the 10th meeting between Republic FC and an MLS club in the Cup. Republic FC’s record against MLS teams in the tournament is 4-5, including this year’s wins against the San Jose Earthquakes and the Galaxy. Sacramento defeated Real Salt Lake and Seattle Sounders FC in the 2017 and 2018, respectively.
Sporting K.C. had an easy time advancing to the semifinal round. Kansas City defeated the USL team from Omaha, Nebraska, 6-0 in the quarterfinal round.
Earlier, the club beat its MLS Western Conference foe FC Dallas in extra time in the round of 32 and the Houston Dynamo in the round of 16, both on their home pitch. Kansas City has won the U.S. Open Cup four times, most recently in 2017.
The winner of next month’s match will secure a berth in the U.S. Open Cup final on Sept. 7. The other semifinal game is between the New York Red Bulls and the winner of the Orlando City SC vs. Nashville SC match Wednesday.
Kickoff for Sacramento’s semifinal match will be set after the remaining quarterfinal match, the team said.
The U.S. Open Cup is named after Lamar Hunt, who owned several sports franchises in Kansas City, including the NFL Chiefs and the the Kansas City Wizards, Sporting KC’s predecessor. The tournament dates back to 1914, and this year’s champion will receive $300,000 and a spot in the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League.
Republic FC returns to USL league play Saturday to face Monterey Bay in Seaside. The game will be televised on Fox 40 at 7 p.m.