Match Preview: Republic FC vs. AV Alta FC (USL Jägermeister Cup)

Sports stats



USL Sacramento Republic FC

Match Preview: Republic FC vs. AV Alta FC (USL Jägermeister Cup)

April 24, 2025 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Sacramento Republic FC News Release


A new competition begins this week as Republic FC opens USL Jägermeister Cup group play against AV Alta FC.

At a Glance: SAC vs. AV

Date: Saturday, April 26

Kickoff: 7:00 p.m.

Venue: Heart Health Park

Tickets: Purchase here

Drink Special: $5 craft beer until the 30th minute

Watch: FOX40, FOX40.com, ESPN+

About the USL Jägermeister Cup

This year's Jägermeister Cup makes history as the first interleague cup between two professional divisions in American soccer. For the first time ever, the tournament will feature all 38 teams from USL Championship and USL League One. Similar to the World Cup, the competition opens with group play where teams will compete for the top spot to move on. Teams are divided into six regional groups and will play four matches with an even split of home and away, picking up points along the way with the tournament's unique scoring system:

Win = +3 points

Draw (after 90 minutes) = +1 point

Penalty shootout win = +1 point (2 points total for the match)

Loss = 0 points

The winner of each group, as well as the next two highest scoring teams will advance to single-elimination knockout rounds. To increase the level of competition, each group stage game must have a winner. If the match is still level after 90 minutes, teams will head straight to a penalty shootout to determine who will pick up an extra point.

The Jägermeister Cup group matches and single-elimination games provide an opportunity for teams to win silverware, with no impact on the league's standings.

"We're really looking forward to Saturday night at home," said Republic FC Head Coach Neill Collins. "It's a new competition, something different than the league and Open Cup, and we have the opportunity to play a new opponent. So there's a lot to be excited about."

Know Your Club - Republic FC

Saturday's match will be one for Republic FC's record books. Not only will it be the club's inaugural match in the USL Jägermeister Cup, but it will also be the first-ever match against fellow California club AV Alta FC.

Last weekend, the squad closed out its stretch of three games in eight days with a hard-fought 2-2 draw in Phoenix. Sacramento came out of the gates swinging and took a two-goal lead courtesy of Sebastian Herrera and Dominik Wanner, but Rising FC would chip away at the lead and equalize in the second half. Herrera has scored in the last three games and netted the game winner in last Wednesday's Open Cup victory over El Farolito. For offseason addition Wanner, his first USL goal earned him a selection to Team of the Week. Assists came from Jack Gurr, who had missed the last two games due to injury, and Russell Cicerone, who leads the team with two assists and ranks first in the league with 17 chances created.

Rayan Djedje is the only Sacramento player with Jägermeister Cup experience. Last year, the defender helped Charlotte Independence reach the semifinals with 27 clearances and 29 duels won in eight appearances.

Know Your Opponent - AV Alta FC

When it comes to memorable starts and club debuts, AV Alta's has been one of the top stories in USL history in recent years. The team has built a passionate fanbase and won its first-ever home match in front of a sold-out crowd. On top of that, the team has already shown that it can step up in big moments.

Last Wednesday, AV advanced to the Open Cup Round of 32 with a win over Championship side Orange County SC. Down a goal just 15 minutes in, they fought back to score twice in eight minutes to take the lead before OC equalized in the 83rd minute. With the game heading toward a penalty shootout, Head Coach Brian Kleiban made a bold move when he subbed on goalkeeper Denzil Smith in the 119th minute and the decision paid off. Orange County's Kyle Scott stepped up to the spot in the third round of the shootout and Smith dove to his right to make a fantastic save that gave his team the advantage that would eventually help them advance.

In league play, AV Alta is 2-3-0 on the season and last Saturday suffered its first home loss to Spokane Velocity. Despite controlling 67% of the possession and putting eight shots on target, AV couldn't recover from conceding two first half goals. The bright spot was Eduardo Blancas, who scored his first goal of the season with four shots on target and was selected to the League One Team of the Week.

Although it's a new team, AV's roster is one with plenty of experience from various leagues around the world. Republic FC fans might recognize wingback Ash Apollon, who signed for the club after attending the open tryout in 2020. Miguel Ibarra, AV's first-ever signing, returned to play for his hometown team after a storied career that included stints in Liga MX and MLS.

Check out the Sacramento Republic FC Statistics

• Discuss this story on the United Soccer League Championship message board...

United Soccer League Championship Stories from April 24, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central