• Sacramento Republic currently sit in 4^th place in the USL Western Conference, 2 positions below and 3 points behind Rising in 2^nd place.
• Last season, Republic lost 3-1 away to Rising, but won the return fixture 2-0 in CA., with second half goals from the Montenegro international defender Klimenta (who has subsequently signed for LA Galaxy) and midfielder Cazarez (who now plays for Fresno FC).
• Republic were the only USL team to bring a noticeable away following to the Valley last season (Section 108), including one fan suffering the AZ heat in a bear costume!
• Unlike Rising, Republic enjoyed Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup success in midweek, defeating San Francisco City FC 3-1, with goals from Keven Alemán, Villyan Bijev and Adam Moffat.
• Alemán joined Republic in the close season from Costa Rican side Deportivo Saprissa.  The midfielder spent 4 years in Costa Rica, playing a total of 64 times and scoring 7 goals at 3 clubs – Herediano, Belén and Saprissa.  He has represented Canada at U17, U20 and full international level, including a friendly against El Salvador in October 2017.  The midweek cup goal was Alemán’s second of the season.  He also scored a first half injury time goal in a 2-1 home win against San Antonio in the opening game of 2018.
• Villyan Bijev is a former Bulgarian U21 international, who originally joined Republic on loan from Timbers 2 last season, scoring twice in 9 games.  Bijev’s former clubs include Fortuna Dűsseldorf and IK Start of Norway (both on loan from Liverpool, where he failed to make a first team appearance), Slavia Sofia and Cherno More in Bulgaria, and Timbers 2.  In 2016 and 2017, Bijev averaged a goal every 3.25 games for Timbers 2 (52 appearances, 16 goals).  Like Alemán, Bijev’s midweek cup goal was his second of the season.  He also scored the winner at home to the Switchbacks on April 18.
• Glaswegian Adam Moffat is enjoying his eleventh U.S. football season, including 136 MLS games at Columbus Crew, Portland Timbers, Houston Dynamo, Seattle Sounders, and FC Dallas.  This is his second season at Papa Murphy’s Park, following a transfer from New York Cosmos (42 appearances, 10 goals).
• Republic’s leading goalscorer is Cameron Iwasa, who joined from Sporting Kansas City.  Iwasa spent the 2017 season on loan to Swope Park Rangers, scoring 2 goals in 22 appearances.  This is Iwasa’s second spell at Republic.  He also made 47 appearances for tonight’s opponents in 2015 and 2016, scoring 13 goals.
• Another threat up front is Christian Eissele.  Born and raised in Florida, Eissele spent the previous 5 years in the Finnish and Swedish leagues, at PS Kemi (twice), IK Brage, and FF Jaro, scoring an impressive 78 goals in 155 league and cup appearances.  Eissele has scored twice for Republic this season – at home to San Antonio and away to LV Lights.
• At the other end of the pitch, there’s a familiar face between the posts – goalkeeper Josh Cohen.  The California-native played 28 games for Rising last season, keeping 8 clean sheets, and conceding a mere 1.13 goals per game.  Cohen’s record this season is equally as impressive.  He’s kept 2 clean sheets and conceded only 12 goals in 10 USL appearances for Republic.
• Cohen is the only player to clock up all 900 league minutes for Republic in 2018.  However, 5 other players have also featured for at least part of every USL game – Moffat, Iwasa, Bijev, Gomez, and Villareal.
• Trinidad and Tobago international Shannon Gomez joined Republic in the close season after 2 seasons at New York City. Gomez failed to make an MLS appearance for the Yankee Stadium Blues – his sole game coming in a 2016 U.S. Open Cup 4^th Round defeat to NY Cosmos.  In 2017, the 21-year-old defender played 10 times on loan at Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the USL.
• Midfielder Jaime Villarreal signed for Republic from LA Galaxy.  He made 7 appearances, including 4 starts with Galaxy after signing his first MLS contract in 2017.  Villarreal also featured 67 times for Los Dos, contributing 3 goals and 7 assists (2014-2017).
• Two other players of note are midfielder Jure Matjašič and defender Cole Seiler.
• Matjašič spent the previous two seasons at NK Domzale in Slovenia’s PrvaLiga. The 25-year-old midfielder, who can play on either wing, made 32 career appearances for NK Domzale, including 4 starts in Europa League Qualifiers, contributing 2 goals and 3 assists.  He has 2 B caps and 1 full international cap for Slovenia – the latter from a 2016 friendly against Turkey.  Matjašič has scored 1 goal in 5 appearances for Republic this season.
• Defender Cole Seiler joined Republic from Whitecaps 2, averaging 88 minutes per appearance in 42 games over 2 seasons.  Seiler also made 2 90-minute appearances for Whitecaps in the MLS in 2016.  Seiler has featured 7 times for Republic this season, including 1 appearance off the bench.
• Twelve players have picked up 14 yellow cards for Republic this season.  However, the sole recipient of a red card, defender Mitchell Taintor, has subsequently departed on loan to MLS side Toronto FC.
• Ten of Republic’s 14 USL goals this season have been scored in the second half, including 8 goals in the last 30 minutes.  They have only failed to score once this season – a 2-0 loss away to Timbers 2 on May 2.  However, they have also benefited from 2 own goals.

• Republic have conceded 7 of their 12 goals in the second half.

From The Ashes Prediction:  A score draw (tie)