Revenge was on the menu Wednesday night, and the San Jose Earthquakes served it ice cold. In a tightly contested US Open Cup Round of 32 clash, the Quakes earned a 2-1 victory over Sacramento Republic FC, avenging last year’s dramatic 4-3 loss in the Round of 16.
This time, San Jose flipped the script, leaning on experience, composure, and home-field advantage to eliminate one of the tournament’s most dangerous lower-division sides. With the win, the Earthquakes advance to the Round of 16, where they’ll host the Portland Timbers on May 20 or 21, continuing their push for silverware in 2025 under Bruce Arena.
The Quakes heavily rotated their squad, with Bruce Arena opting to rest Cristian Espinoza and Chicho Arango—leaving a combined 17 goal contributions in MLS on the bench. The club was looking to see which players could step up and help match last year’s US Open Cup run by reaching the Round of 16.
Arena addressed the media about the lineup decision, noting the need for rotation with a packed match schedule this month.
“There’s going to be some players that have to be rotated,” said Arena, who won the 1996 US Open Cup as manager of D.C. United. “Tonight helps guys get some minutes in. So if they get called on in the next three MLS games, hopefully they’ll be better prepared to contribute.”
San Jose Earthquakes fans also got their first extended look at the highly anticipated signing of Noel Buck. At the same time, squad regulars like Rodrigues returned to the XI despite falling out of favor under Arena.
It didn’t take long for the Quakes to make an impact. Within two minutes, they broke down Sacramento Republic’s backline as Amahl Pellegrino opened the scoring with a quick finish to give San Jose a 1-0 lead.
Pellegrino had additional chances to double the advantage early, but couldn’t convert as Sacramento regrouped and tightened defensively.
In the 44th minute, San Jose struck again, with a team goal of real quality. Niko Tsakiris delivered a highlight-worthy 360-degree turn and assist, setting up Preston Judd for the finish. Tsakiris was the clear standout of the first half, controlling the tempo and creating space with ease.
Tsakiris was asked after the match whether his spinning flick-on assist to Preston Judd was intentional: “Yeah, of course I saw him,.” he said with a laugh.
The Black and Blue nearly made it 3-0 before the break, but Pellegrino missed a sitter that could’ve sealed the game early. Even so, the Quakes dominated the opening half, showcasing the depth and quality that has been built under Arena.
The second half followed a similar pattern. San Jose continued to create chances but couldn’t find a third goal to put the match out of reach. Fans were also treated to the return of Hernán López, who made his first appearance since suffering an injury earlier in the season.
The match took a wild turn in stoppage time. Jamar Ricketts received a red card right before the end of regular time, and Sacramento’s Trevor Amann pulled one back in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
Despite the late drama, San Jose’s early dominance was enough to secure the win, but the former US Open Cup finalist managed to make things nervy with a late push at the end.
Many of the San Jose Earthquakes players who haven’t seen significant minutes in the MLS regular season stepped up in the win over Sacramento Republic. Niko Tsakiris impressed the home crowd and began to build chemistry with Hernán López in the second half.
Tsakiris had high praise for his returning Argentine teammate: “It’s great having him back. It’s another guy that we have going forward. With the quality that he has, we missed him.”
Even with the spectacular assist and a standout first half, Tsakiris was highly critical of his own performance.
“Tonight there were moments and opportunities that I felt were open for me and moments where I felt like I could have done better,” said Tsakiris. “That’s all part of it. Getting these minutes were valuable for me and for this year. (I’m) just looking to take this and move forward with it.”
The US youth international has appeared in just six matches this season under Bruce Arena, but this performance could put the 19-year-old back in the coach’s good graces. With the Gold Cup approaching, Tsakiris will aim to earn more minutes — and possibly make a case for a senior US national team call-up.
The Quakes will look to punch their ticket to the Quarterfinals with a win over the Portland Timbers—a team they recently defeated at home just one match before their US Open Cup victory over Sacramento Republic.
Now in the Round of 16, San Jose is just four wins away from capturing their first trophy under Bruce Arena and securing a spot in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. With depth players stepping up and momentum on their side, the Quakes have a clear opportunity to make a serious run at silverware.