Nearly calling it quits and hanging up his boots nine years ago, Sacramento Republic captain Rodrigo Lopez is now one win away from an improbable achievement in American soccer.
As part of the second-division USL Championship, the Republic aim to win the U.S. Open Cup — the country’s oldest soccer tournament — when they clash with Major League Soccer’s Orlando City SC on Wednesday (stream on ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET).
“I still sometimes can’t believe it,” Lopez told ESPN. “Not that I’m saying we don’t deserve it. We definitely deserve it.
“I’m just saying, for a USL Championship team or any lower division team to be in the final of a cup, that is definitely very rare.”
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The knockout competition dates back over 100 years when organized versions of the sport were still developing. The game is now much more sophisticated in the modern era and with the introduction of MLS in 1996, it has become rare to see teams from outside of the top division in the final.
In recent months, Lopez and Sacramento stunned the American soccer world, earning gutsy wins over MLS sides San Jose Earthquakes, LA Galaxy and Sporting Kansas City to reach the final. In the semifinal round against Sporting KC, Lopez stepped up as the hero of the night, scoring the game-winning penalty in a shootout that followed a tense 0-0 draw in regulation time.
Sacramento — the first non-MLS finalists since 2008 — would also become the first lower league team to lift the trophy in the 21st century.
‘Paycheck to paycheck’
It’s a fairy-tale run and one that might not have been a reality if Lopez had ended his time with the sport — which was a possibility nearly a decade ago.
Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Lopez moved to the United States at an early age but eventually made his way back home through the famed Liga MX academy at Chivas. By 2005, Lopez’s career was on the rise through a professional debut with the Guadalajara club’s MLS affiliate, the defunct Chivas USA, and a call-up to the U18 squad for the U.S. youth national team.
Consistent appearances then became difficult to earn for the midfielder at Chivas USA, leading him to a handful of different leagues and teams in a short amount of time. In 2013, he found himself questioning his future during a stint with third-division side Los Angeles Blues (now Orange County SC) in the former USL Pro league.
“I was living paycheck to paycheck … I was sleeping in a closet,” said the 35-year-old. “That just tells you how much love I had for the game.”
