Santa Barbara’s Rodrigo Lopez assisted on the game-winning goal, as the first-year club Sacramento Republic FC defeated the Harrisburg City Islander, 2-0, for the USL PRO soccer championship on Saturday at a sold out Bonney Field in Sacramento.
Lopez was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. He chipped a pass to a running Octavio Guzman and Guzman beat the goalkeeper into the right corner from the top of the penalty area. The goal came in the 36th minute. Tommy Smith scored the second goal in stoppage time.
“It’s amazing, man, it’s something I can’t explain my feelings,” Lopez told the media. “When the whistle blew, I just teared up, just from joy because of the hard work I’ve put in, that we’ve put in throughout the year. It’s very deserved by my teammates.”
