Republic FC Midfielder Rodrigo Lopez Named to USL Championship All-League First Team
November 1, 2022 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – Sacramento Republic FC News Release
Sacramento, Calif. – Earlier today, the USL Championship announced the 2022 All-League teams, honoring the best players across the league for the season. Republic FC midfielder Rodrigo Lopez was named to the All-League First Team alongside ten other top performers from seven other clubs.
“RoRo played the best soccer of his career last season as club captain,” said Republic FC President and General Manager Todd Dunivant. “He was an integral part of our collective success in league, cup and post-season play helping us reach new heights this season.”
Lopez appeared in 25 of 34 regular season matches for Sacramento, while starting each contest in the club’s run to the U.S. Open Cup Final. He finished 2022 with 1,894 minutes in league play, and captained Sacramento in each of his 21 starts on the season. In regular season play, he finished tied for the team lead in goals with seven – and added another in the playoffs.
He led in team assists with eight during the regular season – his second-highest total for a season in his professional career. He finished the regular season with 59 chances created, good for 10th in the league and 3rd in the Western Conference.
He delivered for his club in critical moments all season long. On opening night against El Paso Locomotive FC, he scored the club’s first goal of the year from the penalty spot, then a critical equalizer just before halftime. On June 25, just four days after netting the opening score against LA Galaxy in the U.S. Open Cup, he came off the bench and assisted the first of two goals from Maalique Foster in a come-from behind win over Monterey Bay F.C. He helped the club to results in two home rivalry matches against Oakland Roots, assisting a last-second equalizer on July 9 to secure a 3-3 draw and the winner in the club’s match with the Bay Area side on August 27. In the regular season finale against San Diego Loyal SC, he netted the winning score just two minutes in, threading a shot from the left just inside the post.
Lopez’s play was also recognized league-wide throughout the campaign. He was named the league’s Player of the Month for August after netting one goal and tallying a league-leading four assists in four contests, and earning Player of the Week Honors in Week 22. He was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week six times, earning a spot on the league’s Best XI four times and tallying two selections to Team of the Week Bench.
This is Lopez’s second career All-League First Team selection, and his third All-League selection in USL Championship. He previously earned First Team distinction following the club’s inaugural 2014 season. In 2015, he was honored on the USL All-League Second team. He is one of three Republic FC players all-time to earn the honor; defender Nemanja Vukovic was named to the All-League First Team alongside Lopez in 2014 and midfielder Danny Barrera was named to the league’s top squad in 2016.
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