Despite a valiant battle, El Farolito couldn’t stage one more dramatic upset in the 2025 U.S. Open Cup against a professional soccer team and fell to the Sacramento Republic 1-0 on Wednesday night at Heart Health Park in Sacramento.
After beating the third-division Real Monarchs in the first round of the 2025 U.S. Open Cup, amateur club El Farolito came back to defeat second-division Monterey Bay FC 2-1 in the second round to earn a date with Sacramento.
The Republic presented a stiff challenge for the Burrito Boys’ amateur side. Sacramento’s team featured players who made a dramatic run in the Open Cup in 2022, all the way to the championship game, which they lost to MLS side Orlando City. Despite the challenge, El Farolito fought with the USL Championship team toe-to-toe for the whole ninety minutes.
The deciding strike occurred in the 29th minute when Sacramento’s Juan Sebastian Herrera headed home a cross from Rodrigo Lopez that El Farolito keeper Johan Lizarralde had no chance to stop.
Lopez raced to the sideline after scoring and celebrated the goal joyously with his teammates.
El Farolito almost tied the game in the 39th minute when Dembor Benson tried to direct a lofted ball into the box. Benson could not make contact, but the ball bounced on the ground and was still heading into the net, forcing Republic keeper Jared Mazzola to make an acrobatic save to deflect the ball out of bounds.
Both sides had a handful of decent opportunities to score in the second half, including a chance in the 48th minute when El Farolito’s Herlbert Soto found himself unmarked at the top of the box.
Unfortunately for the Burrito Boys, his shot screamed over the crossbar.
As the final whistle blew, El Farolito’s players consoled each other after another brilliant run in the U.S. Open Cup ended.
For the second year in a row, the San Francisco club had the longest run of any amateur team in the Cup competition.
El Farolito now returns to NPSL play, trying to win another championship in the league and return to the U.S. Open Cup in 2026. Sacramento Republic will move on in the Open Cup and find out their next opponent on Thursday morning.
