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USL Insights – Inside Out

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 10/26/17, 1:24PM EDT

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Contrasting styles of Swope Park, Sacramento make for an intriguing clash


Photo courtesy Sacramento Republic FC

When the No. 4-seed Swope Park Rangers and No. 8-seed Sacramento Republic FC meet this Saturday evening in the Western Conference Semifinals, on the surface, it would look like a matchup of two teams that bear striking similarities in approach. Both teams like to take care of the ball, sitting in the top five in the USL in average possession, and both finished with a passing accuracy rate above 80 percent in the regular season.

That would indicate similarities in approach, but the manner which the Rangers and Republic FC approach the same goal does differ. Here are three things to look for when the teams square off at Children’s Mercy Park this weekend.

1. REPUBLIC FC DRIVES THE FLANKS

Statistically, there has been no team in the USL that has worked the flanks to try and create scoring opportunities more than Sacramento Republic FC, and its full backs, James Kiffe and Elliott Hord, have been at the forefront of those efforts. The duo ended up 1-2 – Kiffe on 165 and Hord at 128 – in crosses from open play in the 2017 USL season, as Sacramento has looked to push both forward to provide service to the likes of Sammy Ochoa and Wilson Kneeshaw this season.

In the most recent meeting between Republic FC and the Rangers, it was Hord who came to the fore. Sacramento’s right back went two of six in successful crosses on the night and provided the assist on Tyler Blackwood’s game-tying goal in the 88th minute, as the teams played to a 2-2 draw. Hord’s accuracy rate of 30.47 percent for the year is comparable to the likes of Tulsa Roughnecks FC playmaker Juan Pablo Caffa (29.17 percent) or the Charlotte Independence full back Joel Johnson (31.63 percent), both of whom also had solid years.

Kiffe hasn’t had the same success rate as Hord in terms of crosses, but his ability to pinch in off the flank has also paid dividends for Republic FC. Kiffe has created 36 scoring chances this season compared to Hord’s 27, with Opta categorizing seven of the chances Kiffe has created this year as Big Chances, effectively the type that a goal should be favored to be scored from. The influence both players bring could be key, as Republic FC looks for a second consecutive road playoff win.

SRFC's Kiffe (15) & Hord (26)
Passes & Crosses vs. SPR, 8/23/17

2. RANGERS STRIKE THE CENTER

One of the more interesting notes from the last meeting between the Rangers and Republic FC was the number of crosses (13) that Swope Park produced. It was a notable exception to the rule for the Rangers this season, with the side sitting in last place in the league in both crosses overall (300) and crosses from open play (157).

That’s right, Sacramento’s James Kiffe has attempted more crosses from open play than the entire Rangers squad in 2017.

That’s hardly prevented the Rangers from creating chances this year, though. With the side’s tight-knit passing patterns in the final third, Swope Park has been able to create quality scoring chances throughout the season. The Rangers’ 49 Big Chances created put them third in the league behind only Louisville City FC and Reno 1868 FC, as it lined up opportunities from high-percentage areas in the penalty area. A good example of this was SPR’s victory early in the second, where only one chance was created from outside the width of the top of the penalty area.

With central midfielders Christian Duke (34) and Felipe Hernandez (30) sitting behind only the flexible attacking presence of Lebo Moloto (46) in chances created this season for Swope Park, Sacramento’s midfield duo of Jeremy Hall and Agustin Cazarez are going to have to be sharp to cut out danger before it’s too late.

Swope Park Rangers
Chances Created + Shots vs. VAN, 5/5/17

3. KNEESHAW IN BEHIND

If the first two meetings between the Rangers and Republic FC are any indicator, Swope Park is going to probably control the majority of possession, as it looked to pick a way through Republic FC’s midfield to find attacking opportunities. That means Sacramento is likely going to have to take advantage when it can of a high defensive line employed by the Rangers that could allow Republic FC forward Wilson Kneeshaw into attacking space on the counterattack.

Kneeshaw returned to the starting lineup for Republic FC after a late-season injury against Real Monarchs SLC last Friday night, having made an impact as a substitute as Sacramento earned a road draw with Reno 1868 FC in the final game of the regular season. His effort helped set up Sacramento’s goal against Real, but his attempts to try and stretch the play resulted in Kneeshaw being consistently the most advanced of any of Republic FC’s forwards.

Phoenix Rising FC tried to do something similar this past weekend with Amadou Dia, with the left-winger regularly getting the chance to create in the attacking third. If Republic FC can pick out good passes over the top from the likes of Emrah Klimenta, Hall and Cazarez, there could be chances to be had for the visitors.

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