If you’ve been in Sacramento recently, you’ve likely felt the buzz of the biggest gameday in Sacramento Republic FC’s history building as it gets ready to host Sporting Kansas City in the Semifinals of the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday night at Heart Health Park.

It’s a feeling current Phoenix Rising FC midfielder Aodhan Quinn remembers well.

Five years ago, Quinn and his then-FC Cincinnati teammates were in the same shoes as Rodrigo Lopez, Luis Felipe Fernandes, Conor Donovan and the rest of Republic FC’s squad, with one of the Championship’s legends one of the starters in FCC’s Open Cup Semifinal against the New York Red Bulls that played out in front of a backdrop of a sellout crowd at Nippert Stadium.

“Looking back, I think the atmosphere, the vibe of the whole city during that day [was memorable],” said Quinn recently. “It was just incredible, especially being at home, you could just feel like there was something big and important happening in the city. It was just awesome being a part of it.”

Quinn believes this year’s Republic FC squad can go one better than his side did, with the runs the two sides made to reach this point already bearing a striking resemblance.

As in the case of Sacramento, FCC took a pair of victories against regional foes from Major League Soccer – including defeating the Columbus Crew in the first Hell is Real Derby in the manner Sacramento knocked off the San Jose Earthquakes in the Round of 32 this year – and earned a high-profile victory against a fellow lower-division foe – substitute Phoenix Rising FC for Sacramento instead of Miami FC for Cincinnati – as the underdogs grabbed the national imagination in the way Republic FC has this season.

It led to a sense of belief that Cincinnati could continue to upset the odds as the Red Bulls arrived on August 15, 2017.

“There was already just so much excitement with the club already, with where we had gotten to that point,” said current El Paso Locomotive FC defender Matt Bahner, another starter in Cincinnati’s lineup that night. “The energy that the fans constantly brought, we had a great group of guys in the locker room and on the field. Great team. We were confident in ourselves, and we go into the game, I think we all believe we can get a result.”

For Quinn and Bahner, the quality Wright-Phillips brought to the table was the difference between the two sides that night. From their perspective, that may be the thing Sacramento has to guard against most on Wednesday night, with a player like SKC Designated Player Johnny Russell having the potential to play the role Wright-Phillips did in ending their run.

“I think Johnny Russell is their special player,” said Quinn. “I think if anyone on their team is going to make a difference it’s most likely going to be him. I think Daniel Salloi as well, he had a great year last year. You’ve got to watch out for him, but if they’re able to control those guys in one-v-one situations, I think they'll set themselves up for success.”

At the same time, Quinn points to Sacramento’s resilience and ability to deliver from and defend set pieces well as a potential plus point for the hosts. Quinn and Rising FC were eliminated by Sacramento in the Fourth Round of this year’s tournament when a pair of goals stemming from corner kicks proved the difference, and Republic FC has only conceded three goals from either free kicks or corners in the Championship this season according to Opta.

“They're strong defensively. They're solid all over the park,” said Quinn. “They’re good at set pieces, and I think that's a big thing in these Open Cup games. If you can take advantage of set pieces offensively and defensively, it’ll always gives you a chance.”

The other major checkpoint in Sacramento’s favor is its home draw. Republic FC has lost only once at home this season and has advanced in its last 11 home games at Heart Health Park in the Open Cup. That’s not a surprise to Bahner, who was on the opposing side with the Harrisburg City Islanders when Republic FC claimed the 2014 USL Championship Final in its inaugural season.

“It's unbelievable to play in that environment,” said Bahner. “They have a great field, the way the stadium is built. The stands that are behind the goal, they’re really steep. It’s a great environment, great atmosphere playing there. That was early in my career, I hadn't really experienced too much of that, so it was maybe my first taste in a big game with an environment like that, so it was really cool.

“I think that same can be said about playing in Cincinnati with the fanbase we had. That was a huge advantage we would have. It was such a big crowd, it gave us the energy to go forward and put a good performance forward. I’m sure the guys in Sacramento are thinking the same thing.”

“The place will be rocking,” added Quinn. “They’ll probably get a lot of fans there early, as they should, and they’re some of the best supporters in the league. I think they'll really back their boys.”

As longtime lower division stalwarts, both Quinn and Bahner will be cheering Sacramento on in the hopes that they can succeed and make history. For both, Republic FC’s run – as was their own five years ago – is an illustration of the talent that exists across the USL Championship, as the league’s depth and quality has increased year-over-year to make the league as competitive as it now is.

“I think players around the USL, they’re just excited to see another team represented,” said Quinn. “I think a lot of guys in the USL know that the league is getting better, and the players are good enough in this league to play in MLS. Maybe they don't get an opportunity, so now this is kind of the opportunity.”

While they may play for rivals in the USL Championship’s Western Conference now, seeing Sacramento in the Open Cup Final would be something both Bahner and Quinn would be thrilled to see.

“I think it’s great because it showcases the USL and the players,” said Bahner. “It gives you the platform to show to other people and to themselves that there are quality players in this league that can be very successful in this league, and also the leagues above and elsewhere. It’s always great to have, to be able to showcase the USL on a big stage such as this.”

“Whether it’s your team or not, you just want to see the USL team do well,” said Quinn. “Then if there’s a USL team that’s able to get to the Final of the U.S. Open Cup, that would be unbelievable.”