Sac Area Pro Recap: An Apology
Before this week's recap, I'd like to issue an apology. Diversity is important. It's one of the reasons I love soccer -- so many players of different sizes, shapes, colors, and beliefs can create something beautiful together on a soccer field.
In an ideal world, it doesn't matter what someone looks like, as long as they can play. Obviously this isn't an ideal world, however, and bigotry does exist, which is why I feel so terrible for my oversight in this space last week. My goal of recapping the fortunes of professional players with Sacramento-area backgrounds is one that started with good intentions, but good intentions don't always lead to correct products.
I scoured the top three leagues in American men's soccer for players for last week's piece. But I ignored a huge portion of the population, the biggest minority in our country: women.
Thanks to Sacramento Republic FC fan Keith James for pointing out my mistake. From now on, I'll work to include female players in this weekly space. I'm going to start this week with just the NWSL, but as I hope to expand other sections of this section, I hope to expand to cover more women's leagues as well.
I apologize to anyone who read my work last week. My mistake should have been obvious to me as I just wrote a piece about the Republic embracing the women's side of the game.
As always, please let me know if I've left anyone out. My preliminary research for female products in the area didn't lead to a ton of results, though the Chicago Red Stars had me fooled for a second as many of its players hail from Elk Grove...Elk Grove, Ill.
Because there are so few female pros from the area, I've slightly increased the radius from which to draw from for said women. Western New York Flash goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland is in due to the proximity of Vacaville to Sacramento (roughly 35 miles) and I've included Redding's Megan Rapinoe because she played youth club soccer in Elk Grove.
This week, I'm highlighting Rowland, who made her first-ever appearance in net for the Western New York Flash. After playing three times for FC Kansas City in the 2015 season, Rowland was traded this month to the Flash.
The UCLA alum played 90 minutes and made two saves in an impressive 7-1 victory over the last-place Boston Breakers, helping the Flash improve to 6-4-0 on the season.
Here's how other Sacramento-area pros fared over the weekend:
National Women's Soccer League
Megan Rapinoe (Seattle Reign FC, Sacramento Pride)
The midfielder wasn't in the 18 for Seattle's 0-0 draw at FC Kansas City. Rapinoe remains out with an ACL tear suffered in December. Season: 0 games, 0 starts, 0 goals, 0 assists.
Katelyn Rowland (Western New York Flash, Vacaville Christian)
The goalkeeper started and played 90 minutes in New York's 7-1 victory over the Boston Breakers. Season: 1 game, 1 start, 0 clean sheets.
Beverly Yanez (Seattle Reign FC, Sacramento State)
The midfielder/forward started and played 90 minutes in Seattle's 0-0 draw at FC Kansas City. Season: 10 games, 10 starts, 1 goal, 2 assists.
Major League Soccer
Miguel Aguilar (D.C. United, Encina High)
The midfielder was not in the 18 for D.C.'s 2-0 victory vs the New England Revolution. Augilar is currently recovering from a right hamstring strain. Season: 7 games, 0 starts, 0 goals, 0 assists.
Quincy Amarikwa (San Jose Earthquakes, UC Davis)
The forward started and played 90 minutes in San Jose's 1-1 draw vs the LA Galaxy. Season: 12 games, 12 starts, 1 goal, 3 assists.
Jalil Anibaba (Houston Dynamo, Davis High)
The defender started and played 90 minutes in Houston's 3-2 loss at the Portland Timbers. Season: 12 games, 11 starts, 0 goals, 1 assist.
Connor Hallisey (Sporting Kansas City, Granite Bay High)
The midfielder/forward started and played 89 minutes in Kansas City's 2-2 draw at the Montreal Impact. Season: 11 games, 10 starts, 0 goals, 1 assist.
Ryan Hollingshead (FC Dallas, Granite Bay High)
The midfielder/defender was not in the 18 in Dallas’ 2-0 victory over Real Salt Lake. Hollingshead is currently out suffering with concussion symptoms. Season: 14 games, 13 starts, 2 goals, 0 assists.
Adam Jahn (San Jose Earthquakes, Sacramento Republic FC, Jesuit High)
The forward was in the 18 and played nine minutes off the bench in San Jose's 1-1 draw vs. the LA Galaxy. Earthquakes season: 10 games, 1 starts, 1 goal, 0 assists.
Jahn was not available for Sacramento's 1-1 draw at Arizona United SC as he was with the Earthquakes. Republic season: 7 games, 5 starts, 2 goals, 0 assists.
Amobi Okugo (Portland Timbers, Jesuit High)
The midfielder/defender was not in the 18 for Portland's 3-2 victory over the Houston Dynamo. Season: 2 games, 0 starts, 0 goals, 0 assists.
Tommy Thompson (San Jose Earthquakes, Sacramento Republic FC, Granite Bay High)
The midfielder was in the 18 but didn't play in San Jose's 1-1 draw vs. the LA Galaxy. Earthquakes season: 10 games, 5 starts, 0 goals, 0 assists.
Thompson was not available for Sacramento’s 1-1 draw at Arizona United SC as he was with the Earthquakes. Republic season: 5 games, 4 starts, 2 goals, 0 assists.
North American Soccer League
Ramon Martin Del Campo (UC Davis)
The NASL, and Puerto Rico FC, are currently on their summer break. Season: 0 games, 0 starts, 0 goals, 0 assists.
United Soccer League
Max Alvarez (Sacramento Republic FC, Sacramento State)
The midfielder was in the 18 and played 29 minutes off the bench in Sacramento’s 1-1 draw at Arizona United SC. Season: 8 games, 2 starts, 1 goal, 2 assists.
Seth Casiple (Portland Timbers 2, Rocklin High)
The midfielder started and played 90 minutes in Portland's 1-0 loss at Saint Louis FC. Season: 9 games, 4 starts, 0 goals, 1 assist.
Cameron Iwasa (Sacramento Republic FC, Jesuit High)
The forward started and played 90 minutes in Sacramento's 1-1 draw at Arizona United SC. Season: 15 games, 11 starts, 6 goals, 0 assists.
Matt LaGrassa (Sacramento Republic FC, Tulsa Roughnecks, Pleasant Grove High)
The midfielder wasn’t in the 18 for Sacramento’s 1-1 draw at Arizona United SC as the Republic this week announced that they loaned LaGrassa to Tulsa Roughnecks FC. "Matt is in a developmental stage in his career and improving constantly," Republic Director of Football Graham Smith said in a statement released by the club. "We are hoping to speed up his development by sending him to Tulsa where he can get meaningful minutes. This is a positive step in his maturation as a player." Republic Season: 2 games, 1 start, 0 goals, 0 assists.
LaGrassa was in the 18 and played 35 minutes off the bench in Tulsa's 2-0 loss to LA Galaxy II. Roughnecks Season: 1 game, 0 starts, 0 goals, 0 assists.