The Tacoma Defiance looked a lot different in their 2-1 win over Sacramento Republic FC than they did in the first three matches of the USL Championship season. They lined up with 10 First Team players (Danny Leyva was the only TAC player who started) though only two of them, Will Bruin and Román Torres, had never featured for the Sounders USL affiliate.
Despite the superior talent on the field, the Defiance got off to a disjointed start. They had trouble finding each other, especially in the final third and Republic FC had by far the better chances.