Sacramento Republic FC has re-signed Rodrigo ‘RoRo’ López for a seventh season with the club.The veteran midfielder has long been a captain and star player for the Republic, but his last two seasons were cut short because of injuries. In 2024, he scored two goals and made one assist in nine appearances before tearing his ACL on May 21 during a U.S. Open Cup match. “My injury last season was just a setback and it doesn’t define me,” López said in a statement. “I’m ready to respond with everything I’ve got. I’m back and there is only one thing on my mind - to win another championship for this club and the city of Sacramento.”The Open Cup, the nation's oldest soccer tournament, has been an arena where López has shined with Republic. He led the club to the Open Cup final in 2022 after Sacramento beat three higher division Major League Soccer teams. López became the assist leader in the modern era of the tournament. U.S. Soccer renamed the Northern California Round of 32 and quarterfinal to the “López division” in tribute. It was the only division named for an active player. López will have at least 14 returning teammates by his side as the Republic aims to bounce back from a season where the club failed to advance past the opening round of the playoffs. They include defender Jack Gurr and goalkeeper Danny Vitiello, who were both named to USL Championship All-League teams. A new addition for 2025 will be wingback Dominik Wanner, who has played in Germany. The club has yet to announce its new head coach after parting ways with Mark Briggs. As head coach, Briggs helped propel the team to the Western Conference semifinals in 2022 and its conference finals in 2023. During his tenure, the team reached the postseason in four of five years.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter