Before their March 4 season opener, the Los Angeles Football Club traveled to Sacramento for a taste of away soccer before jumping into the real thing.

Joao Moutinho scored the game’s lone goal, and the Black & Gold exerted heavy pressure to top Sacramento Republic FC, a 5-year-old United Soccer League team with visions of joining the MLS as it expands to 28 teams.

Three and a half months later, preparing for Wednesday’s Round of 16 U.S. Open Cup match against visiting Sacramento, LAFC has little to learn from their 1-0 victory on Feb. 25, said Coach Bob Bradley, who expects a confident and experienced opponent that has made changes since the preseason.

Besting the Seattle Sounders 2-1 with a go-ahead goal five minutes before a required penalty-kick shootout, Sacramento (8-4-4, 28 points) sits third in the USL’s Western Conference and enters this stage of the Open Cup for a second time. Sacramento bowed out to the Galaxy in a similar spot in 2017.

Meanwhile, LAFC continues to plow forward during a season of firsts, including its initial Open Cup match, a 2-0 result over the compact and organized USL team, Fresno FC.

“Sacramento is capable of doing a little more in the attack (than Fresno),” Bradley said, “so we’ll find out come game time whether their approach is to be a little more positive or if they still feel like being organized, trying to find chances in counters and set pieces. We’ll be ready for both.”

A win over Sacramento, which won the 2014 USL title in its first season, would set up a July 18 quarterfinal showdown in L.A. against the Portland Timbers, which defeated the Galaxy 1-0 to move on.

Following a brief break at the start of the World Cup, Bradley said his players are rested prior to the Open Cup match and a return to MLS regular-season play at home against the Columbus Crew on Saturday.

In its last contest, LAFC (7-4-3, 24 points) earned a needed victory in San Jose on June 9, though players and coaches agreed it was not their best effort. The 4-3 nail-biter, sealed with stoppage-time goals from forward Adama Diomande and, in the 97th minute, defender Joao Moutinho, has the team in third place in the MLS Western Conference.

NEWS AND NOTES

Center back and team captain Laurent Ciman returned to Los Angeles on Monday after Belgium head coach Roberto Martinez opted to stick with gimpy defender Vincent Kompany rather than replace him on the 23-man roster with Ciman, who waited in the wings on stand-by duty.

“Laurent is such an important leader in our team that he comes back still excited to be in the training facility, back for everything that goes on here every day,” Bradley said. Ciman, 32, practiced with the team on Tuesday and is available for the Columbus match on Saturday night at Banc of California Stadium.

LAFC designated player Andre Horta will be introduced to the media on Saturday, June 23 during a news conference at Banc of California Stadium. The young Portuguese midfielder will officially join the team on July 10 – the opening of the MLS secondary transfer window – and could play in a home Western Conference showdown against Portland on July 15. LAFC general manager John Thorrington said the front office feels “really good about our group” and does not expect to address any glaring needs during the window, which closes Aug. 9. “But all the while,” he cautioned, “the wheels are spinning.”

LOS ANGELES FC vs. SACRAMENTO REPUBLIC FC

Kickoff: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.; Banc of California Stadium

Online Stream: USSoccer.com; LAFC.com

Radio: ESPN Radio app