Sacramento Republic has filed a complaint with the American Football Federation alleging that an Orlando City SC staffer spied on training ahead of Wednesday’s US Open Cup final, multiple sources told ESPN.
ESPN television analyst Taylor Twellman was the first to report news of the staffer’s presence in Sacramento’s training and that the American Football Federation, which runs the tournament, is aware of the situation.
A USSF spokesperson added that the Federation is “investigating” and confirmed that a USSF film crew has footage of the incident.
Orlando said in a statement that “the Club has been made aware of the matter regarding Sacramento’s training session and is working with US Soccer.”
The Orlando employee, who, according to sources, was told ESPN was recognized by a Republic equipment manager as having a connection to Orlando manager Oscar Pareja, was asked to leave multiple times over the course of a 30-year period. 45 minutes. The staffer insisted he was there to meet a friend who was coaching at a nearby field. Republic staff went so far as to park two vans in front of the person to obscure his view of the training, then move him to another location before finally leaving.
An Orlando club source confirmed the staffer’s presence but said there was “no coordinated effort” to have the person observe the training and the staffer did not return with information.
The incident took place Monday at Central Winds Park, a public park in the suburbs of Winter Springs, Florida. In an effort to achieve some privacy, the Republic had chosen not to practice at the Orlando training facility, but then struggled to find another place to train. and was thus forced to train in the park.
Even if the Orlando staffer’s presence and his motivation to attend Sacramento’s training session are confirmed, it’s unclear what sanctions the USSF can impose. The USSF’s Open Cup Open Division handbook doesn’t strictly prohibit what happened Monday, but there is an Arbitration and Discipline Panel that handles protests and general discipline.
Section 306 of the handbook states: “Anyone may make a complaint to the Panel about an action or inaction by an Open Cup team, individual, or group or organization participating in the Open Cup competition. The Panel shall determine whether the conduct complained of is or would be contrary to the welfare of the game. The Panel will take any action it deems appropriate with respect to anyone involved in the complaint, as provided in subsection (c) of this section.”
The handbook adds: “Except for reversing competition results or mandating a replay of a competition, the Panel may take any action it deems appropriate, including suspension or fine, or both, for any matter raised by it. considered under this policy. The Panel may only consider replaying a match or advance a lost team if a protest has been filed. Information after the deadline warrants this discretion.”
The two teams are each aiming for their first USOC crown, with Sacramento, which plays in the USL Championship second division, looking to become the first non-MLS team to win the trophy since 1999, when the Rochester Rhinos, then of the A. league, claimed the title over the Colorado Rapids.
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