Sac Republic has MLS bid delayed until 2023. What is the team saying about it?
On Friday afternoon, Major League Soccer announced Sac Republic FC and two other expansion franchises would have their entry into the MLS pushed back a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Sacramento and St. Louis will join the MLS in 2023 and Charlotte will join the league in 2022.
Another reason for the delay stemmed from uncertainty about how to design a stadium for the post-COVID-19 era. Construction on Republic’s $300 million downtown Sacramento stadium is expected to start in the fall.
“It has had its many twists and turns,” Sac Republic COO and President Ben Gumpert said on a radio hit with 1140 KHTK Friday. “This community and fan base continues to blow me away and (they have) fought through a lot. This is certainly is another obstacle that we are all facing that has a lot of implications.”
At the club’s final practice before their biggest game of the season against rival Reno 1868, coach Mark Briggs weighed in on the news Saturday.
“Myself, the players, the staff and everybody — they’re disappointed with the news that came out Friday,” Briggs said. “We are no different from the fans or anybody else. We are disappointed with what happened but whether we are going into the MLS in 2022 or 2023, that can’t be our focus. We have a big game to focus on (against Reno). There is disappointment, but it doesn’t really change what we have to tomorrow or the remainder of the season.”
Republic defender Jordan McCary had a taste of the MLS experience with the Seattle Sounders in 2018. He feels for the Republic fans who’ve been waiting a long time for this moment.
“It’s hard for the fans, I feel for them,” McCary said. “Sacramento has supposed to been getting an MLS team for a long time. I know they will be hurt by it but in the long run it will be alright because they want to do things correctly. That’s what makes the most sense for us. As a team right now, we are focused on this team and this game. Right now the mind is on Sunday.”
Sac Republic takes on Reno 1868 on a national ESPN2 broadcast Sunday. It’s an opportunity to showcase the club’s talent and show why they’re worthy of the MLS expansion bid they were granted last October.
“It’s really good for the exposure for the league itself,” McCary said on playing in front of a national audience. “For us, it’s time to really handle it. We’re on ESPN2 and it’s our time to shine.”
Sac Republic FC Upcoming Schedule
July 19 vs Reno 1868 FC, 6 p.m.
July 25 @ LA Galaxy ll, 7 p.m.
July 29 vs Orange County FC, 8 p.m.
Aug. 1 @ San Diego Loyal SC, 5 p.m.
Aug 8. @ Portland Timbers 2, 7 p.m