‘Make it hell’: Republic FC welcomes back fans with a mission to be rowdier than ever

Bleachers shaking. Noise so loud visiting teams can’t hear the guy next to them. The absolute certainty that they are not welcome here.

That’s what Sacramento Republic FC wants from its fans as they return to the stadium for their first regular season game in more than a year. Granted, there will only be just more than 2,300 spectators allowed when Republic FC faces Las Vegas on Wednesday night, but coach Mark Briggs wants them to set the tone for what’s to come.

“Be as loud. Be as aggressive. Be as raucous as they possibly can,” he said. “Make it hell for the opposition.”

There will be more fans at future games. COVID-19 rates are plummeting as Californians get vaccinated against the coronavirus, which means restrictions will loosen. The state will lift or change all restrictions on June 15, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s targeted date for reopening the state.

Instead of fans, Briggs and Republic FC would like a band of screaming maniacs to walk back into the stadium. With purpose.

“In a nutshell, I want it to be an atmosphere that opposing teams are intimidated by,” Briggs said. “And we can only have that with the fans in the stands and the fans behind us and being as loud as they can possibly be. ...

“If you look around the country, look around MLS, look around USL, there’s clubs with louder fans than others. I see us being right up there with the best ones. I guess it’s a challenge to the community, to the city, can we be even louder?”

Fans can also welcome Tucker Bone, a Jesuit graduate who played with Republic FC’s academy before shipping off to college at Air Force. The attacking midfielder signed with Republic FC over the winter.

Bone has seen wild American soccer fans in person. After college, he was drafted by the Seattle Sounders and spent a couple of games in the press box. Even behind closed windows, the noise and bedlam of the stadium was a palpable feeling.

“It’s something out of this world,” Bone said.

“That’s one of the top clubs in MLS, so that might be tough to replicate, but as we get our fans back, we can get more of everybody participating, not just the fan section behind goal,” Bone said. “You need everybody because that feeling of having everyone around you supporting, it really sets the tone. The team walking in knows they’re in for a match. And we want to get them off their game by making them feel as uncomfortable as possible. Having the fans there in number really helps.”

Briggs is quick to say he’s been very happy with Sacramento’s fan support. They were missed during the pandemic season last year, with nobody in attendance.

The coach says supporters can win teams games. As fans return, Briggs wants them to be louder and nastier — even the folks in the VIP section.

“When you come out of the locker room and you hear the fans at Heart Health Park, you can hear the music, you can hear them knocking on the bleachers, it just gives you the butterflies,” Briggs said. “It gives you the energy, the buzz we didn’t have last year.”

Fan safety amid COVID-19

Republic FC has outlined a number of changes fans can expect as the pandemic and virus transmission are still factors.

The changes start as fans walk in the front gate, with a temperature screening and a scan of a digital ticket. The team no longer has physical tickets, and was mostly digital in 2019.

Because of the lower capacity, the first few games are expected to be filled by diehard season ticket holders.

Spectators can preorder food and beverages but they will have to eat at their seats; there are no spots to stand around and slurp in the concourse behind the stadium.

Merchandise can be preordered through the team’s app as well, but you can buy gear with electronic payments only.

Hand sanitizer is available throughout the concourse.

And when fans finally get to their seats, they’ll find pods of two and four fans are scattered throughout the stadium, to create social distancing.

Youth team tryouts

Republic FC will soon host tryouts to join its elite youth soccer program, which competes in MLS Next. On Friday and Sunday, players born in 2007 and 2008 can try out for coaches and technical staff. Sessions for players born in 2005 and 2006 are Saturday, June 5 and Sunday, June 6. Registration is at SacRepublicFC.com/TalentID. The fee to register is $100 per player. The sessions will be held Republic FC’s Academy home fields, the Mather Sports Complex.

“Our talent identification sessions are a great opportunity to ensure we are not missing any high-potential players within our region,” said Republic FC academy director Dennis Sanchez said in a news release. “Along with the local club support, our staff have done a tremendous job strengthening the Academy this season during a unique year. It is imperative that we continue to create the best internal environment within our Academy and challenge our players to be their best each day.”

This story was originally published May 11, 2021 at 8:07 AM.