Sacramento Republic looks to bounce back vs. rival Oakland Roots after ‘unacceptable’ loss
Saturday’s home match against the rival Oakland Roots will offer first-place Sacramento Republic FC an opportunity it hasn’t had all season: a chance to respond after a loss in USL play.
“We gotta bounce back. Wednesday was unacceptable,” Republic FC manager Mark Briggs said before Friday’s training session. “You’re going to win games. You’re going to lose games. That’s not the issue. The way in which we lost is unacceptable.”
Briggs’ club dropped its first league game 1-0 on Wednesday in an ugly performance on the road at Orange County, falling to 6-1-3 on the season. Republic FC remains the top team in either USL Championship conference with 21 points in the standings and a plus-13 goal differential.
But losing to Orange County was out of character given the opponent was ranked 11th of 12 teams in the West. It was just the second time all season Sacramento was held scoreless, with the other coming in a 0-0 tie on the road against defending USL champion San Antonio on April 8. Given that Republic FC came away with a point, it was a far more acceptable result than Wednesday’s outcome.
The Roots are coming to Heart Health Park on Saturday ranked sixth in the West at 4-3-2 with 14 points and a plus-five goal differential. It will be Sacramento’s fourth match over the last two weeks, including the U.S. Open Cup loss to the Colorado Rapids on May 9. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
But despite the short turnaround and a number of key players having logged heavy minutes recently, Briggs is optimistic about what Saturday could offer his team.
“It’s perfect,” Briggs said. “We’ve got a perfect opportunity to bounce back at home and put Wednesday right. It’s a perfect end to not a great week. ... I’m glad it’s a local rivalry. I’m glad that it’s a game where you have to be up for it. I’m sure the guys will and the fans will. Hopefully we can put on a performance that shows who we are as a team and represents us in a way that I want us to be represented.”
Briggs said the team traveled home from Orange County on Thursday and indicated Friday’s session was more of a walkthrough, meaning the team had little physical preparation ahead of Saturday’s game. However, familiarity shouldn’t be an issue. Republic FC hosted the Roots and won 1-0 on April 26 in an early round of the U.S. Open Cup.
Facing the rival Roots again should provide a little more juice Saturday night.
“There’s that little more intensity. It’s a little bit testy. There will be some tackles and it’s a little bit fiery,” Briggs said. “There will be some of their fans here and they always get behind their team. It’s a proper rivalry. It’s a game that I always look forward to every year, to be honest. There’s always goals. It’s always exciting for fans to watch — not so much for me to coach. I’m sure the guys will be ready to come back home and show who we are.”
Republic FC after Saturday will hit the road for three straight matches starting Friday at Hartford Athletic before going to play the Tampa Bay Rowdies on June 3 and San Diego Loyal on June 9. Sacramento’s next home game is June 17 against another Northern California rival: Monterey Bay.
