Republic FC getting elite test with Louisville City FC coming to Sacramento on Saturday
The decision makers at Sacramento Republic FC quietly feel confident they have a team that can contend for another USL title this season and Saturday’s match against Louisville City FC is an opportunity to test that theory against another one of the league’s best teams.
“Winning games breeds confidence,” Republic FC manager Mark Briggs said after Thursday’s practice session.
Sacramento (2-0-1) has gotten off to a promising start to 2023, going unbeaten in its first three matches and sitting tied atop the USL Championship Western Conference table with reigning league champion San Antonio FC at seven points. Getting three points against Louisville (2-1-0), which represented the Eastern Conference in the league final last season, would be big not only for the standings, but for Republic FC’s confidence.
“It’s another opponent that we believe we can beat, and now we have to go — not only believe it — but we have to show it,” Briggs said. “It’s another game that you get points (from) hopefully and confidence grows and belief grows, and then we move on to the next opponent.”
Sacramento, of course, came into the season feeling good about last season while being disappointed in not winning trophies. Republic FC made it to the second round of the Western Conference playoffs after becoming just the third lower-division team to ever reach the U.S. Open Cup final.
This year’s roster is considered better than the 2022 iteration. And while the team has gotten off to a strong start in three games, with its only tie coming after a controversial red card forced Sacramento to play down a man for the majority of the match, earning three points against another quality opponent in Louisville would reinforce the team’s belief.
“It’s huge, because if you don’t believe that you can achieve something, you’re never going to achieve something,” Briggs said. “You have to have belief in the initial phase right at the start. And then, obviously, in our world, results instill more belief, more confidence, and then you gain momentum.
“And once you have those ingredients, it enables you to put runs together which hopefully leads to trophies. And that’s our goal.”
Sacramento has on the season has scored three goals and allowed just one, coming in their undermanned tie against Charleston on March 18. Their current three-match stretch marks one of their toughest of the season. Their 1-0 victory last weekend against San Diego Loyal SC, which is considered one of the top teams in the West, leapfrogged them to the top of the Western Conference standings.
Louisville finished first in the East last season before winning two playoff fixtures and advancing to play San Antonio in the USL Championship final. San Antonio is Sacramento’s next opponent in what could be a showdown of the top two teams in the Western Conference.
“The guys have managed to take care of the results and the execution of what we’re asking for over the first three games.” Briggs said. “Now, we have an opponent coming in on Saturday that all the focus is on Louisville City, and how we believe we can get three points at home against a very good team.”
Saturday’s game against Louisville kicks off at 7 p.m. at Heart Health Park at Cal Expo. The Republic will open 2023 U.S. Open Cup play against the lower-division Crossfire Redmond on Wednesday. Sacramento is expected to feature players down on the depth chart and perhaps academy players to rest members of the A-squad.
