It’s a big week for Republic FC – after taking two wins in three matches to start the season, Sacramento is getting set for its first official meeting with Monterey Bay F.C. The Seaside club visited the River City in the preseason, however, a lot can change in a few weeks, so the Boys in Old Glory Red are getting ready for an improved squad, and looking for ways to fine tune even after another exciting win.
Through three matches, Republic FC has performed well, finding ways to deliver when it matters most and doing especially well in the second half to put pressure on their opponents. With that in mind, they know they’re in control of their own destiny when it comes to leaving Heart Health Park on Saturday with three points in the bag.
“My message to the group this week is that it’s all about us,” said Head Coach Mark Briggs. “Everything is about what we can do and how we can get better at what we want to do.”
While they are facing off with a squad they’ve seen before – the whole roster knows that they are likely to see something different than they did on March 5. Despite a pair of tough showings for the visitors against Phoenix and Colorado Springs in their first two matches, good teams learn from defeat and it’s likely that Monterey has.
“They added some new players that weren’t there in our preseason match,” 
Briggs continued. “They’re getting more cohesive, and are starting to understand what the coach is asking of them and are coming off a great result in Oakland last week.”
“I’m sure they’ll be a lot better than when we played them [in the preseason],” said Jack Gurr. “But so are we. We’ll be looking to put them on the back foot as soon as they come in and get three points.”
Protecting their home ground maintains important to every one of Mark Briggs’ men as well – especially with two neighboring fan bases likely to set the tone for a spirited contest.
“It’s really important to protect our home field,” explained Nick Ross. “It means a lot when you’ve got your fans behind you, and you have that extra support that kicks you on. Every game we’ve been a goal down and they’ve been right behind us.”
To take advantage of it, Briggs has stressed getting off to a faster start throughout the week- something the squad has vehemently echoed.
“We want to start every game fast, and put out teams early. It’s something we’re looking to change this weekend,” Ross continued.
“Through the first three games we’ve been a bit fortunate and let teams start quicker than we can,” Gurr continued. “Probably the biggest thing we’ll be looking to do is get out of the box fast, and play to our strengths.”
