After a great four weeks to open league play for Sacramento, claiming nine points and going undefeated at home, the focus shifts as Mark Briggs’ Men ready for their fifth match of the season. Thursday, the Indomitable Club re-enters U.S. Open Cup play, where they’ll take on an upstart USL League Two opponent in Portland Timbers U23 in the second round.
The tournament brings some high stakes – the winner of the oldest competition in American soccer offers a platform for smaller clubs to show their stuff against those in bigger leagues. But for Sacramento the focus will be simple – win, and go on to prove what they’re capable of against some of the best in the U.S., from MLS clubs to amateur sides sure to feature some impressive talent.
“We need to win. We’ve got to get to the next round, it’s as simple as that.” said Head Coach Mark Briggs. “It’s a competition we want to do well in, hopefully get through some rounds, and face an MLS opponent and test ourselves.”
The tournament does bring some challenges, especially for those facing off with lower-tiered sides. Information squads would use to prepare can be hard to come by; however, that challenge reinforces that Sacramento must rely on their own strengths, and is another reminder of why the tournament is a great platform for every participating team.
“It’s something different – it’s a fun competition,” said defender Conor Donovan. “It gives us a new chance to go out and get better as a team. It reiterates the fact that we need to get better at what we’re trying to do.”
“We take every game as if it’s a serious game; at the moment we’re going forward and sharpening our abilities so everyone is ready when their name is called,” said Zeiko Lewis. “Every game we go into we want to focus on imposing our identity on the other team.”
The tournament offers a special stage to teams of all levels a few members of the squad have experienced firsthand. In 2018, Donovan was a member of the Houston Dynamo team that won the tournament. Just a few years earlier, Mark Briggs coached Wilmington Hammerheads FC to the Round of 16, where they went from playing in front of 3,000 people to taking an MLS club down to the wire in a penalty shootout in front of 22,000.
“It’s a historical competition,” Briggs said. “This competition gives the underdog an opportunity.”
“There can be some Cinderella stories, some upsets,” Donovan continued. “It’s a different ballgame and it creates a different atmosphere that’s a lot of fun – it’s special. You get to see how different leagues play and get a broader look at U.S. Soccer.”
Hear more on U.S. Open Cup and Republic FC’s preparation on the latest episode of The Breakaway, featuring USL on ESPN+ play-by-play announcer Mike Watts:
