After Saturday’s thrilling Open Cup victory over the San Jose Earthquakes, Head Coach Mark Briggs was asked where the party would be as the club celebrated victory in possibly its biggest match.
“I wish we could party tonight,” he said. “But we’ve got a game Saturday in Oakland. So we’ll celebrate it then.”
Briggs response perfectly mirrors the club’s mindset heading into their next contest against Oakland Roots SC – even after the mania of a cupset, it’s imperative that they retain their focus as they look to regain form in league play, where they’ve won just once since defeating Monterey Bay F.C. on April 2. Saturday’s match won’t be easy – Sacramento and Oakland played each other tough in four fixtures last season splitting points three times, and this year, each squad is a whole lot stronger.
“We’ve got a lot of respect for Oakland,” Briggs said at training. “They’re a good team and do a number of things extremely well. They’ve got the top goalscorer in the league, so we’ve got to be on our toes, hard to beat, and understand what we’re up against.”
“Wednesday was a big night for everyone associated with the club,” said Lee Desmond. “But we’ve got to let it go now, focus on a local derby on Saturday and make sure we’re all in the best possible shape.”
Playing two matches as meaningful as those on Sacramento’s schedule this week hopefully will keep energy high – having two regional derbies in the same week isn’t something that comes up all that often for any team. However, what often results is a more competitive atmosphere as both squads look to fulfill a responsibility to win, something that has made Republic FC better this season.
“Every game is important, and we want to win every game,” Lacroix continued. “But to beat your neighbors is really special.”
Momentum from Wednesday’s match looks to be a big factor in the trip to the Bay Area, especially as Sacramento looks to regain their form on the road, where they’ve claimed just one win on the season. After beating an opponent of San Jose’s caliber on Wednesday, expectations are high, and the whole squad knows that to continue to get results it needs to stay that way.
“We’ve got to use it [our momentum],” Desmond continued. The confidence is up and the belief is up. We need an away win.”
“Any time you win, you kind of ride high on confidence,” said Lacroix. “We’re energetic; we’re looking forward to what’s to come. The vibe in the locker room is really good and we’re looking forward to getting three points on the weekend.”
