Republic FC hits the road this week, in search of another big win. On the heels of their 10th straight contest at home without a defeat; the Motor City and USL newcomer Detroit City FC awaits the club for its second inter-conference clash of the season. It won’t be an easy contest, as Detroit has proven to be one of the league’s best on their home turf this season. But if Sacramento’s proven anything of late, it’s that they can beat teams of any caliber.
“Obviously when you come off a result we did last week it gives momentum, it gives confidence,” said Head Coach Mark Briggs on Wednesday. “So the boys are in a good frame of mind.”
The club knows they are in for a challenge – just like they’ve made Heart Health Park a tough place for visiting opponents to play, Detroit City has been equally as good at Keyworth Stadium. At home this year, the club has gone unbeaten in league play, added a victory over a strong Columbus Crew side in an MLS-USL matchup in U.S. Open Cup, and been one of the toughest teams to keep out of the net in the whole league.
“They’re very good on their home field,” Briggs continued. “They’ve made it a fortress for themselves this year. So we’ve got to go in there and get a result and come back with something from the game.”
“The club has a lot of good players. Obviously, their strikers are very good,” said Dan Casey. “We just need to be the same we have been every game. We respect every team we play against, especially this team, so we need to follow our game plan and go from there.”
A few things are on the mind of both players and coaches as the club makes its way to the Motor City. Firstly, staying consistent and keeping intact what’s made for a few memorable nights recently will be key. But perhaps more important are doing things that won’t be a walk in the park against a team like Detroit. If they can start fast, and keep their composure, Sacramento puts themselves in a great position to grab just their second win on the road this season. And it could help set them on a great path forward into their next big week of games.
“We’ll need to be mentally strong, [and] mentally prepared,” said Rodrigo Lopez. “We know what we’re dealing with, and we know that we need a win on the road. I think once this team, once we get to where we’re winning constantly on the road we’re going to be really hard to beat.”
