Sacramento takes to the Southwest for quite possibly their toughest road test of the season on Wednesday, continuing the club’s busy stretch of games from July into August. New Mexico United played the club tough back in May, however, this time around they enter as one of the hottest teams in the league and with the advantage of their home turf.
The trip will challenge Sacramento as much as any other match this season. Since the start of 2021 United has fallen just three times at home, and their fans are consistently among the loudest in the league. Also, it’s possible this match could have playoff implications down the line, with New Mexico entering just one place above Sacramento in the table. But Republic FC is no stranger to tough conditions or pressure, having played in possibly the biggest game for any Championship squad this year just last week.
“It’s [New Mexico] not an easy place to go into and they’re always strong at home. They’ve got a good home crowd. It’s not going to be easy, but we’ve got confidence from the last few matches we’ll be taking in,” said Nick Ross.
“Anytime you’re playing against someone close to you in the table you want to take points off them. This could be massive down the stretch,” said Matt LaGrassa.
A win in South Carolina last Saturday gave Sacramento a jolt. A few faces found the net for the first time in league play this year, providing some first half fireworks and bringing the club back from being down in the early goings. They’ll need more similar scoring bursts moving forward, with another quick turnaround ahead of them and a string of matches against strong opponents on the calendar for the rest of August.
“Hopefully we can continue with that, and start to put the ball in the net at a bit higher a rate than we have done,” said Mark Briggs on Monday. “But I don’t care if we score one goal or four goals or five goals. As long as we’re getting points that’s all that matters.
“Attackers function off confidence,” LaGrassa continued. “So hopefully a couple of our guys can take that with them. We’re happy to get goals however we can get them. It’s always great to see.”
Sacramento’s roster has shined in the past week – since facing Phoenix on July 23, 24 different players have suited up for the club and helped grab a draw and two wins. While squad rotation often results in a lower-level performance for some teams, this year it’s made Sacramento stronger.
“It builds confidence in everyone – to the whole roster,” Briggs continued. “Every player on this roster I have full trust in and fully believe in. And that enables us to rotate and rest people in the right moments and keep the team as fresh as we can to try and obtain the results we need.”
