When Republic FC takes to the field for Saturday’s regular season finale, the squad will be up against a newer, but familiar foe in San Diego Loyal SC.
With playoffs play just a week away, the Indomitable Club is looking to close out the season on a high and gain momentum heading into its 8th postseason berth in club history. Not only would a positive result on Saturday secure a home playoff game, but a win against one of the league’s top teams would be Sacramento’s first over the SoCal side and a massive lift for Republic FC.
“It’s going to be a tough game against San Diego. They’ve been good all year,” said defender Dan Casey. “We know they’re a good team and it’s an important game for us. We’re ready for it and looking forward to it.”
“We want to put on a good performance and get three points at home, which will obviously give us confidence going into the playoffs,” said Republic FC Head Coach Mark Briggs. “It’s going to be a difficult opponent and a difficult game for us, but one that we’re looking forward to because it’s like a playoff game. It’s good preparation for the playoffs.”
One big advantage for Republic FC is the club’s Indomitable supporters, who will be celebrated on Saturday’s Fan Appreciation Night presented by UC Davis Health. With the tremendous support of its fans, Sacramento has been strong at home all season long, posting only two losses at Heart Health Park.
“We’re very fortunate to have the fans we have. They’re some of the best in the league,” said midfielder Matt LaGrassa. “We’ve had a pretty good record at home this year and we definitely want to keep that intact. A big piece of that is because of the support that our fans give us.”
“It’ll be great for the fans to get behind the team and make it as loud as we know it can be,” continued Briggs. “It will give the players some confidence going into a game that we know is so important.”
And while the Indomitable Club could easily start looking ahead to the postseason, it’s clear that all eyes are on San Diego this weekend.
“All season it’s been one game at a time, and we’ll continue to do that,” said Casey. “So we’ll focus on San Diego and then when that game is done, we’ll look towards the playoffs.”
