Today, Sacramento Republic FC announced that the club has reached an agreement to add forward Russell Cicerone to the club’s 2023 roster, pending league and federation approval. Per club policy, the terms of the contract were not disclosed.
“Russell is a versatile attacker and proven goal scorer who is coming to Sacramento at the height of his career,” said Republic FC President and General Manager Todd Dunivant. “We feel he fits our system perfectly and has the mentality to drive our attack.”
The Michigan native joins Republic FC following two seasons with USL Championship side Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, where he led the team in scoring both years – adding 16 goals in 2021 and 15 more in 2022. In 67 league appearances, he also created plenty of scoring opportunities for his teammates, recording 14 assists and creating 76 chances. His eight assists in 2021 made him the only player in the league to rank in the top 10 for both goals and assists. His standout play with Pittsburgh has also been recognized throughout the league, with three Team of the Week nods in 2022 and a Player of the Month nomination in August 2021 after scoring the first hat trick in club history.
Prior to joining the Hounds, Cicerone spent two seasons with Saint Louis FC, where he scored 10 goals and three assists in 51 appearances. He helped the team reach the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2020, the furthest St. Louis had ever advanced in postseason play. He also featured for FC Cincinnati in 2018, adding one goal in 10 appearances.
His professional career began in 2017 when he was selected 76th in the MLS SuperDraft by the Portland Timbers. He later joined the club’s USL side, Portland Timbers 2, for the season and scored one goal in 29 appearances. He was also called up to make an appearance for Portland’s MLS side in the Fourth Round of the 2017 U.S. Open Cup.
Cicerone also had an exceptional college career at the University of Buffalo, adding 42 goals and 22 assists in 71 matches across four years. He was selected to the Mid-American Conference’s First Team each season and was named the 2015 MAC Player of the Year. At the same time, he competed for NPSL side FC Buffalo and USL PDL side Michigan Bucks while in college.
Republic FC will continue to build its roster for 2023, the club’s 10th season. The club will host its annual Open Tryouts on January 14-15, giving local players the opportunity to be evaluated by Republic FC’s first-team staff – and at least one player will be invited to join training camp in February for a chance to earn a professional contract. Interested players can learn more at SacRepublicFC.com/Tryouts.
