A mid-week fixture against Central Valley Fuego FC this week continues Republic FC’s busy exhibition slate. Wednesday, Sacramento travels south to face the Fresno club for their fifth preseason friendly ahead of the 2023 season, looking to continue building to opening night on March 11.
At a Glance: #SACvCVF
- Wednesday, February 22
- 3:00 PM PT Kickoff
- No broadcast available
- Ratcliffe Stadium, Fresno, California
Last week, Sacramento rallied back from a two-score deficit against Monterey Bay F.C. to secure a draw, showing great intensity despite playing from behind. The Quails were dangerous up top for the entire match and strong on the defensive end, especially in the second half. Continued press late resulted in Jack Gurr netting two scores in the final ten minutes, sending the club home from the central coast with a result.
Looking ahead, emphasis remains on getting the entire squad into the action and keeping their intensity high. Wednesday’s contest is a big opportunity for the club to continue its progress forward, as well.
“We’ve got to continue to build our fitness, and continue to work on what we’ve been working on in practice,” said Mark Briggs after Saturday’s result at Monterey Bay. “We need to continue to make sure we’re prepared physically and mentally for our first game in El Paso.”
Fuego FC welcomes the Quails exactly one month before their first match of 2023. So far this preseason, they’ve played three contests, including one each against NorCal foe Oakland Roots and former USL club LA Galaxy II. In 2022, they proved to be one of the toughest teams to play against in all of League One, making the night difficult for opponents regularly. The club brings back a bulk of last season’s squad, including USL Championship veteran and former Republic FC attacker Villyan Bijev. They’ll be hungry to show well against a local rival.
