After consecutive victories, the Indomitable Club turns its attention to the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The club’s second opponent of the tournament is its biggest league rival – Oakland Roots SC – which should make for a spirited contest in the pair’s first meeting this season. The two clubs always play each other tough, and in a win-or-go-home contest, that won’t be going away.
It’s no secret that Wednesday, Sacramento’s going to get Oakland’s best shot. Each time the two squads face off, things are different. Last season’s fixtures were a dogfight resulting in two draws and a Sacramento win by just a single score. Just once has each side taken three points. To emerge on top, Republic FC knows they’ll need to bring a strong performance and maintain their form from league play. Nobody likes to lose to their neighbor, especially one that’s as pesky, determined, and has a knack for playing spoiler as Roots.
“They always seem to find an extra gear when they play against us,” Briggs said of Oakland. “We have to be able to handle that. They have quality players. But we have to play our way, we have to play our style, and we have to come out on the front foot. And if we do those things and play to the level that I know this group can, I think we will be in the next round of the cup.”
“It’s intense. I’ve definitely felt it every time we play Oakland, especially being another one of our closest teams,” said forward Zeiko Lewis. “This game in particular we want to win. No matter when we play them – whether it’s preseason, playoffs, Open Cup, in the league, it doesn’t matter. We want to beat them every single time we play them.”
“We’re expecting a very tough matchup,” LaGrassa continued. “Obviously, they always want to come here and win. We’ll be ready for a battle.”
With Rodrigo Lopez and Dami Viader expected to miss matches following unlucky gameday injuries, the depth of the squad will come into play with a busy schedule through May. “We have a squad of players where I trust every one of them,” said Mark Briggs. “Everybody is competing for a spot on the roster on a daily basis and is ready to step in when their name is called.”
Coming off another victory in league play, Sacramento’s in good form. Through the season’s first month and change, collective performances and detailed execution of everything asked by the coaching staff have stood out. It’s provided a strong platform for the Quails so far this season and been the foundation for their unbeaten start.
“We always have each other’s backs, no matter what. So even when times have been tough, we’ve come together we’ve pushed through,” Lewis said of the club’s strengths. “Even when things are going well, we still stay on top of each other to make sure that we continue to grow, [and] not just be stagnant with where we are.”
“I think collectively being on the same page. Collectively working as a unit rather than an individual,” Head Coach Mark Briggs said of what his team has done so well. “I think the attitude and the mentality that the guys have shown from day one when they reported to preseason up to now has been fantastic.”
