With a huge impact in his first season with Sacramento, Russell Cicerone is the 2023 Team MVP, as voted on by his teammates and coaches. He led the squad in appearances and minutes, putting together a campaign that resulted in new club records, highlight-worthy scores, and numerous league accolades.
Cicerone netted the club’s first goal of the season and went on to score 19 goals across all competitions, setting a new club record for goals scored in a single regular season (15). On May 13, he earned his 2nd career hat trick against Indy Eleven, with two of his goals coming in the opening 10 minutes. He also bagged a brace on two occasions, including Republic FC’s thrilling back-and-forth 5-4 win over Crossfire Premier in the opening round of the U.S. Open Cup.
Between USL and Open Cup play, he led the club in minutes played (3,207) and was the only player to appear in every match (40). He also added four assists.
Led by Cicerone, Republic FC finished tied for sixth in the league in scoring with 51 regular season goals, a new club record and 10-place improvement from the 2022 season.
The Michigan-native not only became a quick fan-favorite among Republic FC fans, but also received recognition across the league, earning five Team of the Week Selections, and two Player of the Month nominations – finishing second in April and taking home the award in May. On November 7, he was selected to the USL Championship All-League Second Team, his first-ever career selection to an all-league squad and was named a finalist for Player of the Year.
