In first place and coming off consecutive victories, Republic FC sets back out on the road this week. The club kicks off a busy stretch of three games in eight days Saturday – including two away from home – starting against Phoenix Rising FC in the desert.
Both clubs enter their first meeting of the season in good form. Republic FC is unbeaten in eight games to start the season, sitting atop the Western Conference table. Rising FC has won two of its last three contests, and secured points in three of its last four.
“Phoenix away is always a hard game,” said Conor Donovan on Thursday. “It’s a different environment and the weather is a factor with how hot it is. They’re a good team, they’re starting to find form and are coming off a big win in Rhode Island. So it’s going to be a tough one.”
Republic FC heads to Arizona after a stellar April where the club led the West in scoring with eight goals, six of which came in the first half of games. On the backline, Sacramento allowed just two scores from opponents, and only eight shots on target from opponents reached Danny Vitiello between the sticks. All month, the bench contributed to the results, helping keep opponents from threatening late in matches.
“If we can come out with intensity, that’s good for us,” Donovan continued. “One of our strengths from last year, and this year, is our hot starts. If we can do that, we always put ourselves in a good position to win.”
“We’re doing a good job out-possessing teams. We’re winning individual duels, we’re winning the ball back after a certain number of passes,” said Head Coach Mark Briggs. “The group is doing a lot of things right and we’ve just got to continue down this path.”
There’s always a rivalry-type atmosphere when Sacramento and Phoenix face off. The all-time series is tight, with Sacramento claiming eight wins, Phoenix claiming nine and the two clubs splitting points eight times. Republic FC has outscored Rising eight goals to five in their past six contests across all competitions, securing three clean sheets.
“I think we have to come and play a complete 90-minute performance and be at our best from minute one,” said Russell Cicerone. “It’s a difficult environment to go to against a really strong team, and we’re going to have to have to prove ourselves.”
“When the two clubs meet, there’s always an intensity, there’s always a rivalry,” Briggs continued. “There’s always high competition and I think that this weekend will be no different.”
