Republic FC returns to league action on Saturday night, welcoming Birmingham Legion FC to Heart Health Park. Following a mid-week thriller in the U.S. Open Cup, Sacramento remains undefeated on the season with 12 straight matches unbeaten. The match marks Sacramento and Birmingham’s third head-to-head contest all time.
Sacramento resumes USL Championship play having sat atop the Western Conference standings for nine straight weeks. In league play, the club has five wins and five draws on the year and holds the best defensive record in its conference with just eight goals allowed.
“We’re focusing on keeping the momentum, and just keeping the energy going,” Jared Timmer said of Sacramento’s focus this week.
“It’s easy to get up for an MLS game, it’s easy to get up for playing against San Jose or whoever it may be,” said Head Coach Mark Briggs. “We’ve got to make sure we have the same attention to detail, the same focus for when Birmingham Legion roll out on Saturday.”
The Alabama squad visiting this week is always tough to play against. The club is led by a core of established veterans and longtime gaffer Tom Soehn. Legion visits Sacramento after performing well against Eastern Conference leader Charleston on May 15, and a win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies before that. Each of the two previous meetings between Sacramento and Birmingham was tight, ending with 1-0 and 1-1 score lines.
“They have guys who have been doing it for a long time,” said Danny Vitiello. “They’re going to be coming in looking to get something out of the game. So if we have the right mentality, we’re gonna put in a good match.”
“They’re a physical team that pretty organized,” Timmer continued. “So we’ll be ready to impose our style and our plan on the game.”
Through the opening third of the season, Sacramento’s new additions have made a strong impression and been important pieces on the pitch. The trio of Kieran Phillips, Trevor Amann, and Jonathan Ricketts have combined for 10 of the club’s 16 goals on the year across all competitions, each coming up in big moments for the club. Phillips netted a brace in Tuesday’s open cup win, bringing his tally to five goals in five games. Ricketts has netted two goals as a substitute this season, one a game winner and one an equalizer in the final moments.
“We’ve got a roster and a group of players that have a next man up mentality,” Briggs said. “And it [creates] an opportunity for somebody else to step into the team and produce for us.”
