Overview: SAC vs. RI
- Date: Wednesday, July 8
- Location: Heart Health Park
- Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. (gates at 6:00 p.m.)
- Tickets: Purchase now!
- Watch at Home: FOX40+, ESPN+
- Theme Night: Salute to Service, presented by FOX40
- Promotions: $5 craft beer (gates until the 30th minute)
Know Your Club – Republic FC
Republic FC’s return to pitch has been longer than expected – over the weekend, the Indomitable Club was slated to play its first match since June 20, but due to severe weather, the contest was postponed to a later date.
“It’s never ideal to have a game get called off,” said Head Coach Neill Collins. “We put so much preparation into that game, but we recognize that we can’t control it. We’ve all been around the league long enough to know that these are the things that you have to adapt to, and the teams that can adapt the best are the ones that have success.”
“We’re itching to get back,” Collins continued. “We’ve had to wait a little longer than we expected, but we can’t wait to be at home on Wednesday. It’ll be a tough game but an opportunity for us to go out and show what we want to be about.”
Despite the unexpected bye weekend, Republic FC is still in a solid position in a Western Conference table that looks different each week. The Quails now have at least a game in hand on the rest of the conference – and in some cases up to three, giving them ample opportunity to pick up points and climb the rankings during the second half of the season. And with an extremely tight race near the middle of the table, a win on Wednesday would springboard them to fifth place.
Know Your Opponent – Rhode Island FC
For the first time ever, Rhode Island FC is coming to Heart Health Park. The two-time Eastern Conference finalists are currently in 9th place in the Eastern Conference table, despite suffering just one loss in their last five matches.
Last week, they hosted Western Conference leader Orange County SC and picked up a point in a 1-1 draw. Rhode Island came out on the front foot and constantly pinned OC down in the first half with 20 touches in the opponents’ box (to just three for OC), but didn’t have anything to show for it until the 51st minute. An in-swinging corner kick from Amos Shapiro-Thompson was placed in a dangerous area inside the six-yard box, where Hugo Bacharach was able to get a head on it. Just 15 minutes later, however, Orange County equalized as Ousmane Sylla beat his defender 1v1 and slotted a shot across the front of goal and past Koke Vegas.
JJ Williams is putting together another stellar campaign for RIFC. The eight-year USL veteran is on his way to a third consecutive year as the team’s leading goal scorer with six goals, as well as four assists. On June 13, he put in a one-goal / two-assist performance in Rhode Island’s 4-1 win over Loudoun United FC, the team’s second-largest road win.
Head-to-Head
Including regular season and league play, Sacramento is undefeated (1 win, 2 draws) against Rhode Island, with all previous matches being played on the East Coast. Last year, Republic FC claimed a 2-0 win in league play in June before dominating a PK shootout to advance to the USL Cup Final.
