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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento Republic FC announced today a partnership with White Claw Hard Seltzer that will see the company’s popular drinks available at Papa Murphy’s Park in Cal Expo  for the remainder of the season.

“We’re excited to partner with White Claw Hard Seltzer to provide our fans with more exciting beverage options on game days,” said Brent Sasaki, Republic FC VP of Corporate Partnerships. “As hard seltzers become the drink of choice for more and more of our fans, it was a natural fit  for us to bring the most popular hard seltzer in the market to Papa Murphy’s Park.”

“The White Claw Team is excited to bring a fan-favorite drink to Papa Murphy’s Park and be part of the Sacramento Republic FC gameday experience,” said Ian Sherman, Mark Anthony Brands, Inc. Vice President, National Accounts. “We are proud to partner with the club as it continues its journey in the USL and into the future!” 

The partnership with Republic FC is the first local sports partnership for White Claw Hard Seltzer, which has become the top-selling hard seltzer in the country since its introduction in 2016.  The drink will be available at Republic FC home matches this season starting with the club’s September 7th game against Tacoma Defiance.

Earlier this year, Republic FC launched the Raley’s Tailgate Zone, which made the club the only sports team in Sacramento with an official tailgating zone at its home games. 

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento Republic FC announced today a partnership with White Claw Hard Seltzer that will see the company’s popular drinks available at Papa Murphy’s Park in Cal Expo  for the remainder of the season.

“We’re excited to partner with White Claw Hard Seltzer to provide our fans with more exciting beverage options on game days,” said Brent Sasaki, Republic FC VP of Corporate Partnerships. “As hard seltzers become the drink of choice for more and more of our fans, it was a natural fit  for us to bring the most popular hard seltzer in the market to Papa Murphy’s Park.”

“The White Claw Team is excited to bring a fan-favorite drink to Papa Murphy’s Park and be part of the Sacramento Republic FC gameday experience,” said Ian Sherman, Mark Anthony Brands, Inc. Vice President, National Accounts. “We are proud to partner with the club as it continues its journey in the USL and into the future!” 

The partnership with Republic FC is the first local sports partnership for White Claw Hard Seltzer, which has become the top-selling hard seltzer in the country since its introduction in 2016.  The drink will be available at Republic FC home matches this season starting with the club’s September 7th game against Tacoma Defiance.

Earlier this year, Republic FC launched the Raley’s Tailgate Zone, which made the club the only sports team in Sacramento with an official tailgating zone at its home games. 

The Indomitable Club kicked off it’s U.S. Soccer Development Academy season over the weekend with four age groups in action. Let’s take a look at how the youngsters did to open up the 2019-2020 campaign…

U-19s

The Republic FC U-18/19s opened the season on a bye week. The eldest group will have to wait until mid-September when the boys in Old Glory Red travel to SoCal for a weekend doubleheader on Saturday, 9/14 against FC Golden State U18/19 followed by a match against San Diego Surf U18/19 on Sunday, 9/15. 

• Current Record:         0-0-0
• Weekend Results:    None 
• Next Up:        FC Golden State – 9/14 at 10 a.m. PT – CYSA Bernadino Fields, #2
                              San Diego Surf – 9/15 at 1 p.m. PT – Surf Cup Sports Park, #8

U-17s

The Indomitable Club’s U-16/17s dropped their opening match, 3-2, to LAFC at Cosumnes River College this past weekend. Emmanuel Johnson opened the scoring for SRFC with an equalizer in the 40th minute and Rafael Jauregui also beat the visiting goalkeeper to level the score again in the 55th minute. The boys in Old Glory Red will look to pick up their first win of the season during their mid-September road trip to Southern California.

• Current Record:         0-1-0
• Weekend Results:    Loss, 3-2, vs. LAFC 
• Next Up:        FC Golden State – 9/14 at 12:30 p.m. PT – CYSA Bernadino Fields, #2
                              San Diego Surf – 9/15 at 11 a.m. PT – Surf Cup Sports Park, #8

U-15s

The SRFC U-15s lost to LAFC at Cosumnes River College over the weekend, 6-1. Lucas Lui scored Republic FC’s only goal of the match in the 65th minute. Eric Kronberg’s side will look to bounce back come mid-September when the team travels to SoCal for a weekend doubleheader against FC Golden State U-15 followed by San Diego Surf U-15 the very next day. 

• Current Record:         0-1-0
• Weekend Results:    Loss, 6-1, vs. LAFC
• Next Up:        FC Golden State – 9/14 at 3 p.m. PT – CYSA Bernadino Fields, #2
                             San Diego Surf – 9/15 at 9 a.m. PT – Surf Cup Sports Park, #8

U-14s

Republic FC’s U-14s cruised to an impressive 9-1 win over Breakers FC this past weekend at Del Campo High School. Both Victor Vieyra and Angad Singh scored a hat trick while Ethan Kelly, Evan Battistessa and Isaac Emojong also managed to beat the Breakers goalkeeper for their first goals of the season. Next up for Gavin Glinton’s boys is a trip to San Juan SC U-14 on September 14. 

Current Record:         1-0-0
Weekend Results:    Win, 9-1, vs. Breakers FC
Next Up:        San Juan SC – 9/14 at 12:30 p.m. PT – San Juan Soccer Complex, Blue 

U-13s

The Indomitable Club’s U-13s blanked Breakers FC over the weekend at Del Campo High School, 1-0, with Omar Marquez scoring the game’s lone goal in the 20th minute. Goalkeeper Izabella Duink recorded her first clean sheet of the season and will look to keep the momentum going when Glinton’s gang travels to San Juan SC U-13’s on September 14. 

Current Record:         1-0-0
Weekend Results:    Win, 1-0, vs. Breakers FC
Next Up:        San Juan SC – 9/14 at 11:00 a.m. PT – San Juan Soccer Complex, Blue

The Indomitable Club kicked off it’s U.S. Soccer Development Academy season over the weekend with four age groups in action. Let’s take a look at how the youngsters did to open up the 2019-2020 campaign…

U-19s

The Republic FC U-18/19s opened the season on a bye week. The eldest group will have to wait until mid-September when the boys in Old Glory Red travel to SoCal for a weekend doubleheader on Saturday, 9/14 against FC Golden State U18/19 followed by a match against San Diego Surf U18/19 on Sunday, 9/15. 

• Current Record:         0-0-0
• Weekend Results:    None 
• Next Up:        FC Golden State – 9/14 at 10 a.m. PT – CYSA Bernadino Fields, #2
                              San Diego Surf – 9/15 at 1 p.m. PT – Surf Cup Sports Park, #8

U-17s

The Indomitable Club’s U-16/17s dropped their opening match, 3-2, to LAFC at Cosumnes River College this past weekend. Emmanuel Johnson opened the scoring for SRFC with an equalizer in the 40th minute and Rafael Jauregui also beat the visiting goalkeeper to level the score again in the 55th minute. The boys in Old Glory Red will look to pick up their first win of the season during their mid-September road trip to Southern California.

• Current Record:         0-1-0
• Weekend Results:    Loss, 3-2, vs. LAFC 
• Next Up:        FC Golden State – 9/14 at 12:30 p.m. PT – CYSA Bernadino Fields, #2
                              San Diego Surf – 9/15 at 11 a.m. PT – Surf Cup Sports Park, #8

U-15s

The SRFC U-15s lost to LAFC at Cosumnes River College over the weekend, 6-1. Lucas Lui scored Republic FC’s only goal of the match in the 65th minute. Eric Kronberg’s side will look to bounce back come mid-September when the team travels to SoCal for a weekend doubleheader against FC Golden State U-15 followed by San Diego Surf U-15 the very next day. 

• Current Record:         0-1-0
• Weekend Results:    Loss, 6-1, vs. LAFC
• Next Up:        FC Golden State – 9/14 at 3 p.m. PT – CYSA Bernadino Fields, #2
                             San Diego Surf – 9/15 at 9 a.m. PT – Surf Cup Sports Park, #8

U-14s

Republic FC’s U-14s cruised to an impressive 9-1 win over Breakers FC this past weekend at Del Campo High School. Both Victor Vieyra and Angad Singh scored a hat trick while Ethan Kelly, Evan Battistessa and Isaac Emojong also managed to beat the Breakers goalkeeper for their first goals of the season. Next up for Gavin Glinton’s boys is a trip to San Juan SC U-14 on September 14. 

Current Record:         1-0-0
Weekend Results:    Win, 9-1, vs. Breakers FC
Next Up:        San Juan SC – 9/14 at 12:30 p.m. PT – San Juan Soccer Complex, Blue 

U-13s

The Indomitable Club’s U-13s blanked Breakers FC over the weekend at Del Campo High School, 1-0, with Omar Marquez scoring the game’s lone goal in the 20th minute. Goalkeeper Izabella Duink recorded her first clean sheet of the season and will look to keep the momentum going when Glinton’s gang travels to San Juan SC U-13’s on September 14. 

Current Record:         1-0-0
Weekend Results:    Win, 1-0, vs. Breakers FC
Next Up:        San Juan SC – 9/14 at 11:00 a.m. PT – San Juan Soccer Complex, Blue

As Republic FC hit the home stretch of the 2019 season, we sat down with the club’s general manager, Todd Dunivant, to get his thoughts on how the year has shaped out so far, what he thinks of the league’s growth and how the SRFC Academy is progressing as it enters its fifth season.

Let’s start off with the current status of the team. How do you see the team now relative to the expectations you may have had in preseason?

I’d say, the story hasn’t finished yet on this season. Certainly at this point in the year to be where we’re at, none of us are content. I don’t think the staff is, I don’t think the players are and it’s something that we have to use to make us better. 

I think our advantage can be that we’ve gone through a lot this year. We’ve had to figure out who we are, we’ve had to really look in the mirror, we don’t have the luxury of brushing things under the rug. We’ve dealt with a lot of adversity, and for us, moving into this final stretch of the last 10 games, playoffs, that can be an advantage for us and we have to use that as an advantage. 

Obviously, we have to get the job done, but we think there’s been a little bit of a turning point after the Reno, Fresno losses. We got eight points out of the next four games, stumbled a little bit in Phoenix, but I think we walked away from that game with a lot of confidence and that is really what this is all about is how do we build the rest of the season into playoffs and make the run when we need to make it, because ultimately the end result is what we’ll be remembered for this year. 
 

Obviously, winning silverware is the ultimate goal, but on a short-term basis heading into the playoffs, what’s the main focus for the team right now? 

I think short-term goal is consistency. This year, consistency has been an issue. We’ve shown flashes of absolute brilliance. There’s a lot of belief within the group, a lot of belief within the team, within the club as a whole and I think we need to show that week-in and week-out, and not one week positive, one week negative and keep kind of going back and forth. 

I think it’s been a little bit of a journey, and again, you have seasons like that, and I’ve never had a perfect season. This is the 15th, 16th professional season for me and never had a perfect one yet. So really, the important thing is how we’re building and that we keep taking steps forward and progressing. Consistency is without a doubt what we need to find and we are trending in the right direction there.

As Republic FC hit the home stretch of the 2019 season, we sat down with the club’s general manager, Todd Dunivant, to get his thoughts on how the year has shaped out so far, what he thinks of the league’s growth and how the SRFC Academy is progressing as it enters its fifth season.

Let’s start off with the current status of the team. How do you see the team now relative to the expectations you may have had in preseason?

I’d say, the story hasn’t finished yet on this season. Certainly at this point in the year to be where we’re at, none of us are content. I don’t think the staff is, I don’t think the players are and it’s something that we have to use to make us better. 

I think our advantage can be that we’ve gone through a lot this year. We’ve had to figure out who we are, we’ve had to really look in the mirror, we don’t have the luxury of brushing things under the rug. We’ve dealt with a lot of adversity, and for us, moving into this final stretch of the last 10 games, playoffs, that can be an advantage for us and we have to use that as an advantage. 

Obviously, we have to get the job done, but we think there’s been a little bit of a turning point after the Reno, Fresno losses. We got eight points out of the next four games, stumbled a little bit in Phoenix, but I think we walked away from that game with a lot of confidence and that is really what this is all about is how do we build the rest of the season into playoffs and make the run when we need to make it, because ultimately the end result is what we’ll be remembered for this year. 
 

Obviously, winning silverware is the ultimate goal, but on a short-term basis heading into the playoffs, what’s the main focus for the team right now? 

I think short-term goal is consistency. This year, consistency has been an issue. We’ve shown flashes of absolute brilliance. There’s a lot of belief within the group, a lot of belief within the team, within the club as a whole and I think we need to show that week-in and week-out, and not one week positive, one week negative and keep kind of going back and forth. 

I think it’s been a little bit of a journey, and again, you have seasons like that, and I’ve never had a perfect season. This is the 15th, 16th professional season for me and never had a perfect one yet. So really, the important thing is how we’re building and that we keep taking steps forward and progressing. Consistency is without a doubt what we need to find and we are trending in the right direction there.

There’s been a lot of player movement this year, especially compared to last season where the roster stayed relatively fixed. We’ve had new guys come in, some guys head out, whether permanently or on loan. Walk us through signings like Thomas Enevoldsen. He’s a big name in the league—how does something like that come about so late in the year? 

The player movement, there has been more this year and sometimes you can’t plan for that. Things come up, things happen. We certainly never planned to transfer Josh Cohen or to lose Josh Cohen. An opportunity arose for him, and ultimately for the club, and it ended up being a win-win-win for everyone involved, but that meant that we had to add another goalkeeper. We were able to find a great one in Bobby Shuttleworth, an MLS starter for a long, long time. Adding veteran leadership to our team in that position was really important, so you kind of have to adapt a little bit. 

A few players went out in [Roberto] Hategan, in [Tyler] Blackwood, Elliott [Hord] is on loan. We’ve had a really deep squad this year, and so it made sense to get Elliott some minutes elsewhere to keep him going. It’s good for us, good for him, and ultimately good for his career. 

And then somebody like Thomas, and even Dariusz [Formella], there’s no secret what our Achilles Heel has been this year, and that’s scoring goals. We haven’t scored goals and initially in the year, we weren’t creating a ton of chances. That’s changed. We are creating a lot of chances now and then during a difficult stretch, we weren’t finishing as a team. We have attacking players that can finish and have proven that they can score goals, but sometimes that gets into your head and it becomes something that it doesn’t need to be. 

There’s been a lot of player movement this year, especially compared to last season where the roster stayed relatively fixed. We’ve had new guys come in, some guys head out, whether permanently or on loan. Walk us through signings like Thomas Enevoldsen. He’s a big name in the league—how does something like that come about so late in the year? 

The player movement, there has been more this year and sometimes you can’t plan for that. Things come up, things happen. We certainly never planned to transfer Josh Cohen or to lose Josh Cohen. An opportunity arose for him, and ultimately for the club, and it ended up being a win-win-win for everyone involved, but that meant that we had to add another goalkeeper. We were able to find a great one in Bobby Shuttleworth, an MLS starter for a long, long time. Adding veteran leadership to our team in that position was really important, so you kind of have to adapt a little bit. 

A few players went out in [Roberto] Hategan, in [Tyler] Blackwood, Elliott [Hord] is on loan. We’ve had a really deep squad this year, and so it made sense to get Elliott some minutes elsewhere to keep him going. It’s good for us, good for him, and ultimately good for his career. 

And then somebody like Thomas, and even Dariusz [Formella], there’s no secret what our Achilles Heel has been this year, and that’s scoring goals. We haven’t scored goals and initially in the year, we weren’t creating a ton of chances. That’s changed. We are creating a lot of chances now and then during a difficult stretch, we weren’t finishing as a team. We have attacking players that can finish and have proven that they can score goals, but sometimes that gets into your head and it becomes something that it doesn’t need to be. 

I think we’ve broken out of that and certainly in adding somebody like Thomas who’s runner-up to the Golden Boot last year and has a history of scoring goals. You add that to offensive weapons, like Cam Iwasa who’s our all-time leading scorer; Villyan Bijev can put the ball in the back of the net; Stefano [Bonomo] can score goals in a lot of different ways; Keven Aleman is such a dynamic player and is now really starting to find his form; Dariusz is a great finisher; Sam Werner has arguably been our most consistent player all season long and has scored big goals in big moments. You have attacking options like that, you’ve got a young player like Mario Penagos, there are a lot of weapons there and we’re going to score goals and we need to put those guys in positions to do that. And when you have an opportunity to get somebody like Thomas on your roster, you have to look hard at it and the cards fell right, and he really wanted to come, as did Bobby, which was important. We want guys who want to be here and both those guys did in a big way because they see what this club is now and where it’s going. 

I think we’ve broken out of that and certainly in adding somebody like Thomas who’s runner-up to the Golden Boot last year and has a history of scoring goals. You add that to offensive weapons, like Cam Iwasa who’s our all-time leading scorer; Villyan Bijev can put the ball in the back of the net; Stefano [Bonomo] can score goals in a lot of different ways; Keven Aleman is such a dynamic player and is now really starting to find his form; Dariusz is a great finisher; Sam Werner has arguably been our most consistent player all season long and has scored big goals in big moments. You have attacking options like that, you’ve got a young player like Mario Penagos, there are a lot of weapons there and we’re going to score goals and we need to put those guys in positions to do that. And when you have an opportunity to get somebody like Thomas on your roster, you have to look hard at it and the cards fell right, and he really wanted to come, as did Bobby, which was important. We want guys who want to be here and both those guys did in a big way because they see what this club is now and where it’s going. 

For fans who aren’t familiar with the behind-the-scenes actions of these player transactions, would you say that it is unusual or common for this much activity at this level, USL, versus what they might see at MLS or other professional sports? 

I’m not sure if it’s common or not. I think it depends. You don’t go into the season saying ‘hey, we’re going to do a bunch of moves or we’re not going to do moves’. I think ultimately consistency is important. Stability, are things that I believe heavily in. Even going from last year to this year we’ve planned to have a little bit more continuity in the roster. It didn’t work out that way for various reasons, but we feel like those decisions were made in the best interests of the club and I think that’s the first and foremost thought process and so maybe it varies from year to year. 

We really like our roster, we believe in it strongly. We think it’s a great group of guys, not just on the field, but off the field and what they do in our community and all of those things. We think that they represent Sacramento and the club in the best possible way and we believe they’re primed for big things over the next ten games and playoffs. I think there’s a lot of belief within the group of how special this team is and can be. It’s our job now to show that and that’s always the trick. But ultimately, we like kind of being the underdog at this point. A lot of folks counted us out, said ‘well, this isn’t your year, you’re kind of a middle-of-the-pack team.’ We don’t feel that way. We have to show it, we have to show that we’re not and prove that we’re not. 

For fans who aren’t familiar with the behind-the-scenes actions of these player transactions, would you say that it is unusual or common for this much activity at this level, USL, versus what they might see at MLS or other professional sports? 

I’m not sure if it’s common or not. I think it depends. You don’t go into the season saying ‘hey, we’re going to do a bunch of moves or we’re not going to do moves’. I think ultimately consistency is important. Stability, are things that I believe heavily in. Even going from last year to this year we’ve planned to have a little bit more continuity in the roster. It didn’t work out that way for various reasons, but we feel like those decisions were made in the best interests of the club and I think that’s the first and foremost thought process and so maybe it varies from year to year. 

We really like our roster, we believe in it strongly. We think it’s a great group of guys, not just on the field, but off the field and what they do in our community and all of those things. We think that they represent Sacramento and the club in the best possible way and we believe they’re primed for big things over the next ten games and playoffs. I think there’s a lot of belief within the group of how special this team is and can be. It’s our job now to show that and that’s always the trick. But ultimately, we like kind of being the underdog at this point. A lot of folks counted us out, said ‘well, this isn’t your year, you’re kind of a middle-of-the-pack team.’ We don’t feel that way. We have to show it, we have to show that we’re not and prove that we’re not. 

Do you think that the success of this club in prior seasons, the consistency of making the playoffs, has inspired that feeling of ‘we want to take down Sacramento’ amongst other teams? Do you sense any of that? 

Without a doubt. We are a game that clubs circle on the calendar, and rightly so. You come into our stadium and there’s 10,000 fans. You don’t see that every week in the USL, so it’s a great environment to play in for visiting players and we’re going to get their best. And again, I love that because it means we’re getting everyone’s bestand that makes us better. New Mexico has a great environment, there are other clubs that have great environments and good fan bases, but Sacramento’s is the best in the league and that ultimately makes us a better team come playoffs. 

Do you think that the success of this club in prior seasons, the consistency of making the playoffs, has inspired that feeling of ‘we want to take down Sacramento’ amongst other teams? Do you sense any of that? 

Without a doubt. We are a game that clubs circle on the calendar, and rightly so. You come into our stadium and there’s 10,000 fans. You don’t see that every week in the USL, so it’s a great environment to play in for visiting players and we’re going to get their best. And again, I love that because it means we’re getting everyone’s bestand that makes us better. New Mexico has a great environment, there are other clubs that have great environments and good fan bases, but Sacramento’s is the best in the league and that ultimately makes us a better team come playoffs. 

On the player side, who’s been your stand-out guy or guys this year so far? 

We’ve had several. You talk about a consistent season from start to finish, Sam Werner has had a great year. He shows up every day, he works hard, he’s dangerous. Even on his “off days,” he contributes something and creates a moment of magic. We’ve had trouble scoring goals, he’s come up big in those big moments, whether it was Open Cup, whether it was playing against the Earthquakes, whatever it is, he steps up in the big moments. He won three national championships at Stanford, he scored the winning goal in his last touch as a senior to win the college cup. He’s got that in his DNA and he’s shown it with us. He’s been as consistent as anybody on the team. 

On the player side, who’s been your stand-out guy or guys this year so far? 

We’ve had several. You talk about a consistent season from start to finish, Sam Werner has had a great year. He shows up every day, he works hard, he’s dangerous. Even on his “off days,” he contributes something and creates a moment of magic. We’ve had trouble scoring goals, he’s come up big in those big moments, whether it was Open Cup, whether it was playing against the Earthquakes, whatever it is, he steps up in the big moments. He won three national championships at Stanford, he scored the winning goal in his last touch as a senior to win the college cup. He’s got that in his DNA and he’s shown it with us. He’s been as consistent as anybody on the team. 

Let’s flip that a little bit and ask you, who do you think has been the most underrated player of the season? That player who may not be getting all the accolades because he’s not scoring goals every week, but is nonetheless making a big impact on the field? 

Usually when I think underrated, I think outside backs and I think our outside backs have been very good this year. Talking specifically about Shannon Gomez, Jordan McCrary and Juan Barahona. I think Juan coming in, doing what he’s done, just having a naturally left-footed option over there has really opened up our offensive play. Funnily enough, adding a defender kind of helped our attack and the reason is because Juan is able to play-make from there. He can cross the ball, he can get in good positions and deliver the ball to where it needs to be delivered, and he loves to get forward. It’s been great to have Juan. He’s in his sixth season as a pro now so he’s been in the game for a long time at a high level and he’s only 23 years old. It’s a great profile for us because as we’re building toward MLS, you can see a lot of potential there. 

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our State of the Republic with GM Todd Dunivant.

Let’s flip that a little bit and ask you, who do you think has been the most underrated player of the season? That player who may not be getting all the accolades because he’s not scoring goals every week, but is nonetheless making a big impact on the field? 

Usually when I think underrated, I think outside backs and I think our outside backs have been very good this year. Talking specifically about Shannon Gomez, Jordan McCrary and Juan Barahona. I think Juan coming in, doing what he’s done, just having a naturally left-footed option over there has really opened up our offensive play. Funnily enough, adding a defender kind of helped our attack and the reason is because Juan is able to play-make from there. He can cross the ball, he can get in good positions and deliver the ball to where it needs to be delivered, and he loves to get forward. It’s been great to have Juan. He’s in his sixth season as a pro now so he’s been in the game for a long time at a high level and he’s only 23 years old. It’s a great profile for us because as we’re building toward MLS, you can see a lot of potential there. 

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our State of the Republic with GM Todd Dunivant.

While the senior squad is currently in the midst of a playoff push, a new season is just beginning for Republic FC’s youngest members. 

The Republic FC Youth Academy, consisting of six different age groups, kicks off its fifth season this Saturday. Founded in 2015, the SRFC Youth Academy provides an elite training environment for developing players to play for Republic FC’s first team, in addition to producing players for the U.S. Men’s National Team at both the senior and youth levels. Last year alone, four Academy players were called up to a U.S. Youth National Team and 11 have received invites since the Academy was created. 

While the senior squad is currently in the midst of a playoff push, a new season is just beginning for Republic FC’s youngest members. 

The Republic FC Youth Academy, consisting of six different age groups, kicks off its fifth season this Saturday. Founded in 2015, the SRFC Youth Academy provides an elite training environment for developing players to play for Republic FC’s first team, in addition to producing players for the U.S. Men’s National Team at both the senior and youth levels. Last year alone, four Academy players were called up to a U.S. Youth National Team and 11 have received invites since the Academy was created. 

On Saturday, the U-17 and U-15 age groups open up against LAFC, while the U-19s are off because LAFC does not have an academy team at that age level. Meanwhile, the U-14s and U-13s have Santa Cruz Breakers FC lined up for this weekend’s opening contest. 

On Saturday, the U-17 and U-15 age groups open up against LAFC, while the U-19s are off because LAFC does not have an academy team at that age level. Meanwhile, the U-14s and U-13s have Santa Cruz Breakers FC lined up for this weekend’s opening contest. 

WHO TO WATCH

Mario Penagos – MF

A talented attacking midfielder who has been part of the Republic FC academy since it’s inaugural season in 2015. Penagos was added to the club’s USL roster last September, joining the first team on a ‘USL Academy’ contract that allows him to play in USL matches while maintaining his NCAA eligibility. 

Penagos made his first team debut in July when he started in Republic FC’s 2-0 friendly win over Club America’s U-20 team. Last season with the U-19s, the Elk Grove native made 18 appearances, starting 16 games, while scoring two goals and providing four assists. In 2016-2017 with the U-14s, he scored 28 goals from 27 appearances, all starts. Penagos also received a call-up to the U-17 U.S. Men’s National Team last year for the 2018 Four Nations Tournament. 

WHO TO WATCH

Mario Penagos – MF

A talented attacking midfielder who has been part of the Republic FC academy since it’s inaugural season in 2015. Penagos was added to the club’s USL roster last September, joining the first team on a ‘USL Academy’ contract that allows him to play in USL matches while maintaining his NCAA eligibility. 

Penagos made his first team debut in July when he started in Republic FC’s 2-0 friendly win over Club America’s U-20 team. Last season with the U-19s, the Elk Grove native made 18 appearances, starting 16 games, while scoring two goals and providing four assists. In 2016-2017 with the U-14s, he scored 28 goals from 27 appearances, all starts. Penagos also received a call-up to the U-17 U.S. Men’s National Team last year for the 2018 Four Nations Tournament. 

Hayden Sargis – DF

A reliable center back who, like Penagos, has been part of the SRFC academy since 2015. Sargis signed his USL Academy contract in early May and has been eligible to play with the first team all season. The Turlock native also made his first team debut as a starter in the July friendly against Club America’s U-20s. During four full seasons with the Republic FC Academy, Sargis has made 96 appearances, 80 as starts. In 19 games last season with the U-19 side, the defender contributed on the offensive front with two assists. 

Hayden Sargis – DF

A reliable center back who, like Penagos, has been part of the SRFC academy since 2015. Sargis signed his USL Academy contract in early May and has been eligible to play with the first team all season. The Turlock native also made his first team debut as a starter in the July friendly against Club America’s U-20s. During four full seasons with the Republic FC Academy, Sargis has made 96 appearances, 80 as starts. In 19 games last season with the U-19 side, the defender contributed on the offensive front with two assists. 

Diego Ramos – GK

A 16-year-old goalkeeper who, since the departure of Josh Cohen and prior to the arrival of Bobby Shuttleworth, has been the primary backup goalie for the Republic FC first team. In mid-July, Ramos was offered a USL Academy contract and immediately became the insurance policy behind Rafael Diaz. The young netminder even came on for Diaz as a substitute and helped to preserve the 2-0 shutout over Club America’s U-20 team in the July exhibition match.

Diego Ramos – GK

A 16-year-old goalkeeper who, since the departure of Josh Cohen and prior to the arrival of Bobby Shuttleworth, has been the primary backup goalie for the Republic FC first team. In mid-July, Ramos was offered a USL Academy contract and immediately became the insurance policy behind Rafael Diaz. The young netminder even came on for Diaz as a substitute and helped to preserve the 2-0 shutout over Club America’s U-20 team in the July exhibition match.

Rafael Jauregui – FW

Considered to be one of the club’s top young talents, Jauregui has been playing above his age and training with the U-17s this season as a 14-year-old. In late July, Jauregui was called up to the U-15 U.S. Boys’ National Team for the 2019 Concacaf U-15 Boys’ Championship and saw a decent amount of action. The young forward started three games, playing the full 90 minutes in two and scoring a goal in the teams’ 3-0 win over Guatemala. Prior to his national team call-up, the Rancho Cordova native made his first team debut in Republic FC’s friendly against Club America’s U-20 in July.

Rafael Jauregui – FW

Considered to be one of the club’s top young talents, Jauregui has been playing above his age and training with the U-17s this season as a 14-year-old. In late July, Jauregui was called up to the U-15 U.S. Boys’ National Team for the 2019 Concacaf U-15 Boys’ Championship and saw a decent amount of action. The young forward started three games, playing the full 90 minutes in two and scoring a goal in the teams’ 3-0 win over Guatemala. Prior to his national team call-up, the Rancho Cordova native made his first team debut in Republic FC’s friendly against Club America’s U-20 in July.

HOW THEY FINISHED LAST SEASON

U-19s

The Republic FC U-18/19s are coming off a campaign that saw the side finish fifth in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference standings (12-6-7, 43 pts.) and scored the most goals in the division (58). The boys in Old Glory Red finished the regular season on a high note with a 3-1 win over Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-18/19’s and will look to pick up where they left off this season. Hunter George led the team in scoring with 11 goals while Cole Rovegno led the U-18/19s in assists with seven. 

U-17s

The Indomitable Club’s U-16/17 side also finished with a solid winning record in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference this past season (13-10-4, 43 pts.) but narrowly missed out on the postseason. The team was unbeaten over their last six matches (5-0-1) and outscored the opposition 19-8. The boys hope they can carry the positive momentum from last season into this one. Nathaniel Carrasco (15) and Emmanuel Johnson (12) were the goal scoring machines while Aris Yang provided a team-high seven assists. The U-17s begin this season against LAFC on Saturday. 

U-15s

The U-15s, coached by Eric Kronberg, finished second in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference with a 16-5-3 record. The team rarely had issues finding the back of the net, given four players scored at least six goals or more with Alex Medina leading the U-15s with eight. Coach Kronberg’s boys hope to emulate the start to the season they did last year when the team started 2-0 and outscored their opponents 13-3. First up for the U-15s this season is a Saturday match against LAFC. 

U-14s

Republic FC’s U-14 side, coached by Gavin Glinton, finished last season strong with 11 goals from the last two matches (both wins). Offensively, the team was a force, scoring four or more goals in 12 games last season. To kick off the 2018-2019 season, Glinton’s boys went on an eight-game unbeaten run (7-0-1) and they hope to do the exact same for the 2019-2020 campaign. The season kicks off for the U-14s this Saturday against Santa Cruz Breakers FC. 

U-13s

The U-13 team, also coached by Glinton, found a winning formula that lasted all season and finished with an impressive 24-4-1 record. The team scored eight goals or more eight times this past season, hitting double digits three times. Defensively, Glinton’s boys kept a solid 11 clean sheets in 2018-2019. First up for the U-13s is a Saturday match against Santa Cruz Breakers FC. 

U-12s

The Indomitable Club’s U-12 supplemental program, coached by Brian Willey, is a separate group from the other Republic FC academies. The U-12’s work with local directors to bring kids in solely for developmental purposes. 

HOW THEY FINISHED LAST SEASON

U-19s

The Republic FC U-18/19s are coming off a campaign that saw the side finish fifth in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference standings (12-6-7, 43 pts.) and scored the most goals in the division (58). The boys in Old Glory Red finished the regular season on a high note with a 3-1 win over Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-18/19’s and will look to pick up where they left off this season. Hunter George led the team in scoring with 11 goals while Cole Rovegno led the U-18/19s in assists with seven. 

U-17s

The Indomitable Club’s U-16/17 side also finished with a solid winning record in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference this past season (13-10-4, 43 pts.) but narrowly missed out on the postseason. The team was unbeaten over their last six matches (5-0-1) and outscored the opposition 19-8. The boys hope they can carry the positive momentum from last season into this one. Nathaniel Carrasco (15) and Emmanuel Johnson (12) were the goal scoring machines while Aris Yang provided a team-high seven assists. The U-17s begin this season against LAFC on Saturday. 

U-15s

The U-15s, coached by Eric Kronberg, finished second in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference with a 16-5-3 record. The team rarely had issues finding the back of the net, given four players scored at least six goals or more with Alex Medina leading the U-15s with eight. Coach Kronberg’s boys hope to emulate the start to the season they did last year when the team started 2-0 and outscored their opponents 13-3. First up for the U-15s this season is a Saturday match against LAFC. 

U-14s

Republic FC’s U-14 side, coached by Gavin Glinton, finished last season strong with 11 goals from the last two matches (both wins). Offensively, the team was a force, scoring four or more goals in 12 games last season. To kick off the 2018-2019 season, Glinton’s boys went on an eight-game unbeaten run (7-0-1) and they hope to do the exact same for the 2019-2020 campaign. The season kicks off for the U-14s this Saturday against Santa Cruz Breakers FC. 

U-13s

The U-13 team, also coached by Glinton, found a winning formula that lasted all season and finished with an impressive 24-4-1 record. The team scored eight goals or more eight times this past season, hitting double digits three times. Defensively, Glinton’s boys kept a solid 11 clean sheets in 2018-2019. First up for the U-13s is a Saturday match against Santa Cruz Breakers FC. 

U-12s

The Indomitable Club’s U-12 supplemental program, coached by Brian Willey, is a separate group from the other Republic FC academies. The U-12’s work with local directors to bring kids in solely for developmental purposes. 

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento Republic FC defender Shannon Gomez underwent surgery on August 21 to repair a meniscus and torn ACL in his right knee. UC Davis Health team physician Cassandra A. Lee, M.D.,  performed the successful surgery on Wednesday.. 

“Shannon underwent successful ACL and meniscus surgery,” said Dr. Lee. “We are looking forward to an uneventful post-operative recovery, rehabilitation and return to the pitch when he is ready.”

Gomez is currently in his second season with Republic FC after joining the club in 2018 from Major League Soccer’s New York City FC. The Trinidad and Tobago international led the team in minutes played this season prior to sustaining his injuries during Republic FC’s July 27th road match against Orange County SC.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento Republic FC defender Shannon Gomez underwent surgery on August 21 to repair a meniscus and torn ACL in his right knee. UC Davis Health team physician Cassandra A. Lee, M.D.,  performed the successful surgery on Wednesday.. 

“Shannon underwent successful ACL and meniscus surgery,” said Dr. Lee. “We are looking forward to an uneventful post-operative recovery, rehabilitation and return to the pitch when he is ready.”

Gomez is currently in his second season with Republic FC after joining the club in 2018 from Major League Soccer’s New York City FC. The Trinidad and Tobago international led the team in minutes played this season prior to sustaining his injuries during Republic FC’s July 27th road match against Orange County SC.

On Saturday night, the boys in Old Glory Red climbed the Western Conference standings up to sixth-place after a 4-0 rout of Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC at Papa Murphy’s Park. Though there were many positives to reflect on from the four-goal rout, here are three that stood out in particular.

On Saturday night, the boys in Old Glory Red climbed the Western Conference standings up to sixth-place after a 4-0 rout of Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC at Papa Murphy’s Park. Though there were many positives to reflect on from the four-goal rout, here are three that stood out in particular.

1. Iwasa is now tied for most all-time appearances.

With his start against Switchbacks FC on Saturday, Cameron Iwasa reached another club milestone. The Sacramento native is now tied with Emrah Klimenta for most USL appearances in Republic FC history at 104. He will likely break the record on Friday night at Phoenix Rising FC, barring an unforeseen absence. Iwasa, who scored a goal and provided an assist on his historic night, is now tied for sixth in the entire league with 11 goals. The assist, his fourth of the season, ties him with Sam Werner as the team’s leader in assists.

1. Iwasa is now tied for most all-time appearances.

With his start against Switchbacks FC on Saturday, Cameron Iwasa reached another club milestone. The Sacramento native is now tied with Emrah Klimenta for most USL appearances in Republic FC history at 104. He will likely break the record on Friday night at Phoenix Rising FC, barring an unforeseen absence. Iwasa, who scored a goal and provided an assist on his historic night, is now tied for sixth in the entire league with 11 goals. The assist, his fourth of the season, ties him with Sam Werner as the team’s leader in assists.

2. New duo deliver on their debuts. 

The night couldn’t have gone any better for the dynamic duo making their first career starts for Republic FC.

Danish striker Thomas Enevoldsen, last year’s USL Golden Boot runner-up and USL MVP finalist with Orange County SC, recently signed from Indy Eleven and wasted no time making a positive first impression with two goals on the night. The first came in the 57th minute when Juan Barahona fired a low cross from the left wing into Iwasa in the center of the field who played the ball into space for a sprinting Enevoldsen. The composed forward collected the ball, picked his spot, and delivered a left footed strike to double SRFC’s lead. The 32-year-old striker netted his second of the contest after punishing the Switchbacks FC goalkeeper’s poor clearance with a shot that trickled through the keeper’s hands and across the goalline for a 3-0 lead.

2. New duo deliver on their debuts. 

The night couldn’t have gone any better for the dynamic duo making their first career starts for Republic FC.

Danish striker Thomas Enevoldsen, last year’s USL Golden Boot runner-up and USL MVP finalist with Orange County SC, recently signed from Indy Eleven and wasted no time making a positive first impression with two goals on the night. The first came in the 57th minute when Juan Barahona fired a low cross from the left wing into Iwasa in the center of the field who played the ball into space for a sprinting Enevoldsen. The composed forward collected the ball, picked his spot, and delivered a left footed strike to double SRFC’s lead. The 32-year-old striker netted his second of the contest after punishing the Switchbacks FC goalkeeper’s poor clearance with a shot that trickled through the keeper’s hands and across the goalline for a 3-0 lead.

New goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth, acquired on loan from Major League Soccer’s Minnesota United FC, made four saves on the night and kept his clean sheet in what was his first match with the Indomitable Club. Shuttleworth is an 11-year MLS veteran and a regular between the sticks for New England Revolution during their 2014 MLS Cup run. His big save in the 86th minute helped preserve the clean sheet—the 12th of the season for Simon Elliott’s men—matching the entirety of last season’s shutouts with 11 games still left to play. 

New goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth, acquired on loan from Major League Soccer’s Minnesota United FC, made four saves on the night and kept his clean sheet in what was his first match with the Indomitable Club. Shuttleworth is an 11-year MLS veteran and a regular between the sticks for New England Revolution during their 2014 MLS Cup run. His big save in the 86th minute helped preserve the clean sheet—the 12th of the season for Simon Elliott’s men—matching the entirety of last season’s shutouts with 11 games still left to play. 

3. Aleman is hitting his stride at a key time.

One of the most impressive performances on the night was that of midfielder Keven Aleman, who was a constant threat to the Colorado Springs back line. The Canadian international provided two assists on the evening, as the midfielder continues to reward Simon Elliott’s trust in him.

3. Aleman is hitting his stride at a key time.

One of the most impressive performances on the night was that of midfielder Keven Aleman, who was a constant threat to the Colorado Springs back line. The Canadian international provided two assists on the evening, as the midfielder continues to reward Simon Elliott’s trust in him.

Aleman’s first assist on the night was a well-timed give-and-go with Jaime Villarreal in the opening half-hour. Villarreal found Aleman who split the visiting defenders with an incisive through ball back to a surging Villarreal’s path. The former LA Galaxy midfielder finished the play off with a clinical shot to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

Aleman showed an equal measure of technical finesse with his second assist (see first Tweet above). Enevoldsen saw Aleman making a run towards the box and sent a long ball to the Costa Rica native. Marked by a defender and with his back toward goal, Aleman shouldered the ball down to himself and flicked a sensational pass, without the ball touching the ground, over to an on-rushing Iwasa who rifled his shot into the top corner of the net for Republic FC’s third goal of the night. 

Republic FC will look to continue their four-game unbeaten run going as they travel to Arizona on Friday, August 23, to take on Phoenix Rising FC. Kickoff against the Western Conference leaders is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT. 

Aleman’s first assist on the night was a well-timed give-and-go with Jaime Villarreal in the opening half-hour. Villarreal found Aleman who split the visiting defenders with an incisive through ball back to a surging Villarreal’s path. The former LA Galaxy midfielder finished the play off with a clinical shot to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

Aleman showed an equal measure of technical finesse with his second assist (see first Tweet above). Enevoldsen saw Aleman making a run towards the box and sent a long ball to the Costa Rica native. Marked by a defender and with his back toward goal, Aleman shouldered the ball down to himself and flicked a sensational pass, without the ball touching the ground, over to an on-rushing Iwasa who rifled his shot into the top corner of the net for Republic FC’s third goal of the night. 

Republic FC will look to continue their four-game unbeaten run going as they travel to Arizona on Friday, August 23, to take on Phoenix Rising FC. Kickoff against the Western Conference leaders is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT. 

Sacramento Republic FC will host Liga MX expansion side FC Juarez in an international friendly on October 9, the club announced today. The match will be held at Papa Murphy’s Park in Cal Expo with kickoff at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will go on sale to the public via Ticketmaster.com starting today at 10 a.m.

Sacramento Republic FC will host Liga MX expansion side FC Juarez in an international friendly on October 9, the club announced today. The match will be held at Papa Murphy’s Park in Cal Expo with kickoff at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will go on sale to the public via Ticketmaster.com starting today at 10 a.m.

“We’re excited to welcome FC Juarez in their first-ever visit to Sacramento and continue providing our fans with another international friendly against a club in a top league,” said Republic FC President & COO Ben Gumpert.  “This also gives us another chance to mix in our very talented Academy players against top flight competition.”

The FC Juarez friendly adds to Republic FC’s history of hosting international exhibitions against teams from Mexico’s Liga MX. The Indomitable Club has previously faced Atlas FC (twice), C.D. Guadalajara (Chivas), C.F. Pachuca and Club America U-20.

Founded in 2015, FC Juarez recently joined Liga MX ahead of the 2019 Apertura season, bringing first-division soccer back to the border city for the first time since 2010. Among their roster, Los Bravos feature right back Israel Jimenez who won the Gold Medal with Mexico in the 2012 London Olympics. Other current and former national team players on the roster include Angelo Sagal (Chile), Dario Lezcano (Paraguay) and Jefferson Intriago (Ecuador). Sagal is no stranger to Sacramento, having previously played for C.F. Pachuca when the Mexican side played Republic FC in a 2017 friendly at Papa Murphy’s Park.

“We’re excited to welcome FC Juarez in their first-ever visit to Sacramento and continue providing our fans with another international friendly against a club in a top league,” said Republic FC President & COO Ben Gumpert.  “This also gives us another chance to mix in our very talented Academy players against top flight competition.”

The FC Juarez friendly adds to Republic FC’s history of hosting international exhibitions against teams from Mexico’s Liga MX. The Indomitable Club has previously faced Atlas FC (twice), C.D. Guadalajara (Chivas), C.F. Pachuca and Club America U-20.

Founded in 2015, FC Juarez recently joined Liga MX ahead of the 2019 Apertura season, bringing first-division soccer back to the border city for the first time since 2010. Among their roster, Los Bravos feature right back Israel Jimenez who won the Gold Medal with Mexico in the 2012 London Olympics. Other current and former national team players on the roster include Angelo Sagal (Chile), Dario Lezcano (Paraguay) and Jefferson Intriago (Ecuador). Sagal is no stranger to Sacramento, having previously played for C.F. Pachuca when the Mexican side played Republic FC in a 2017 friendly at Papa Murphy’s Park.

FC Juarez is managed by head coach Gabriel Caballero who had a decorated career as a player. The Argentina native won six Liga MX titles, as well the Concacaf Champions League twice. He was also part of the C.F. Pachuca side that made history in 2006 by becoming the first Mexican club to win the Copa Sudamericana. Caballero became a naturalized Mexican citizen in 2001 and played in all three of Mexico’s group stage games in the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

The friendly against FC Juarez is included in the Republic FC season ticket member package.  Special group rates and benefits are available for groups of 10 or more. 

FC Juarez is managed by head coach Gabriel Caballero who had a decorated career as a player. The Argentina native won six Liga MX titles, as well the Concacaf Champions League twice. He was also part of the C.F. Pachuca side that made history in 2006 by becoming the first Mexican club to win the Copa Sudamericana. Caballero became a naturalized Mexican citizen in 2001 and played in all three of Mexico’s group stage games in the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

The friendly against FC Juarez is included in the Republic FC season ticket member package.  Special group rates and benefits are available for groups of 10 or more.