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It’s a quick turnaround for the Indomitable Club this week as the Indomitable Club hosts Orange County SC Wednesday night at Papa Murphy’s Park at 8 p.m. PT. 

Mark Briggs’ men are fully focused on the game ahead and looking to rebound from the club’s first loss on the 2020 USL Championship season. Before they do, it’s time to take a look at what the squad had on their minds ahead of the midweek matchup against SRFC’s SoCal rival. 

It’s a quick turnaround for the Indomitable Club this week as the Indomitable Club hosts Orange County SC Wednesday night at Papa Murphy’s Park at 8 p.m. PT. 

Mark Briggs’ men are fully focused on the game ahead and looking to rebound from the club’s first loss on the 2020 USL Championship season. Before they do, it’s time to take a look at what the squad had on their minds ahead of the midweek matchup against SRFC’s SoCal rival. 

Head Coach Mark Briggs

On Wednesday’s opponent… 
“Orange County got a great result on the weekend, they beat Phoenix, so they’ll be in good spirits. They’ll be confident coming in here. They’re a good team, they’re an experienced USL team, they have many players that have been in the USL for a number of years, they understand what it takes to win games at this level so it’s going to be a difficult game for us but it’s a game that I’ve said to the players, these are the games you want to play in. You want to play against good teams and the better players in the league and you want to show what’re capable of.”

On if the starting lineup might change given the number of games in such a short period of time… 
“I’ve got a roster where I’m comfortable with whatever player I decide to select. I’m comfortable with what we’re trying to do, obviously we have three games in a very short period of period, a short period of three games within one week, which is a lot. So we have to look at rotations in certain areas, based on the amount of games we have in a short period of time so you’ll see a few changes tomorrow to the team just in regards to getting fresh legs in there and we need to be able to play the way I want them to play.”

On bringing physicality to the game… 
“You have to bring that every single day. If you don’t turn up and you don’t work hard, then whatever talent you have becomes irrelevant. You have to bring the ugly side of the game every time you come out here. You have to run, you have to tackle, you have to communicate, and you have to have that desire, that hunger, that passion to win the game. For me to be better than you, for me to work harder than you if I’m playing against you, that has to be the attitude, that has to be the culture. The ability in that group is there, but the culture and the attitude and the mentality has to be there every time.”

Head Coach Mark Briggs

On Wednesday’s opponent… 
“Orange County got a great result on the weekend, they beat Phoenix, so they’ll be in good spirits. They’ll be confident coming in here. They’re a good team, they’re an experienced USL team, they have many players that have been in the USL for a number of years, they understand what it takes to win games at this level so it’s going to be a difficult game for us but it’s a game that I’ve said to the players, these are the games you want to play in. You want to play against good teams and the better players in the league and you want to show what’re capable of.”

On if the starting lineup might change given the number of games in such a short period of time… 
“I’ve got a roster where I’m comfortable with whatever player I decide to select. I’m comfortable with what we’re trying to do, obviously we have three games in a very short period of period, a short period of three games within one week, which is a lot. So we have to look at rotations in certain areas, based on the amount of games we have in a short period of time so you’ll see a few changes tomorrow to the team just in regards to getting fresh legs in there and we need to be able to play the way I want them to play.”

On bringing physicality to the game… 
“You have to bring that every single day. If you don’t turn up and you don’t work hard, then whatever talent you have becomes irrelevant. You have to bring the ugly side of the game every time you come out here. You have to run, you have to tackle, you have to communicate, and you have to have that desire, that hunger, that passion to win the game. For me to be better than you, for me to work harder than you if I’m playing against you, that has to be the attitude, that has to be the culture. The ability in that group is there, but the culture and the attitude and the mentality has to be there every time.”

Drew Skundrich

On the team creating plenty of scoring chances but still searching for more goals…
“Every team goes through phases and maybe that was a phase that just hit us. It could be a mentality thing, a concentration thing, so we’re just trying to replicate realistic moments in practice, trying to get that engrained into our minds, get our confidence up and just focus on taking care of every opportunity that we have.” 

On if having played a match against Tacoma was an advantage, given Sunday was Reno’s first since returning to play…
“There’s definitely a certain level of accountability. We don’t have zero accountability, but we don’t have enough yet and that’s on us as players. [Coach Briggs] can keep us accountable as much as he wants but it’s not until we start taking responsibility for our actions and what we do on the field that we get to the level that we need to be at. That’s on us as players to take care of that.”

On focusing on trying to create and capitalize off set pieces…
“That’s a huge part of the game offensively and defensively, we got scored on off a set piece last week, so we need to take care of that. We scored off a set piece against Tacoma, had a few chances against Reno and LA as well. Just getting all the timing down, the repetition from set pieces helps a lot. From an organizational standpoint, we’re still trying to all get on the same page for the entire game because there are times when we’re switching off and that can’t happen. We just need to work on the timing of when to press, where to be, when to help each other out in certain situations, so it’s a big focus.”

Drew Skundrich

On the team creating plenty of scoring chances but still searching for more goals…
“Every team goes through phases and maybe that was a phase that just hit us. It could be a mentality thing, a concentration thing, so we’re just trying to replicate realistic moments in practice, trying to get that engrained into our minds, get our confidence up and just focus on taking care of every opportunity that we have.” 

On if having played a match against Tacoma was an advantage, given Sunday was Reno’s first since returning to play…
“There’s definitely a certain level of accountability. We don’t have zero accountability, but we don’t have enough yet and that’s on us as players. [Coach Briggs] can keep us accountable as much as he wants but it’s not until we start taking responsibility for our actions and what we do on the field that we get to the level that we need to be at. That’s on us as players to take care of that.”

On focusing on trying to create and capitalize off set pieces…
“That’s a huge part of the game offensively and defensively, we got scored on off a set piece last week, so we need to take care of that. We scored off a set piece against Tacoma, had a few chances against Reno and LA as well. Just getting all the timing down, the repetition from set pieces helps a lot. From an organizational standpoint, we’re still trying to all get on the same page for the entire game because there are times when we’re switching off and that can’t happen. We just need to work on the timing of when to press, where to be, when to help each other out in certain situations, so it’s a big focus.”

There should never be any doubting Dariusz Formella’s focus on the field. 

Darek’s laser-sharp attention to detail in his craft is turning the former Lech Poznan player into one of the USL Championship’s most lethal assassins – and it showed when Republic FC restarted its regular season against Tacoma Defiance as Formella bagged his first career brace with the Indomitable Club. 

His first goal of the game was from the penalty spot, another first for Formella when the versatile goalscorer stepped up to the spot and steered his shot into the back of the net. His second was an attempt from just inside the box that he effortlessly guided into goal; a shot that looked as if came from the foot of a pure, natural striker. 

A it turns out, it did. 

“I was a striker from when I started playing until I was 17 or 18, then I went to one club where there was a big star striker on the team, so the coach decided to put me on the wing,” Formella explained. 

There should never be any doubting Dariusz Formella’s focus on the field. 

Darek’s laser-sharp attention to detail in his craft is turning the former Lech Poznan player into one of the USL Championship’s most lethal assassins – and it showed when Republic FC restarted its regular season against Tacoma Defiance as Formella bagged his first career brace with the Indomitable Club. 

His first goal of the game was from the penalty spot, another first for Formella when the versatile goalscorer stepped up to the spot and steered his shot into the back of the net. His second was an attempt from just inside the box that he effortlessly guided into goal; a shot that looked as if came from the foot of a pure, natural striker. 

A it turns out, it did. 

“I was a striker from when I started playing until I was 17 or 18, then I went to one club where there was a big star striker on the team, so the coach decided to put me on the wing,” Formella explained. 

In the short time the former Poland U-21 Men’s National Team player has been upfront for the boys in Old Glory Red, he’s already made a positive impression by matching his goalscoring tally from last season in just a single 45-minute half of play. But Formella credits this recent success to all the knowledge he’s obtained over his years in the game, and all the hard work he’s put in along the way. 

“I feel very good there as a striker, I feel like that’s my natural position, but I think those five or six years I played as a winger helped me a lot because as a winger, you need to work more defensively, you have to take care of creating chances for other players. Now I can be the more complete player,” Darek said. “It’s not always about just scoring goals, I can pass the ball, I can create, I can hold the ball, and I think that work now has paid off.”

Over time, Formella has molded himself into an offensive player with as many skills and talents as a Swiss-army knife. He’s a multi-tool weapon for the gaffer to call upon at any time, for any attacking role. 

In the short time the former Poland U-21 Men’s National Team player has been upfront for the boys in Old Glory Red, he’s already made a positive impression by matching his goalscoring tally from last season in just a single 45-minute half of play. But Formella credits this recent success to all the knowledge he’s obtained over his years in the game, and all the hard work he’s put in along the way. 

“I feel very good there as a striker, I feel like that’s my natural position, but I think those five or six years I played as a winger helped me a lot because as a winger, you need to work more defensively, you have to take care of creating chances for other players. Now I can be the more complete player,” Darek said. “It’s not always about just scoring goals, I can pass the ball, I can create, I can hold the ball, and I think that work now has paid off.”

Over time, Formella has molded himself into an offensive player with as many skills and talents as a Swiss-army knife. He’s a multi-tool weapon for the gaffer to call upon at any time, for any attacking role. 

Offense aside, the former Polish first division league title-winner with Lech Poznan – and Polish Cup champion with Arka Gdynia – has more attributes in his toolbox than just an eye for goal. On the flanks, Formella is still as lethal as he is in the center of the pitch as a provider of services and scoring chances to his teammates. 

Regardless of his strongest position, above everything else, Formella is a loyal teammate with an unbreakable commitment to giving everything he has for the men alongside him. Formella is the ultimate team player, a first-class fit for Head Coach Mark Briggs’ system, and he’s relishing the chance to play in a new role under the boss – while finding success doing it as well. 

“I think it depends on the philosophy of the coach,” Formella said in response to how well he’s adapted to the new system. “If you’re just playing long balls and crosses, I think that’s very hard for me. But now I know the tactics, I know what the coach wants from me and what he wants from the team. I understand very well how he wants to play and I love the way he wants to play so I’m just trying to enjoy it.”

Offense aside, the former Polish first division league title-winner with Lech Poznan – and Polish Cup champion with Arka Gdynia – has more attributes in his toolbox than just an eye for goal. On the flanks, Formella is still as lethal as he is in the center of the pitch as a provider of services and scoring chances to his teammates. 

Regardless of his strongest position, above everything else, Formella is a loyal teammate with an unbreakable commitment to giving everything he has for the men alongside him. Formella is the ultimate team player, a first-class fit for Head Coach Mark Briggs’ system, and he’s relishing the chance to play in a new role under the boss – while finding success doing it as well. 

“I think it depends on the philosophy of the coach,” Formella said in response to how well he’s adapted to the new system. “If you’re just playing long balls and crosses, I think that’s very hard for me. But now I know the tactics, I know what the coach wants from me and what he wants from the team. I understand very well how he wants to play and I love the way he wants to play so I’m just trying to enjoy it.”

Formella is fully focused on buying into the boss’s style of play, similarly to when he was ready to focus on pursuing an entirely new chapter in his pro soccer career, playing professionally in North America – and it was a move he wasn’t exactly expecting years before. 

“Honestly, when I was 19 or 20, I did play in Europa League, I did play in the qualification of Champions League, and of course in that moment when you are in Poland, you don’t think about America, you think about the west side of Europe like France, Germany,” Formella said. “But then I made some bad decisions, went nine months without a club, and then I had an injury and my situation changed a lot. So, I thought it was a good move to go to America, change continents, change everything and try to achieve success in a different league.”

“I came because I spoke with Todd [Dunivant] and we had a conversation that Sacramento wants to go to MLS and for me, that was a priority because I don’t want to be here and play for seven clubs in USL, that’s not my way,” a driven and determined Formella explained. “I decided for Sacramento because I knew that it was a big project and it’s a good club with good fans, and playing in MLS is something that if you came from Poland and you played in MLS, you achieved success and you did something and you did something well in your life in soccer.”

But Formella doesn’t just dream of perhaps one day reaching these goals, he puts in the work to earn them. He didn’t come to the scenic west coast of the United State just for a vacation, the Polish playmaker moved across the Atlantic in search of soccer glory. 

And he makes no secret of that.  

Formella is fully focused on buying into the boss’s style of play, similarly to when he was ready to focus on pursuing an entirely new chapter in his pro soccer career, playing professionally in North America – and it was a move he wasn’t exactly expecting years before. 

“Honestly, when I was 19 or 20, I did play in Europa League, I did play in the qualification of Champions League, and of course in that moment when you are in Poland, you don’t think about America, you think about the west side of Europe like France, Germany,” Formella said. “But then I made some bad decisions, went nine months without a club, and then I had an injury and my situation changed a lot. So, I thought it was a good move to go to America, change continents, change everything and try to achieve success in a different league.”

“I came because I spoke with Todd [Dunivant] and we had a conversation that Sacramento wants to go to MLS and for me, that was a priority because I don’t want to be here and play for seven clubs in USL, that’s not my way,” a driven and determined Formella explained. “I decided for Sacramento because I knew that it was a big project and it’s a good club with good fans, and playing in MLS is something that if you came from Poland and you played in MLS, you achieved success and you did something and you did something well in your life in soccer.”

But Formella doesn’t just dream of perhaps one day reaching these goals, he puts in the work to earn them. He didn’t come to the scenic west coast of the United State just for a vacation, the Polish playmaker moved across the Atlantic in search of soccer glory. 

And he makes no secret of that.  

“That’s my target. I know it’s very hard. I know that not a lot of people from USL go to MLS and I know how the reality looks like maybe one, maybe two, maybe three players stay at the club and I know every player who is with the club right now is dreaming of it.”

In order to achieve that dream, he knows full well all he has to do is continuing to focus on himself while trying to improve his game, and the rest will fall into place. 

“Everything I do on the pitch is up to me,” Formella said. “Of course, not everything is up to me, obviously I’m not the boss, I don’t make decisions on anything outside of what I do on the pitch, so I need a little bit of luck, but the rest is up to me. I believe it, I have a big hope to do it, I know that I can achieve it. I’m thinking about it every day when I go outside to training for the game. I’m thinking about my targets and it’s very nice to score two goals but still, there are a lot of things that I need to improve and a lot of things I need to do.”

Formella’s goalscoring talents speak for themselves – don’t forget he scored back-to-back game-winning goals in 2019 during the club’s heated playoff push – but when the forward does speak, he does everything he can to make his word impeccable and speak with purpose. 

“When I say something, I try to say something for something, not just talk to talk,” he explained. “When I say something, I just want to give advice or give some good information that somebody can use. But as I said, it doesn’t matter, the most important thing is that we understand on the pitch.”

Having that on-field understanding is vital for a squad’s success, and Formella recognizes that full well. 

“That’s my target. I know it’s very hard. I know that not a lot of people from USL go to MLS and I know how the reality looks like maybe one, maybe two, maybe three players stay at the club and I know every player who is with the club right now is dreaming of it.”

In order to achieve that dream, he knows full well all he has to do is continuing to focus on himself while trying to improve his game, and the rest will fall into place. 

“Everything I do on the pitch is up to me,” Formella said. “Of course, not everything is up to me, obviously I’m not the boss, I don’t make decisions on anything outside of what I do on the pitch, so I need a little bit of luck, but the rest is up to me. I believe it, I have a big hope to do it, I know that I can achieve it. I’m thinking about it every day when I go outside to training for the game. I’m thinking about my targets and it’s very nice to score two goals but still, there are a lot of things that I need to improve and a lot of things I need to do.”

Formella’s goalscoring talents speak for themselves – don’t forget he scored back-to-back game-winning goals in 2019 during the club’s heated playoff push – but when the forward does speak, he does everything he can to make his word impeccable and speak with purpose. 

“When I say something, I try to say something for something, not just talk to talk,” he explained. “When I say something, I just want to give advice or give some good information that somebody can use. But as I said, it doesn’t matter, the most important thing is that we understand on the pitch.”

Having that on-field understanding is vital for a squad’s success, and Formella recognizes that full well. 

The forward may have traveled thousands of miles to play in Sacramento, and he may have at one time played in some of Europe’s most illustrious leagues but delivering glory to the California Capital is the one thing Formella firmly has his sights set on. 

“I didn’t leave my family, I didn’t leave my home city, I didn’t leave my whole life just to be here and enjoy the sun in California. I came here to do something and achieve something,” the decorated Polish playmaker said. “I’m happy to be here and I’m happy to have the chance to achieve something big in my life.”

Since his arrival roughly one year ago, Formella has played the role of hero netting game-winning goals, he’s dished out an assist in a playoff game, overcome tremendous adversity to thrive under difficult circumstances, and is one of the primary weapons threats leading the Indomitable Club’s attack in search of Championship Cup silverware in 2020. 

He’s already done so much for Sacramento, but Formella will be the first to tell you that the best is still yet to come. 

The forward may have traveled thousands of miles to play in Sacramento, and he may have at one time played in some of Europe’s most illustrious leagues but delivering glory to the California Capital is the one thing Formella firmly has his sights set on. 

“I didn’t leave my family, I didn’t leave my home city, I didn’t leave my whole life just to be here and enjoy the sun in California. I came here to do something and achieve something,” the decorated Polish playmaker said. “I’m happy to be here and I’m happy to have the chance to achieve something big in my life.”

Since his arrival roughly one year ago, Formella has played the role of hero netting game-winning goals, he’s dished out an assist in a playoff game, overcome tremendous adversity to thrive under difficult circumstances, and is one of the primary weapons threats leading the Indomitable Club’s attack in search of Championship Cup silverware in 2020. 

He’s already done so much for Sacramento, but Formella will be the first to tell you that the best is still yet to come.