Republic FC heads south to face off with Orange County SC this Saturday in a contest between the top two teams in the Western Conference table. It resumes a long-standing fixture – the match is the 28th all-time between the two sides.
Sacramento and Orange County have already faced off this season, playing to a 2-2 draw on opening night before a sellout crowd at Heart Health Park. Six weeks later, the stage is set for another competitive matchup. Each enters the game unbeaten and tied atop the Western Conference table with 12 points.
“It’s a difficult game, and I think you saw on opening night, it’s two very good teams, two very well-coached teams with quality players going at it,” said Head Coach Mark Briggs on Thursday.
“It’s a big game for us,” said Jack Gurr. “It’s two teams at the top of the league. We were disappointed the first time we played them to not get all three points, but we’re excited coming in.”
Going up against Orange County for the second time in six weeks is a bit of a quirk in the schedule. Not frequently do you play a team twice in such a short span, but it adds another competitive element to the match.
“We imposed our game the first time, which was good, but we know the small details cost us,” Gurr continued. “So that’s something that we’ll be looking to get right this time.”
Through six games, Republic FC remains in strong form. Sacramento is the only team in the league that hasn’t trailed yet this season, a nod to its backline play and having scoring first in every match. The club continues to win the possession battle – last week, they held a season-high 74% of the ball vs. FC Tulsa, the highest mark recorded by any team in any match in 2024.
“We’ve got to be more ruthless,” said Mark Briggs of what he wants to see from his squad. “We’ve been in control of every game. I think if we continue with our performances, continue with the level we’re playing at, and if we add that ruthlessness then we’ll start to see even more points pile up, which is the goal for this group.”
“It’s just putting in a complete 90-minute performance,” said Jared Timmer. “We’ve had good stretches, but we need to have a full, complete 90-minute performance.”
