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RECAP: Sacramento Republic FC 0 – 2 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

Republic FC’s three-game unbeaten streak came to an end on Saturday, as the club closed out a stretch of three games in eight days with a 0-2 loss to Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on the road.

Arnold Lopez nearly found the opening score in the 14^th minute. After a corner kick was headed away by a Switchbacks defender, the Venezuelan sent in a strong shot from outside the box. Another close chance came less than 10 minutes later as a Jack Gurr cross from the right fell right in front of goal only to be cleared away.

Despite the two early opportunities, the hosts would go up first in the 29^th minute when Romario Williams sent a strike from the top of the half circle to the upper 90. Switchbacks would nearly double the lead minutes later as Republic FC goalkeeper Danny Vitiello’s blocked shot fell to Deshane Beckford inside the six yard box. Beckford managed to put a shot on frame, but a diving Vitiello deflected the attempt, allowing defender Jared Timmer to clear the ball off the line. Vitiello would end the match with eight saves.

Switches at halftime would bring new energy into the match. Conor Donovan, Nick Ross, and Keko elevated the play from the second-half whistle. Cristian Parano and Zeiko Lewis would join the push for the late equalizer. Sacramento challenged again in the 67^th minute as Jack Gurr whipped in a free kick. Conor Donovan rose above the defense to head the ball back to Cristian Parano, and the Argentinian forward would volley in a shot on his first touch, but the shot was blocked and cleared away by the defense.

A Sacramento equalizer remained within reach with eight minutes of added time in the second half, but a bicycle kick by Switchbacks FC forward Jairo Henriquez would put the match out of reach. Mark Briggs Men remain on top of the Western Conference standings with three matches remaining in league play.

Republic FC returns to Heart Health Park next Sunday afternoon to host Las Vegas Lights FC on Youth Soccer Day. Prior to the match, hundreds of youth players will get the opportunity to participate in the annual Youth Soccer Parade and walk the same field where to pros play. Kickoff is set for 4:00 p.m. and tickets are still available at SacRepublicFC.com/tickets. The match will also be broadcast live in English & Spanish on Antenna TV 40.2, FOX40.com, and the FOX40 News mobile app, as well as streaming on ESPN+.

Sacramento Republic FC 0-2 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

USL Championship

Weidner Field, Colorado Springs, Colorado

September 23, 2023

Scoring Summary: SAC – None ; COS – Romario Williams (Devon Williams) 29’, Jairo Henriquez 90’+2

Misconduct Summary: SAC – Arnold Lopez (caution) 23’; COS – Tyreke Magee (caution) 45’+3, Bench (caution) 45+3’, Matt Mahoney (caution) 66’, Deshane Beckford (caution) 84’, Aaron Wheeler (caution) 90’+8

Sacramento Republic FC: Danny Vitiello, Lee Desmond (C), Shane Wiedt, Jared Timmer (Conor Donovan 45’), Damia Viader, Luis Felipe (Zeiko Lewis 83’), Arnold Lopez (Nick Ross 45’), Jack Gurr, Rodrigo Lopez (Keko Gontan 45’), Russell Cicerone, Sebastian Herrera (Cristian Parano 63’)

Unused substitutes: Carlos Saldaña, Aldair Sanchez

Stats – Shots: 17, Shots on Goal: 1, Saves: 8, Fouls: 4, Corner Kicks: 5, Offsides: 1

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC: Christian Herrera, Duke Lacroix, James Musa, Matt Mahoney (C), Drew Skundrich, Jay Champan, Devon Williams, Maalique Foster (Juan Tejada 62’), Tyreek Magee (Jairo Henriquez 62’), Deshane Beckford (Jonas Fjeldberg 84’), Romario Williams (Aaron Wheeler 90’+1)

Unused Substitutes: Jason Dubrovich, Delentz Pierre, Marco Rios

Stats – Shots: 19, Shots on Goal: 10, Saves: 2, Fouls: 11, Corner Kicks: 8, Offsides: 0

Notes and Quotes: “We’ve got to just focus on ourselves”

Following a thrilling victory Saturday, Republic FC is back on the pitch for a mid-week contest against New Mexico United. The Indomitable Club enters on consecutive clean sheet wins keeping the club atop the Western Conference and securing a playoff berth for the ninth time in ten seasons.

A lot has changed since Sacramento last faced Wednesday’s opponent in July. Republic FC have welcomed back several contributors from injury and have claimed six victories. A lot is on the line for both sides as the playoff race continues to get tighter.

“Nice to play at home again. But it comes against a difficult opponent – against a New Mexico team who obviously gave us our worst result of the season earlier in the year,” said Head Coach Mark Briggs. “So we know they’re very good team, we know they’re a well-coached team. We’ve got to make sure we’re on our front foot and perform the way we did on Saturday night but execute a little more.”

“New Mexico has a great team,” said Rodrigo Lopez. “Most of the core of their team has been together for a few years now. They’re a team that’s fighting to make the playoffs so it’s going to be a good game.”

Energy has carried over into this week from the club’s dramatic win Saturday. Sacramento was excellent against Locomotive FC, holding the advantage in possession and opportunities created. The exciting ending provides a good foundation for the squad heading into a busy week.

“I was really pleased with the guys, [and] the attitude they showed to continue and keep going for 94 minutes,” Briggs said of Saturday’s match. “It’s small margins in the games that we’re playing right now, because there’s pressures on each team for different reasons. So we’ve just got to keep doing what we do and take the chance when it comes even if that’s the only one.”

Briggs squad continues to emphasize a strong mentality in preparation for Wednesday’s contest. The club has one more contest to close out its stretch of three games in eight days at a tough venue in Colorado Springs.

“We’re trying to fight for first place in the West and they’re trying to fight for a playoff game,” continued Lopez. “I think our team is fully emphasizing us and what we do on the field. We feel like whenever we’re on a good day we will have good results.”

“We’ve got to just focus on ourselves,” Briggs reiterated. We’ve got to make sure we’re looking after the guys, are giving the guys the correct information, making sure they’re fresh and able to do what we’re asking of them. So it’s all about us.”

Republic FC Forward Da’vian Kimbrough Invited to Mexico U-16 National Team Camp

The Mexican Football Federation announced Republic FC forward Da’vian Kimbrough (pronunciation: Day-vee-Ahn Kimm-broh) will join the U-16 Youth National Team for a training camp from September 17^th to the 20^th in preparation for an upcoming tournament. The invitation is Kimbrough’s first national team selection.

“Da’vian’s relentless pursuit of his goals has once again been rewarded with a tremendous opportunity,” said Republic FC Academy Director Eder Quintanilla. “His continued growth and development will be challenged, but his performance on the field during academy preseason and in first-team sessions have proven him worthy of a national team call-up.”

Da’vian has been selected to join the U16 youth national team – two age groups above his birthyear. He has become accustomed to playing with older players in his first-team training regimen with Republic FC, while logging game minutes with the club’s U15 and U17 squads in league play. He is the third member of Republic FC’s first-team selected to a national program this season following Luther Archimède and Zeiko Lewis, each selected earlier this year by Guadeloupe and Bermuda, respectively. The Woodland native signed his first professional contract with Republic FC on August 8 at age 13. He joined the club’s development academy at age 11 to play in an older age group, scoring 61 goals in 81 appearances across two seasons from 2021-2023 with the club’s U13, U14, and U15 teams.

Republic FC returns to Heart Health Park tomorrow, Wednesday, September 20, to host New Mexico United. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m., and tickets are still available at SacRepublicFC.com/tickets. Alongside the contest, the club will be honoring those who have made a difference in the lives of Childhood Cancer patients alongside founding partner UC Davis Health.

Notes and Quotes: “We’ve got to be present and focus on the job in hand”

Republic FC returns to the pitch Saturday, kicking off a six-game stretch to close out the 2023 regular season. Currently atop the Western Conference, the Indomitable club welcomes El Paso Locomotive FC for a rematch of the 2023 Season opener – and its first game at Heart Health Park since late July.

After a week off to rest and recover, Mark Briggs’ Men returned to the training pitch with energy. Sacramento’s squad continues to approach full strength for one of the biggest stretches of games this season.

“Everybody’s hungry to get back to playing,” said Briggs at Thursday’s training session. “It was a perfect timing for us from a schedule standpoint to be able to get a rest, get people healthy and and recharge mentally and physically. They’ve come back in, they’re hungry, and we’ve got a good energy. And obviously, we want to approach the El Paso game in the best way and put on a performance that we’re all happy with.”

As the club approaches the end of the season, the staff has made it a focus to keep eyes on just one match at a time. No game is bigger than the next one – and the mindset is already shared by the entire team.

“It’s taking it game by game, and really just focusing on ourselves,” said Conor Donovan. “Just getting back to playing our best soccer and obviously we’re in a good position to do some special this year. So we’re taking it game by game and everyone’s really focused.”

“We’ve got to be present and focus on the job in hand Saturday,” Briggs said. “We’ll be making sure that the players are dialed in and understand what we need to do tactically and mentally.”

Returning home to Heart Health Park is big for the club. Their last game on their home ground came on July 26 against Phoenix Rising FC. The club’s one other home match since was played at Hughes Stadium before a sellout crowd of over 20,000 – making Saturday’s contest highly anticipated for every player and coach. From now through October 14, Republic FC plays four of six matches at home.

“It’s nice to be back home, obviously. I think it’s been 55 days since we last played at Heart Health Park, which is incredible really,” Briggs went on to say. “The guys have been magnificent over this stretch.”

Republic FC Goalkeeper Carlos Saldaña Named to USL Championship Team of the Week

On Tuesday, the USL Championship announced that Republic FC goalkeeper Carlos Saldaña has been named to Team of the Week for Week 26. With the playoff race heating up, the Vallejo native recorded six saves in Republic FC’s shutout win over Northern California rival Oakland Roots SC on September 2. The result marked the first time that either side has won on the road in the rivalry and helped Sacramento retake the top spot in the Western Conference table.

After his club went up early in the match, Saldaña put in a standout performance to earn his second clean sheet of the season and the club’s 10^th overall – third best in the league. His first stellar save came just before the half-hour mark as Oakland looked to equalize, but a diving effort by Saldaña kept the hosts off the scoresheet. He went on to record six saves and three punches to secure Republic FC’s perfect 3-0 record against Roots across all competitions this year.

The selection is the second of Saldaña’s USL Championship career and first to the league’s top XI after previously earning a selection to the Team of the Week Bench in 2022. Since joining the club midway through the 2021 season, Saldaña has won multiple fan votes, including Save of the Week and Save of the Month, while also earning a nomination for the league’s Save of the Year. This season, Republic FC players have combined to earn 24 selections to the league’s weekly top squad.

Republic FC will return to the pitch on Saturday, September 16 when the club hosts El Paso Locomotive on Noche Latina powered by SMUD. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. and tickets are available at SacRepublicFC.com/tickets. The match will also be broadcast live in English & Spanish on Antenna TV 40.2, FOX40.com, and the FOX40 News mobile app, as well as streaming on ESPN+.

Republic FC Forwards Zeiko Lewis and Luther Archimède Selected to National Team Rosters for Concacaf Nations League Group Stage

Archimède’s third international call-up this season, appeared in Concacaf Nations League and Gold Cup earlier this year
Lewis’ second international call-up this season, first since Concacaf Nations League in March
Both players will not miss a Republic FC match

Later this week, two Republic FC players will represent their respective national teams at the 2023/24 Concacaf Nations League group stage. Zeiko Lewis (Zee-co) has been selected to Bermuda’s roster, and Luther Archimède (Arsh-eh-mehd) has been selected by Guadeloupe (Gwahd-ehh-loop). Each have joined their squads and will return to the club’s roster after the international window. Both players will miss no Republic FC matches as the Indomitable Club looks to return to the playoffs for the 9^th time in club history.

Archimède joins Guadeloupe’s senior squad for the third time this year after being selected for Nations League matches in March, and for the Concacaf Gold Cup qualifying round and group stage in June. Guadeloupe has been placed in Group A of League B ahead of the competition’s third edition, alongside Saint Kitts and Nevis, Sant Lucia, and Sint Maarten. On September 7, Guadeloupe will face off with Saint Kitts & Nevis, and on September 9 will play a second match against Sint Maarten. For his international career, Archimède has earned 12 caps and scored one goal.

Lewis’ selection is his second this season to Bermuda’s roster. He was previously selected for Nations League contests in March, assisting one goal in two appearances. Bermuda has been placed in League B, Group C ahead of the start of the 2023/24 edition of the competition and will take the pitch on September 8 against French Guiana and again on September 12 against St. Vincent & Grenadines. The Spanish Point-born forward is one of Bermuda’s most decorated national team players all-time since his senior debut in 2011, amassing 36 caps and 12 goals – both fourth on his squad’s all-time leaderboard.

Republic FC returns to Heart Health Park on Saturday, September 16 to face off against El Paso Locomotive FC at 7:00 p.m. In addition to the match, the Indomitable Club will be celebrating Hispanic and Latin Heritage Month with its annual Noche Latina. Tickets are available at SacRepublicFC.com/tickets.

Notes and Quotes: “It’s a special moment for the city”

Republic FC’s first home match in a month comes alongside a momentous occasion. Saturday night, over 20,000 are expected at Hughes Stadium as the club looks back at its decade of history in the Indomitable City. The 10^th season celebration will bring together fans, former players, staff supporters and more to look back on every single year of the club’s storied history.

The match on the field is perfect for the stage that will be set. Orange County SC enters the contest on six straight wins and victorious in nine of its last ten. Sacramento has played 25 all-time contests against the SoCal club – one of which came at Hughes Stadium in 2014.

“They’re the most in-form team in the league. They’re unbeaten in eight of nine games now and playing really good football,” said Head Coach Mark Briggs. “So it’s going to be a difficult opponent, a confident opponent. But we’re also confident – we’re also in good spirits where we’re at. We’ve been number one in the league for a number of months now, so we’ve got nothing to fear from anybody.”

“We think Orange County is one of the hottest teams in the league right now, and we’re not taking the game lightly at all,” said Matt LaGrassa. “We expect them to come here and make it very difficult for us. So we’ll be preparing everything we can to make sure we get the result.”

The atmosphere at the match is expected to be off the charts. A crowd of over 20,000 would shatter this season’s existing attendance record of just over 13,000 fans. Sacramento already has a reputation for one of the most raucous fanbases in American soccer.

“It’s a special moment for the city,” Elk Grove native LaGrassa said. “I think that the Sacramento fans are some of the best in the country, across all sports. I love when they’re rewarded with big events like this, because they always show up, they’re always loud. And they always prove what Sacramento is all about.”

Through all the pomp and circumstance, however, remains the importance of getting three points. Nine games remain in the regular season, and the battle for the top spot in the table won’t be an easy one down the stretch. Mark Briggs’ Men remain atop the Western Conference for a reason, and their record shows why.

“The guys have been incredible up to this point,” said Briggs. “We’re number one in the league, we’ve got the best defensive record in the league, we’ve scored the most goals in open play in the league. The guys have been incredible so far.”

Republic FC Acquires Winger Cristian Parano

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Republic FC has acquired the rights to sign Argentinian winger Cristian Parano from USL Championship side San Antonio FC for an undisclosed fee. The winger has signed a multi-year deal with Republic FC. He will be added to the club’s roster pending receipt of a P-1 visa, and pending league and federation approval. Per club policy, the terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

“Cristian is a game-changer in our league who brings a championship pedigree,” said Republic FC President and General Manager Todd Dunivant. “His dynamic movements with and without the ball are very well suited to our style of play. We look forward to integrating him into our attack as we hit the stretch run of the season.”

Parano joins Republic FC after spending the first half of the 2023 season with San Antonio FC, where he logged 11 appearances and scored two goals on the season. Since 2019, he has featured in 73 matches, tallying 14 goals and 13 assists for the Texas side – each ranking in the top-10 in club history. He exercised a player option to depart San Antonio on June 30.

The attacker began his professional career in his native Argentina, debuting for Primera División side San Martin de San Juan in 2018. As a youth player, he was a member of Argentina’s top clubs – River Plate and Boca Juniors. In 2019, he joined San Antonio and scored seven goals with six assists in 32 appearances in his first USL Championship season. His breakout performance earned him the 2019 USL Championship Young Player of the Year award. After two seasons in San Antonio, he signed with Portuguese side Pacos de Ferreria. Last August, he returned to San Antonio on loan to eventually sign a new contract with the Texas club. In the last year with the team, he logged 25 more appearances with six scoring contributions.

Republic FC travels to Virginia for a match against Eastern Conference opponent Loudoun United. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. PT and fans can watch the game in English and Spanish on FOX40, FOX40.com, the FOX40 News Mobile App, Antenna TV 40.2, and ESPN+. After a brief news segment at the end of the match, viewers can catch Home at Hughes: A Republic FC Special on FOX40 to take a look back on the club’s 10 Indomitable seasons ahead of next week’s 10^th Season Celebration Match at Hughes Stadium.

Tickets to the historic match on August 26 are still available starting at just $10. For more information or to secure seats for Sacramento’s biggest sporting event of the summer, visit SacRepublicFC.com/Hughes.

Natomas Fútbol Academy returns as Youth Club Partner

As Sacramento’s youth soccer season kicks into high gear, Republic FC and Natomas Fútbol Academy (Natomas F.A.) are once again teaming up to provide high quality training for the region’s players and coaches, increase opportunities for participation, and foster a love for the game among players and their families.

L to R: André Zayas, Republic FC Manager of Soccer Programming; Wendy Hill, Natomas F.A. Executive Director; Dave Evans, Natomas F.A. Grassroots Director

As an official Youth Club Partner presented by Crystal Creamery, Natomas F.A. will continue to receive valuable resources provided by Republic FC’s Youth Training Programs – including coaching education, training sessions & camps, and exclusive experiences with first team and academy players.

We recently sat down with Natomas F.A. Executive Director Wendy Hill and Grassroots Director Dave Evans to talk about the partnership, as well as their visions for their club and youth soccer across the entire region.

What makes you excited about extending Natomas F.A.’s Youth Club Partnership with Republic FC?

WH: When people talk about the Sacramento region, it often feels like Natomas is left out. And now with this partnership, our families feel like they are a part more connected to the entire community in a way that only soccer and Republic FC can bring people together.

DE: It’s exciting. We see a lot of Republic FC shirts and gear just walking around Natomas and we see so many kids who are excited about soccer. So for them to see a youth coach from Republic FC come out and run the training sessions, to see the Republic FC-branded soccer balls and all the other perks from the partnership – it really helps to grow soccer both in our area and across the entire region because it gives these players and families a personal connection to the team that they clearly already love.

How does the partnership benefit Natomas F.A.?

WH: We have upwards of 1,000 players a year in our grassroots/recreational program, so to have the help of Republic FC in providing training not just for our players, but also for our coaches…that support is really helpful. The goal is that this helps us develop the grassroots players into competitive players, while also providing an environment that allows them to develop a love for the game.

DE: It’s a huge resource. Some of today’s parents didn’t play soccer growing up as much as kids do now, so a lot of these volunteer parent coaches don’t have the background knowledge – they haven’t played the game, they don’t have a full understanding of how to run a session, and how the game of soccer is as a whole. So to be able to have the resources of a club like Republic FC is a really big deal for us because it allows us to create an environment that is really good for soccer. And we’ve already gotten so much good feedback from our parents and coaches.

What are your visions for youth soccer in Sacramento?

WH: There are so many players that are really good and deserve to participate in a high level of soccer, but can’t because of the cost. And I think that’s why the Youth Club Partnership program is so good for all of youth soccer, because it allows for some of the smaller clubs who are trying to provide soccer at an affordable level, to be able to provide good quality soccer.

DE: I would love for there to be opportunities for everyone to play, regardless of socioeconomic status, physical disabilities, learning disabilities…no matter what your situation, there should be a way for you to play in a way that meets your needs.

Learn more about Republic FC Youth Club Partnerships

Lee Desmond Week 22 Red Card Rescinded Following Club Appeal

Earlier today, USL Championship released the Week 22 Discipline Report. As a part of the report, the league announced that Republic FC’s Lee Desmond will not serve a suspension following the successful appeal of his yellow card and subsequent red card in the 86^th minute on August 5 against Monterey Bay F.C. at Cardinale Stadium.

Desmond will be available for selection when Sacramento travels to face Birmingham Legion FC at Protective Stadium this Saturday, August 12.