Getting to know the Sacramento Republic FC

Getting to know the Sacramento Republic FC

Have you been to a Sacramento Republic game yet this season? While there are plenty of professional sports options for residents of Northern California, none is more festive, fan-friendly, and fun than Sacramento’s own Football Club.

In fact, we think the Republic embody what a pro sports team should be, not only winning on the field but being a model of community interaction while fostering youth sports. As a Doctor of Chiropractic, I specialize in treating sports injuries and working with high-level athletes, like soccer players. But as a proud Sacramento resident and father, I also love taking my family to Republic games just for the fast-paced soccer entertainment.

Today, I wanted to help you get to know our Sacramento Republic FC a little better with this profile:

Sacramento Republic FC is a professional soccer team in Sacramento. Playing its inaugural season in 2014 in the United Soccer League (USL), the Republic started with meteoric success, winning a championship their very first year.

The team name:
The official team name is Sacramento Republic FC (which stands for ‘Football Club’). Coming up with that moniker was a collective effort, as Sacramento residents and fans were given the opportunity to vote for their favorite name before the team’s inception, with Sacramento Republic FC coming out the resounding winner. The results of the voting and the new team name was announced on July 18, 2013, during the first annual Sacramento Soccer Day.

Team logo:
Just as the team name was a group effort, fans were also given a chance to vote on the team logo. The winner was the Republic FC logo that still stands today. The logo features a shield with the team’s colors, old glory red, maple, and eggshell. It includes a shield bearing a bold nautical star with the California grizzly bear at the bottom. “Sacramento” is written at the top of the shield and the ribbon below lists the team name, “Republic FC.” At the bottom, you’ll find the words ” Urbs Indomita,” the motto of the City of Sacramento which means “The Indomitable City” in Latin.

The Republic FC kit:
In the soccer world, “kits” are the innovative design and color patterns of the team uniforms. Doing it right, Republic FC had their inaugural kit designed by the Italian sportswear company Lotto.

The Republic FC kit was redesigned for the 2016 season after a new partnership with Nike. The new home kits are “Old Glory Red” while the away uniforms are white and gray, both opting for vertical patterns instead of the previous diagonal stripe. On the neckline on the back of both shirts sits the slogan, “Urbs Indomita.”

The UC Davis Children’s Hospital has earned visibility on Republic FC kits as they’ve renewed their role as the main team sponsor for this season and beyond.

The Tower Bridge Battalion:
If you’ve ever attended a Sacramento Republic game, you probably notice the team’s passionate fanbase. And there are no Republic supporters more vocal, vigorous, and vociferous than the Tower Bridge Battalion. Of course, the “Battalion” are named for a prominent Sacramento landmark, the Tower Bridge that connects Sacramento to West Sacramento. At every home game, they occupy a designated area behind one goal, raising the energy level with chanting, drum playing, face painting, megaphones, and other rituals. In fact, whenever a hometown player scores a goal, the Republic player runs over to the Tower Bridge Battalion section to celebrate! But more than just enthusiastic fans, The Battalion also plays a role off the field, attending outreach, charitable, and community events.

Home stadium:
To start their first season, The Republic played at Sacramento City College’s Hughes Stadium. But soon, they kicked off games at Bonney Stadium, a soccer-specific outdoor venue within Cal Expo that holds 8,000 fans.

While that seating capacity is great for a USL league game, the ultimate goal is to get the Republic accepted as a Major League Soccer team. So, in 2015, Bonney Field was retrofitted to hold 11,442 fans. In March 2017, the stadium was renamed Papa Murphy’s Park after the pizza chain and new sponsor.

The United Soccer League:
Sacramento Republic FC plays in the United Soccer League, or USL, which was formerly known as USL Pro. Beginning its league play in 2011, the USL now hosts Eastern and Western Conferences comprised of 33 teams throughout the U.S. and Canada, acting as an important feeder league for Major League Soccer (MLS,) similar to how minor league baseball clubs feed major league teams. This year, 20 USL teams will have direct affiliations with MLS partner teams.

The Republic wins a first-year championship!
The first season in Republic history was special for several reasons, but none more than their astounding and improbable USL championship. In fact, the Republic won 17 games against 7 losses and 4 ties on their way to a second-place regular season finish. But they came alive in the playoffs, beating the Wilmington Hammerheads 4-1 in the quarterfinals, the LA Galaxy in the semifinals, and downing Harrisburg City 2-0 in the finals to bring home the championship trophy their very first year!

Breaking attendance records:
On their way to a championship, the Sacramento Republic FC set league attendance records their first year, too. A record 20,231 fans watched the first game in team history, a 2-1 loss to the Harrisburg City Islanders, nearly doubling the previous USL attendance record of 10,697. Since then, almost every game has been a sellout. In fact, Republic broke the broke the USL regular season attendance record of 112,748 in July of 2014, packing the bleachers to the tune of 182,107 total fans (158,107 regular season and 24,000 in the playoffs.) Over the last four seasons, the Republic have averaged more than 11,000 fans at each home game – an impressive level of local support.

A future in the MLS?
While the Republic have enjoyed competing in the USL, the team’s ultimate goal is to add another major league professional team to the Sacramento sports scene by joining Major League Soccer. To that end, an expansion bid was submitted to the MLS on January 2017, and Sac Soccer & Entertainment Holdings officially acquired the team last year, too.

A new $226 million, 25,000-seat soccer stadium is in the works in the downtown Railyards redevelopment area, which will be ready if and when the Republic are indeed invited to play in the MLS!

The Republic players
For this year’s Republic squad, the coach is Kiwi (New Zealander) Simon Elliot, and the Captain is the talented Midfielder and Defender Jeremy Hall. The roster is filled with plenty of homegrown U.S. talent, as well as notable international players from Trinidad and Tobago, England, Mexico, Canada, Scotland, the Dominican Republic, Bulgaria, Puerto Rico, and Slovenia, leading the team to a hot start.

Ticket information and prices
The 2018 season is off to a great start, with 17 regular season home games beginning April 7 and extending well into October, when the playoffs start. A good number of the game nights are also designated for certain celebrations, like College Night (April 18), Celebrate Mom (May 12), Equality Night (June 9), Salute to Service Men & Women (August 18), and Hispanic Heritage Night (October 3).

Unlike the sky-high prices at most professional sports games these days, bringing the family to a Republic FC game is still plenty affordable. In fact, single-game tickets start at only $16, and there are plenty of good deals for groups and even reasonably-priced season ticket packages.

Parking is easy at Cal Expo and there are plenty of local Farm-to Fork food options, as well as wine or beer and some great Republic DC swag so you can support the team in style!

For more information or to purchase tickets to a Sacramento Republic FC game, go to https://www.sacrepublicfc.com

And if you are a soccer player or any athlete who is looking to treat an injury or just improve performance, contact my office for an appointment.