Sacramento Republic FC fans reflect on win, Open Cup finals berth
SACRAMENTO — There's a lot of momentum in Sacramento.
Republic FC became an international soccer story overnight thrusting them into a new level of spotlight. A U.S. Open Cup semifinal win has the City of Trees on the edge of greatness. But to appreciate it the day after, it may be best to turn back the clock to Wednesday night.
Win or lose, it was always a celebration.
"I think everyone here is wishing for MLS but just to [have the chance] win a cup like this, what's better?" Republic fan Josh Hart asked.
Sharon Anderson runs the State of the Republic podcast and sees what the team means to this city.
"We're in the historical fabric now," she said. "We're part of this. We're part of bringing that in and making it relatable for anyone who lives in the city."
For longtime fans, it was a culmination of all their work. But what comes next? Amid reports of major investors present at the game last night, Anderson said life in USL and dreams of MLS can be the best of both worlds.
"We would love to be MLS but [team CEO] Kevin Nagle, he's pretty smart. He's like, 'We don't care if we're MLS or not. We're goinng to move to the railyards, we're going to do this thing and keep plugging away and by the best we can with what we have,' and that's the best attitude we can ask for. However, icing on the cake, if we get that whale to make it happen, it'll happen," she said.
As Republic cements themselves as one of the pillars of Sacramento sports, tickets for the U.S. Open Cup Final in Orlando go on sale at 11 a.m. Friday, July 29.