Republic FC Claim First Away Win of the Season Against NorCal Rivals Oakland Roots
More than 300 Sacramento Republic FC supporters made the trip west—by train, by car, by any means necessary. They filled the Oakland Coliseum with chants, flags, and the relentless energy that has become the backbone of this club. In a venue once home to some of California’s fiercest sports moments, the loudest voices came from those in red and white.
In a tense NorCal rivalry matchup, Republic FC earned a gritty 1-0 win over Oakland Roots SC, securing their first road victory of the 2025 USL Championship season. After a tightly contested first half, Russell Cicerone’s second-half penalty gave the visitors a deserved lead. Sacramento then locked down the result with a composed, disciplined defensive effort—earning their first regular season clean sheet and extending their unbeaten run to four matches in all competitions.
It was not just another three points. It felt like a step forward.
“Some things you want to win a certain way, but it’s actually sometimes those wins that really kick start,” said Head Coach Neill Collins after the match. “It gives them more belief… That’s the last four games. We’ve had three clean sheets. It’s a great habit to be in. We’re unbeaten in four, so there’s a little bit of momentum. Long way to go as you can imagine, but [it’s a] good three points.”
Sacramento entered the match coming off a home win against AV Alta of USL League One in the USL Jägermeister Cup and a disappointing 2-2 draw in Phoenix. While both results showed progress, Sunday’s win on rival soil felt different. It was a message—not just to the rest of the league, but to themselves.
From the outset, the game had an edge. Oakland came close to taking an early lead in the eighth minute when a ball slipped through Sacramento’s backline to Peter Wilson, but Danny Vitiello, the 2023 USL Goalkeeper of the Year, stood tall. He smothered the initial shot and calmly collected the rebound to deny the Roots an opener.
Minutes later, Republic nearly struck back. Jack Gurr played a perfect long ball into the path of Cicerone, who beat his defender and forced Roots keeper Kendall McIntosh into a diving save. The match continued at a steady pace, with both sides probing but neither breaking through before the break.
Sacramento came out of halftime with renewed purpose and immediately put the home side under pressure. The breakthrough came just three minutes into the second half. Gurr, again involved, darted into the box and was taken down by Baboucarr Njie. The referee pointed to the spot, and Cicerone stepped up with confidence—slotting it home for his second penalty goal of the season.
That would prove to be all Republic FC needed. After taking the lead, Sacramento shut things down defensively. Oakland failed to register a shot on target for the rest of the match. Desmond, Kleemann, Timmer, and the midfield line absorbed pressure and stayed organized, closing gaps and forcing the Roots into low-percentage chances.
The clean sheet was Sacramento’s third in four matches and their most complete defensive performance of the regular season.
Behind the stat lines and the tactics, though, was something else: belief. This is a Republic FC team still building under a new head coach, navigating a crowded table and the dual demands of league and cup play. After Sunday, they sit eight in the Western Conference—not where they want to be, but within striking distance. The challenge now is sustaining this momentum, turning flashes of potential into a steady climb up the table.
And the fans? They never stopped. For 90 minutes, they sang in the sun-drenched stands of a rival stadium, a moving sea of red in a city painted black and white. Their presence wasn’t just atmosphere—it was fuel.
The reward: a hard-earned win, a clean sheet, and a potential turning point.
Next up, the Republic head back to the Bay Area, returning Wednesday to face MLS side San Jose Earthquakes in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 32. Another test and another opportunity to prove that this team, under Neill Collins, are moving forward.