Sacramento Republic FC Embody 'Agony of Defeat' in Cup Final Loss
A chance for a truly glorious celebration evaporated in real time as Hartford Athletic stymied Sacramento Republic FC at Heart Health Park.
It happened slowly, then all at once. In the North endline, fans held their collective breath as Jack Gurr had a desperation shot blocked and the rebound fell to Cristian Parano who uncorked a powerful shot.
The shot smacked harmlessly off the advertising boards and it was over.
The dream of ending a decade-long trophy drought at home was crushed in front of 11,569 fans. Ecstatic Hartford players rushed the field to celebrate while SRFC players looked on in disbelief. Some fell to the ground, exhausted; having given every last iota of stamina to try and find a goal in the chaotic final moments.
You can’t fault the effort. The fan base turned out for a non-season ticket match and remained engaged from the 1st minute to the 99th. Republic FC staff planned, hosted, and executed a big game where everything seemed to run smoothly. (I’ll exempt them from blame for the apocalyptic post-game parking-lot fiasco and lay that on Cal Expo). Each player who took the field gave an effort befitting the occasion and the stakes of a home cup final.
“As we took the kick off, it was everything that I expected it to be. It was unbelievable. Fantastic showing. Just so disappointed that we weren’t able to get this place, you know, really on its feet with it, with a goal, with a trophy. And obviously it hurts to see, you know, an away team, get to celebrate in front of you. It’s tough.” - Head Coach Neil Collins
You can certainly second guess whether Collins got the tactics or the lineup right. One could also point out that the Quails were not helped by poor officiating, which is becoming a recurring theme that USL needs to address soon. Side note: the official YouTube highlights of this match (and most matches) omit controversial calls in a way that suggests there’s something to hide.
There’s no victory without suffering. That’s a quote that is often attributed to Tolkien, although it’s really a thematic paraphrase from this passage in The Return of the King, Book VI, Chapter 4: For victory cannot be without loss, nor triumph without suffering, nor freedom without sacrifice.
There’s a particular and specific joy that is birthed from struggle and loss. Disclaimer: I know sports and war aren’t the most elegant of parallels, please don’t interpret this as minimizing the horrific consequences of armed conflict across the globe.
Following an inaugural season seemingly taken from the script of an unmade Disney sports film, Republic FC haven’t been able to add another star to the crest. They have been close but ultimately fallen short.
It’s only in the context outlined in this great piece by Ryan Hodek that one can begin to understand why Saturday’s loss devastated the team, the fans, and the city. We carried hope for glory into Heart Health Park and promptly were deflated like a bounce house at the end of a child’s birthday party.
For me, in four seasons, I’ve now been onsite for one glorious victory and three heartbreaking defeats. I can barely summon words to describe the 4-3 extra-time-comeback win over San Jose Earthquakes in the 2024 US Open Cup Round of 16. The losses? The 2023 USL Western Conference Championship loss to Phoenix Rising FC where a 1-0 halftime lead became a 2-1 stoppage time defeat and someone threw a full beer can of beer hitting Emil Cuello (IS THIS RIGHT? THAT’S HOW I REMEMBER IT). Losing 2-1 to Seattle Sounders in the ‘24 Open Cup Quarterfinals was a bummer. Saturday completes the trilogy of miserable defeats.
Currently, the joy-to-misery ratio is out of balance.
However, let’s not get too melodramatic (says the guy trotting out Tolkien quotes about war). We are still three quarters of a century away from Boston Red Sox territory here.
In any case, this cup final was no ordinary loss and the coach appeared to be gutted leaving the field.
“(I’m) bitterly disappointed, because on nights like this it’s about one thing and it’s about winning,” Collins said in his post-match remarks. “(I’m) frustrated, as I’m sure the players are, because I don’t think, especially in the second half, we played to the level that we’re capable of.”
Now, there’s nothing else to do but soldier on. This season could still yield a trophy. With four games remaining, SRFC sits second in the western conference table. The playoffs approach and a stellar second half of the season have put the club in a position to earn matches at home. Next up, an instant rematch with Hartford. This time on their terms.
Late Saturday, Captain Lee Desmond thanked the fans and called it “a dream to play in front of an atmosphere like this.”
He vowed to fight on. In a sense, to channel the suffering and sacrifice into a resilient determination. Desmond promised that a loss isn’t just a loss, but an opportunity for growth.
“The leaders will stand up and regroup everybody,” he said. “That’s something we really have, that’s why we’re here, that’s why we’re in cup finals, that’s why we’re second in the league, and we’re pushing for first.”
“So you know, we’ll fix things, and when the time comes again to play in the big games, we’ll be ready.”