Notes and Quotes: Every Away Game in the USL Is a Difficult

April 28, 2023 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – Sacramento Republic FC News Release

After a strong performance Wednesday in the U.S. Open Cup, Sacramento returns to league play on the road in the Sooner state. The Quails’ third road match of the season lines them up opposite FC Tulsa, who’s looking to stay above the playoff line. A rematch of the 2022 season’s Week 3 matchup should be a good one.

Sacramento will be looking for its tenth straight unbeaten result to open the season across all competitions. In a road environment, the task gets tougher, especially against a much-improved team with a lot of talent.

“Their results haven’t necessarily shown their performances,” Head Coach Mark Briggs said. “They’re strong at home, they’ve got some very good players and they’re very well coached. So it’s going to be a difficult game for us to go there and get something.”

FC Tulsa’s sure to bring a challenge to Sacramento – through the season’s first two months, the Oklahoma side has boasted one of the league’s best attacking units. The club will need to do everything right to get a win, and coming off a regional derby they plan to keep the same standard.

“Yeah, I think just intensity,” said Shane Wiedt. “I think it’s going to come down to how bad we want it. And I think sky’s the limit if we can keep being as aggressive and intense as we as we have been.”

To this point, Sacramento’s played only two matches away from Heart Health Park this season. No matter the squad’s previous road results this year, hostile environments across the league create a challenge for any team. And as the club kicks off its third match in eight days, having the right approach will be key.

“Every away game in the USL is a difficult [one], so we’ve just got to make sure we go there with the right mentality,” Briggs continued. “[We need to] continue to be difficult to beat and be ruthless in both boxes.”

“I think everybody has been in the situation where you played three games in a week and you just got to push through it,” Wiedt continued. “[You] can’t let it creep in your mind, can’t make an excuse. [We] just have to get the job done.”

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