Sacramento Republic Remains Unbeaten, Coach Earns 100th Win

By Russell Stiger Jr. | OBSERVER Correspondent Sacramento Republic bench celebrates with Loanee Kieran Phillips after he scored the go-ahead goal in the 87′. Russell Stiger Jr., OBSERVER Sacramento Republic continued their dominant run atop the USL standings with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Loudoun United on Saturday night. The win also marked a significant milestone for Head Coach Mark Briggs, who notched his 100th victory at the helm of the Republic. “It’s awesome [working under Coach Briggs],” said Republic forward Russell Cicerone after the game. “He gives us the confidence to go out there and be ourselves and do what we need to do to win games.” The Republic are looking to build on last season’s playoff run and challenge for the USL title. They’ve also focused on developing young talent, leveraging the recent rule change that allows for five substitutes per game. The match itself was a tense affair. Republic forward Russell Cicerone opened the scoring for the team within the first ten minutes, but Loudoun United equalized just 18 minutes later. Despite a flurry of shots on goal (26 for both teams combined), the game was also marred by fouls, with the Republic committing more fouls (15)...