Sacramento Republic FC News Release -- www.sacrepublicfc.com
Thursday, July 18, 2013
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sacramento Professional Soccer, LLC (Sac Pro Soccer) today announced the official name, crest, and color palette for the new Sacramento Professional United Soccer Leagues Pro (USL Pro) team. The USL Pro team will be named Sacramento Republic Football Club (FC). Sacramento Republic FC will host a series of exhibition matches throughout the remainder of 2013 and play its inaugural season in 2014.
The following explains the meaning behind the name and all components of the Sacramento Republic FC crest:
• Why Sacramento Republic FC? First and foremost, “Republic” represents the theme that the community selected through the Supercuts “Name the Team” contest. It signifies the spirit and intent of the great “American experiment” where our country fought for freedom and set up a system of government where power and control of the country reside with the people and their elected leaders. As the capital of California, Sacramento is the home of the people’s representation of this great state. With "Republic" as the overall theme, the California State Flag is next in line as inspiration. The flag is a symbol of strength, freedom, courage and honor.
• The star is two-fold in its symbolism. The star signifies Sacramento’s place on the map as the state capital. The addition of the beveled look is consistent with that of a United States Military general insignia, which pays tribute to the Republic reference. The color is the same as the star in the California State Flag.
• The crest is simple yet bold, powerful and distinct. Republic FC sits in a place of honor in the bold banner representative of the banners worn by those battling for freedom. The font and the colors are true to those used in the state flag and demonstrate a rich connection to California’s rich history.
• The bear represents a symbol of "strength and unyielding resistance." The bear is the official state animal and the centerpiece of the flag.
• Soccer teams are well known for their battle cries. “Urbs Indomita” is Sacramento’s city motto, which translates as “the Indomitable City,” a reference to the City of Sacramento in its infancy and its citizens’ refusal to back down despite fire, floods and disease. They desired and were destined to thrive, literally moving the American River and raising their city above it to create a vibrant community. Today, that fighting spirit lives on with Sacramento Republic FC and is also highlighted on the crest.
“We are proud to present the Sacramento Republic FC branding to the Sacramento community and soccer fans everywhere,” said Warren Smith, president of Sac Pro Soccer. “We spent significant time conducting research, hosting focus groups and talking to many community members and fans to learn just what soccer means to Sacramento and the Republic name captures this spirit entirely. It represents a team effort that fans in this region and everywhere can get behind. We are thrilled officially transition and become known as the Sacramento Republic and look forward to an exciting inaugural 2014 season. I would like to thank the Sacramento community for their input and for helping us develop this strong brand and representation of our community.”
Sacramento Republic FC was inspired by thousands of entries collected by Sac Pro Soccer during the Supercuts “Name the Team” Contest. Regional soccer fans and members of the Sacramento community submitted team names and color palette suggestions and Sacramento Republic FC was by far the most popular entry.
This past Monday, the team announced signing Predrag Radosavlijevic, better known as Preki, as head coach for the 2014 inaugural season. Best known for scoring a game-winning goal for the United States Men’s National Team over world power Brazil in 1998, Preki has more than 15 years of experience as a national and international player. He is the only MLS player to have won the MLS MVP Award and MLS Scoring Champion Award twice. Preki was named to the MLS All-Time Best XI in 2005.
Sacramento Professional Soccer, LLC hosted “Sac Soccer Day” yesterday at Raley Field where the community enjoyed two matches celebrating soccer at the highest level and the sport’s place in the region. The featured games highlighted Norwich City FC versus Club Dorados from Mexico. The warm-up match featured the San Jose Earthquakes reserve squad versus an All-Star team of Sacramento talent, which included former MLS and USL PRO players from the Sacramento region as well as up and coming players that have a chance to play in these leagues.
Between matches, the Sacramento Republic (FC) introduced the brand and team crest to those in attendance, which included the Tower Bridge Battalion, a group of 200 people that was started to support the team. Sacramento Republic FC will host additional soccer events, supporter events, soccer clinics and player appearances will be scheduled leading up to the 2014 inaugural season. For updates, follow the team on Twitter at @SacRepublic, “Like” them on Facebook or visit SacRepublicFC.com.