Several Sacramento Republic FC players honored as best in the league
Nov 8, 2023, 1:45 PM
Sacramento Republic FC plays San Antonio FC during a USL Championship soccer match, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, at Toyota Field in San Antonio, Texas. (Darren Abate/USL Championship)
(Darren Abate/USL Championship)
Sacramento Republic FC’s top players of the season are getting some recognition after the team’s recent heartbreaking playoff loss that ended their season.
Republic FC earned four selections from the USL Championship 2023 All-League teams, more than any other team.
Goalkeeper Danny Vitiello and defenders Conor Donovan and Jack Gurr were all named to the first team for the first time in their careers. Forward Russell Cicerone was named to the second team.
The honors followed votes by club management and a league-wide media panel with representatives from every market.
Here are some of the stellar stats cited by Republic to explain why they made the cut.
Danny Vitiello: Vitiello was already awarded the Golden Glove for the best goalkeeping of the season before being named to the team. He had a 76.2% save percentage and became Republic’s winningest goalkeeper with 28 league wins, Republic said.
Conor Donovan: Donovan played in all matches but one this season for Republic and was the team’s leader in clearances, blocks, interceptions, headed clearances and aerial duels won, according to the team.
Jack Gurr: Gurr dominated the right side of the field on offense and defense, scoring a career-high five goals and six assists, Republic said. He led the league among defenders in chances created, a statistic that refers to a pass that leads to a shot on goal.
Russell Cicerone: A new addition for the Sacramento Republic FC this year, Cicerone led the team in scoring with 15 goals and had four assists, making him a key part of Republic’s offense, the team said.
Last year, midfielder Rodrigo “RoRo” López was named to the All-League First Team.
This year’s prizes come after Sacramento Republic FC notched the best record in their Western Conference for the regular season. The No. 1 seed benefited from home-field advantage in the playoffs but were stunned on Saturday in their conference final.
Phoenix Rising FC overcame a one-goal advantage that Republic held for most of the match and scored their final game-winning goal in stoppage time after the 90th minute.
Republic will now look ahead to the 2024 season. In January, the club will host its annual open tryout, where regional players will try to secure a spot in training camp. Registration will open next month.
This story was first published by our partner KCRA. Thank you for reading Sactown Sports. Follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
