Republic takes tie with Oakland as rivalry begins to simmer with the fans
A pair of big, black charter buses rolled through the parking lot outside Sacramento Republic's stadium Wednesday night. As the first rolled away, the second bus pulled into the grass and more fans of the Oakland Roots piled out.
The Roots chartered buses to carry 50 fans to Sacramento to bang drums, cheer and support their team in hostile territory. It's not exactly on the level of Giants-Dodgers, but there's a rivalry brewing between Republic and Roots.
At least among the fans. Republic and Roots played to a scoreless tie, not for lack of trying on Sacramento's part. Republic had 19 shot attempts, but just three were on goal. Oakland managed just two shots.
After the final whistle, Republic's Derek Formella crumpled to the turf, seemingly frustrated by Sacramento's inability to tally a goal or 10.
The atmosphere was lively, especially for a Wednesday night, as Republic's diehard fans and drum corps mostly drowned out the group from Oakland. Quails defender Mitch Taintor said the atmosphere was a welcome change from last year, when Republic played in an empty stadium.
"It's sure better than zero fans," he said. "Those games were a little odd, but they tested your professionalism. These games are easy now with the fans. "It's a lot easier to ride the wave and the emotion that the fans bring, because we have some unbelievable fans, and everyone knows that. And we do want to make Heart Health Park a fortress and it starts with the fans and our product on the field."
It might be a fortress, but anyone's welcome. The Oakland tourists seemed to enjoy the excursion. As Oakland fans piled off their bus, Ricky Flanders and his son Reagan took pictures in front of it with a Roots scarf.
"I think it's great. To have another Northern California rivalry, I love it," Ricky Flanders said.
Flanders said he was happy to take a two-hour bus ride to Sacramento and get home after midnight.
"Anything that helps with the rivalry," he said. "That experience brings it up a notch."
The Roots fans arrived ready to make noise, with a drum corps including Ross Retz, who said he's not ready to call a game against Sacramento a blood feud. While Republic was busy looking like the more dangerous team Wednesday night, the game never got chippy or emotional, with just a few pedestrian yellow cards told out.
"I'm not feeling a huge rivalry at this point," he said. "The Roots are a young team and really just getting our footing in this new league. I know regionally there's supposed to be a rivalry. But we're a young team and we're just getting going here."
As Retz spoke, fellow drummer Cassandra Wilson watched live video from the Oakland A's game with the Houston Astros (Oakland lost 4-3). Wilson clapped her hands in rhythm and nervously moved around while watching the game.
Wilson, Retz and Alejandra Leon have traveled to Chicago and Los Angeles to watch A's games. A bus ride to Sacramento is well within the bounds of reason, Leon said.
"The people are the best part," she said. "When you're there, it's more like a little family. You get to know all these people . ... You get to know them and have fun together. No one knows our names but it still feels like a family environment. Why wouldn't you want to support Oakland if you're from Oakland?"
Baseball was a common theme among the Oakland crowd, all of whom brought up the A's-Giants rivalry unprompted. Atta Arghandiwal, an author and refugee expert who rode the team bus, smiled when he was asked about the fan groups traveling to support their teams. A large group of Sacramento fans made it to Oakland for a game that was eventually canceled because of field conditions a few weeks ago. This was the Roots' turn to return the favor.
"It's just fun," Arghandiwal said. " And I think it's the fun part to see people support their teams and see the passion behind it. It's like when we go to A's-Giants games, we've always enjoyed it."
And while there's some booing and cheering directed between the rival groups, it never gets out of hand.
"It's not European," Flanders said. "If we were going to Manchester United or Manchester City, we'd probably be singing songs the whole way up here and cursing at anybody from the other team."