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USOC2016MAY 18, 2016 | 7:30PM | BONNEY FIELD

PAG E

26SACRAMENTO’SSOCCER GODFATHER

BIKE MONTH WITH DOM

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12BEAUTIFUL GAME: PERFECT PITCH

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SACRAMENTOREPUBLIC FC

VSCD AGUILUCHOS USA

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Success is a team effort

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SU MO TU WE TH FR SA1 2

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JULY

AWAY MATCH

HOME MATCH

HOME MATCH LIVE BROACAST ON CW31

AWAY MATCH

HOME MATCH

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U.S. OPEN CUP

Subject to change. Check local listings. All times PST.Check SacRepublicFC.com for U.S. Open Cup dates and changes.

2016 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE

2016 Season Presented by

LFC7:00PM

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# NAME POS HT WT AGE HOMETOWN

1 Dominik Jakubek G 6-1 195 36 Lodi, California

2 Derek Foran D 6-1 165 26 Dublin, Ireland

3 Mike da Fonte D 6-0 170 24 Ossining, New York

4 Alfonso Motagalvan D 5-10 170 28 Gilroy, California

5 Danny Barrera M 5-7 150 26 Thousand Oaks, California

6 Agustin Cazarez D 5-7 145 26 Reseda, California

7 Joaquin Rivas F 5-11 172 23 Las Vegas, Nevada

8 Chris Christian D 6-1 180 26 West Orange, New Jersey

9 Harry Williams F 6-0 160 20 Cheltenham, England

10 Thomas Stewart F 5-11 179 29 Portadown, Northern Ireland

11 Max Alvarez M 5-10 160 24 Napa, California

12 Evan Newton G 6-2 190 27 Virginia Beach, Virginia

13 Adam Jahn F 6-3 185 25 Davis, California

14 Cameron Iwasa F 5-10 180 22 Sacramento, California

15 Carlos Rodriguez D 6-3 168 19 Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico

16 Matt LaGrassa M 6-0 170 23 Elk Grove, California

17 Octavio Guzman M 5-10 175 25 Bay Point, California

19 Mackenzie Pridham F 6-0 180 25 Saratoga, California

20 James Kiffe D 5-11 180 26 Santa Barbara, California

21 Tommy Thompson M 5-7 145 20 Granite Bay, California

22 Chase Minter M 5-9 150 23 Heath, Texas

23 Emrah Klimenta D 6-1 180 24 Rozaje, Montenegro

24 JJ Koval M 6-1 183 23 Westlake Village, California

26 Mark Sherrod F 6-3 185 25 Knoxville, Tennessee

27 Kip Colvey D 5-10 162 22 Picton, New Zealand

SACRAMENTO REPUBLIC FCPresented by

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CD AGUILUCHOS USA

NAME

Arthur Gwydion Bahr

Jose Cabeza

Edwin Chavez

Devin Michael Collins

Anthony Desouza

Robert Doeland

Kevin Esquivel

Matheus Freire

Jesus Garcia

Selaab Ghafouri

Jesus Gomez

Kevin Gonzalez

Ricardo Guerra

Ahmad Hatifie

Daniel Hernandez

Daniel William Holochuck

NAME

Jesus Leon

Keller, Texas

Ross Middlemiss

Juan Mondragon

Leopoldo Morales

Jesus Morales

Wiliiam Nino

Flavio Ramos Ambrosio

Simon Rawnsley

Fernando Reyes

Jorge Ruiz

Bengy Ruiz

Miguel Angel Santiago

Jacob Talarman

Dario Teyez

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INQUIRING MINDS: Q&A WITH SRFC PLAYERS

DANNY BARRERA

1. Pick one: DC or Marvel?Marvel!

2. What song is your current jam? Probably one of Drake’s new songs, like One Dance.

3. If you could have lunch with any person living or dead who would it be and why? I’m going to have to pick Elvis Presley. We share the same birthday!

4. Who is your favorite actor or actress and why?Sofía Vergara. She’s also Colombian [like me] and has a great personality.

5. How did you get your dog, Nala? I adopted her from a shelter out in Texas.

ALFONSO MOTAGALVAN

1. Where do you like to take your dogs for a walk?On the American River trail.

2. What’s your favorite vacation spot? I don’t really have a chance to vacation often, but through playing my favorite place has been Puerto Rico. The food was really good, the people nice and the beaches amazing.

3. What is the most recent movie you watched? San Andreas. My fiancé and I were home the other night…and we wanted to see how truthful it was.

4. What is one thing most fans don’t know about you? Probably that my first name is Felix.

5. Who is your favorite superhero?I didn’t grow up watching a ton of action movies or reading the comic books, but the one thing I did watch was Power Rangers. I’ll have to say Jason, the Red Ranger.

12

T he beautiful game isn’t just a sport to watch on the weekends for Sacramento Republic FC

supporter Manuel Camacho, it’s something he eats, breathes and lives. Soccer is more than a game, it’s family.

From traveling to dozens of Republic FC matches to volunteering at local tournaments, Camacho’s love for the sport knows almost no limits. Now that he’s retired, there’s nothing that comes between him and his love for the beautiful game.

Affectionately known as “the godfather of Sacramento soccer” or “Juventus Manny” after the name of his Sacramento Adult Soccer League (SASL) team, Republic FC Season Ticket Holder Camacho has been a mainstay in the Sacramento soccer community well before Republic FC, the Knights, the Gold or even the Geckos ever came along.

Over the years, Camacho has become one of Sacramento’s most influential grassroots advocates for the beautiful game, from organizing

adult tournaments, starting divisions for over 35, 40, 50 and even over 60 players and refereeing pick-up matches throughout the region.

“He’s the first guy you call if you want to know about grassroots soccer in Sacramento,” says Republic FC Executive Vice President and Co-Founder Joe Wagoner. “He is just so authentic. Soccer is just the way he is.”

One of eleven siblings, Camacho grew up playing the beautiful game literally in streets of downtown Mexico City. In 1970, he met his future wife, Grace, while her family was on vacation in Mexico and the rest is history.

Camacho and Grace eloped in 1973 to Reno, Nev. and moved to Sacramento not long afterwards.

“Let’s just say we got married and it’s been soccer every since,” Grace laughed as she discusses the couple’s preparations to celebrate their 44th wedding anniversary later this year.

While coaching their three kids through high school Camacho continued to play the sport, joining the SASL. However, as he began to get

SACRAMENTO’S SOCCER ‘GODFATHER’ FINDS FAMILY IN REPUBLIC FC

MANUEL CAMACHO BRINGS FAMILY LOVE FOR THE BEAUTIFUL GAME, SACRAMENTO AND REPUBLIC FC TO WHEREVER HE GOES

13

BY EIRA CASTILLO

older, he found it more difficult to continue to play in the over 18 division and wondered if it was getting to be time to give up the sport he loved.

His younger brother, Hector, had other ideas and encouraged him to find a league with players his own age.

There was none, so Camacho—along with a few of his own teammates—decide to start an over 40 division with Sacramento Adult Soccer League (SASL), which quickly became a huge success. A few years later, though, Camacho found himself in the same position again, so they expanded again, this time to an over 50 division.

“At first everyone laughed and told me ‘That’s too old. You should be watching TV or something. It’s time to give up soccer,” said Camacho. “Instead, I said no and started an over 50 team. We’ve now gone from just four teams from when we started to 16 teams in just the over 50s league with A and B divisions.”

Camacho and his teammates named their SASL team Juventus, not because of any particular allegiance to the Italian club, but because they needed to choose colors no one else was playing

with in the league. Although Camacho slyly admits he is partial to the kits with vertical stripes.

Camacho’s Juventus team was a huge, quickly and unofficially becoming one of the biggest adult recreational clubs in Sacramento. While the number of Juventus teams overseen by Camacho varies throughout the year, they’ve fielded as many as five outdoor teams and another six playing indoor matches in various leagues throughout the Sacramento league during a single season.

Juventus quickly grew into a social activity for players and their families, with Manny and Grace organizing a variety of events throughout the year, including wine tasting trips, soccer tournaments and dinners. In it’s their own right, Juventus has become another family to Camacho.

However, Camacho wasn’t content to just start four different divisions for “mature” soccer players in addition to eleven different teams that he considers to be part of his Juventus family. Camacho began to research new ways to grow his soccer family as he looked forward to retiring from his desk job in and focus more on friends, family and, of course, soccer.

SACRAMENTO’S SOCCER ‘GODFATHER’ FINDS FAMILY IN REPUBLIC FC by Kelsey Price

14

Enter stage left Sacramento Republic FC on December 3, 2012.

“It’s like they were opening a candy store,” said Grace. “He’s been following them since Day One.”

Added Camacho, “From day one, I’ve felt a connection. You talk to any of us—front office, fans—and you just feel like you’re a part of it.”

Camacho was one of the first fans in line to join the Republic FC family as a Season Ticket Holder, even before the club had a name, a coach, players or a stadium to call home. He even reached out to Wagoner and other members of Republic FC’s front office to see how he could help the team, even if that was volunteering or just spreading the word about Republic FC.

Initially, he thought perhaps his daughter would be a great person to help, but then he could also invite his fellow Juventus friends to join Grace and him to watch the newest professional sports team in town.

“It is great to have a fan like Manny,” said Wagoner. “You know we had this idea—this thing—that no one believed was going to work, and all of a sudden, we’re meeting with Manny. And it’s people like Manny, who is as passionate as we are, who instantly make it all worth it.”

After inviting a few friends over for dinner with Republic FC staff, before he knew it Camacho signed up more than 60 of his Juventus players and family to join him as Season Ticket Holders in Section 116, in addition to a few who are also Tower Bridge Battalion or sit in club seating.

“It’s been crazy,” said Grace about how Republic FC has become a part of their lives. “And of course, now that we’re retired, he just wants to follow them everywhere.”

In fact, not only do many of the couple’s vacations revolve around the club’s travel schedule—they’ve visited Seattle, Portland, LA and Vancouver for away matches—Camacho is sure to bring Republic FC swag wherever they go, including a six-week trip to Mexico earlier this year.

After both Grace and Manny retired at the end of 2014, the couple decided it was time to go visit their family, particularly Manny’s relatives in Mexico, as̀ they hadn’t a chance to see them for an extended amount of time since Camacho moved to the United States and married Grace.

Of course, Camacho saw this as an opportunity to spread the word that the city he calls home,

Sacramento, had a football club.

“In planning, I thought, why don’t I share my love for Sacramento Republic FC with my family? And then [while I was at the Team Store] I realized, why not bring my Tower Bridge Battalion scarf, my Republic scarf…and oh, how about that flag,” explained Camacho, about their visit to Sacramento Republic FC Headquarters and Team Store, where an Old Glory Red caught his eye.

And so, the Camachos decided during an impromptu flag purchase at the Team Store, not just to share their love for Republic FC with their family, but broadcast throughout their travels through Mexico.

More than $600 of merchandise and several

over-weight suitcases later, the Camachos headed to Mexico, where they visited ten different states, dozens of cities and a multitude of family members throughout their six-week trip to Mexico. And of course, each stop along the way Camacho was there, proudly waving his flag.

“He wanted to climb everywhere to display that flag,” Grace said, teasing her husband about his determination to wave his club colors.

In all, Republic FC’s flag made an appearance at least 100 times, estimated Camacho, who shared photos of the flag at landmarks such as Estadio Corregidora, Basilica Cathedral of Santa María la Menor and the Monte Alban Ruins.

“The beauty of it all was that the whole family became involved,” said Grace. “Every time we went to a new place, the first question was, ‘Manny did you bring the flag?’”

After a successful trip visiting their family—and sharing their love for Republic FC with them—Manny and Grace are both eagerly looking forward to the rest of the 2016 season.

“It’s the excitement of watching soccer. And now it’s my team. My city. My club…everyone gets into it and we all know it’s ours,” said Camacho.

While Camacho feels like Republic FC is his, the feeling of love and commitment is mutual to the club.

“It’s their club,” said Wagoner in reference to Republic FC fans. “It was never supposed to be about the front office, staff or investors. It’s about the people and the family they’ve created.

“IT’S LIKE THEY WERE OPENING A CANDY STORE.HE’S BEEN FOLLOWING THEM SINCE DAY ONE.”

View a gallery of the Camacho’s photos at SacRepublic.FC

15

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Republic FC’s Camps and Clinics Program, which is presented by Raley’s and Bel Air, kick off their summer sessions this month, with an expanded curriculum and even more opportunities for young players to learn new skills.

Since its launch in late 2014, the Republic FC Camps and Clinics Program has expanded significantly. This summer, will feature at least eight camps and clinics held throughout the Sacramento region, including Lodi and Shingle Springs.

The curriculum of the each session varies, and there are several types of sessions available, from total player development to more specific sessions, such as striker and ball mastery clinics. The sessions will offer participants instruction in a variety of skill areas, such as ball control, footwork and finish – all in an environment that is designed to be both challenging and fun.

“Our sessions provide specific skills that players can use in their games,” said Video Analyst and Camps and Clinics Coordinator Chris Malenab. “It’s also a way for us to find players and recommend them onto the Academy or the Development Program. It’s the first step on the pyramid as far as player development.”

One of the main sessions to be offered this summer will be the Total Player Development Summer Camp. There will be two sessions held in June, the first from June 13 through June 16, and the second from June 27 through June 30. The third session will take place from August 8 through 11.

Each four-day camp (day only, no overnight programs) includes three hours of dynamic training each day. Players will be put through 1v1, 2v2 and group play exercises designed to hone their passing, dribbling and shooting technique. Players ages 6-18 years old of all skill levels and positions are welcome at each camp.

This summer will also feature one of Republic FC’s most popular sessions, the Ball Mastery and Footwork Clinic. In contrast with the all skills sessions, the Ball Mastery and Footwork Clinic zones in specifically on improving each players’ dribbling quality and speed. The goal of the clinic is to make each player more technically sound and sharpen their game on the ball through fakes, feints, change of ball direction and more.

While most camps and clinics are for players ages six through 18, this summer will also offer a unique session for junior players ages three through six. The Republic FC Junior All Skills Clinic will introduce the beautiful game for toddlers in a fun and active environment. The focus is fun, but coaches will also provide these young athletes an opportunity to develop early skill sets in the sport and motor skills, while doing so with age-appropriate exercises.

All the camps and clinics sessions are not only designed to help players improve their technical abilities, but also aim to build character and teach participants the value of putting their full effort forward in anything they do. Having Republic FC players and coaches participate at select camps and clinics provides an added benefit of showing kids how their dedication can pay off.

“We realize that not every player has the intention of becoming a professional, but the work ethic is something that carries over not just into their soccer teams but also into their lives,” said Malenab. “We want to teach these kids that whatever goal they have, they have to work for it. Part of our mission isn’t just to build better soccer players but help influence good character. Those are strong messages, and we’re fortunate to have the players out there that have made it to the professional level, but are still pushing themselves every day.”

To learn more about upcoming camps and clinics or to register for a session, visit SacRepublicFC.com.

REPUBLIC FC CAMPS AND CLINICS PRESENTED BY RALEY’S AND BEL AIR

EXPANDS FOR SUMMER 2016

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WHAT IS THEU.S. OPEN CUP?THE LAMAR HUNT U.S. OPEN CUP IS THE OLDEST CUP TOURNAMENT

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91 PROFESSIONAL, OPEN DIVISION AND LOCAL QUALIFIER TEAMS.

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14USCS/USASA/USSSA

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APRIL 6INITIAL PAIRINGS ANNOUNCEMENTFIRST ROUND MATCHES AS WELL AS SECOND ROUND POSSIBILITIES

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JUNE 1THIRD ROUND15 MATCHESNASL ENTERS

JUNE 15FOURTH ROUND16 MATCHESMLS ENTERS

JUNE 16ROUND OF 16 DRAWFOURTH ROUND WINNERS WILL BE DIVIDED GEOGRAPHICALLY; RANDOM PAIRINGS DRAW

JUNE 29 ROUND OF 16

JULY 20QUARTERFINALS

AUGUST 10SEMIFINALS

SEPTEMBER 21FINALS

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Every May, thousands of Sacramento region residents opt to swap four wheels for two as their preferred mode of transportation as part of the region’s annual “May

is Bike Month” initiative.

Each year, the month-long campaign encourages commuters to use their bikes to promote bicycle use as their main mode of transportation, whether that’s commuting to to work, running errands or grabbing a post-work pint.

However, for Republic FC goalkeeper Dom Jakubek, every month is Bike Month. Truth be told, if there’s one place that the Sacramento Republic FC goalkeeper feels more at home, than on the pitch tending his net, it’s on his bike.

An urban nomad and explorer at heart, when Jakubek isn’t training or coaching, the veteran goalkeeper is more often than not easily spotted in a flat brim, Nike sneakers and SRFC t-shirt, all while perched on top of a white road bike trimmed with cobalt blue accents as he cruises along Sacramento’s tree-lined streets.

“I think it’s my number one thing I like to do here in Sacramento,” admits Jakubek, who regularly rides over to Republic FC’s Headquarters and Team Store in the Broadway District to pick-up gear or even just visit the front office staff.

A self-admitted Southside Park haunter who enjoys shooting hoops or soaking in sun at popular stomping grounds, Jakubek keeps busy and active when he’s not on the pitch. He bikes almost everywhere he goes in Sacramento, from alongside the rivers to Old Sacramento to his favorite stomping grounds like Capital Athletic Club, where he takes several Pilates classes a week.

“Biking in Sacramento is a no-brainer, “ says Jakubek. It’s simply easier and more convenient for his urban lifestyle, saving gas money and losing the hassle of trying to fight for premium parking spaces in peak hours on the grid.

“It takes me maybe fifteen minutes or so to get just about anywhere I want to go,” said Jakubek. “If I take my car, I have to drive around in circles to find parking. With my bike, it’s just go and lock-up your bike and you’re there.”

With a growing urban grid full of new hangout spots, great bites and a growing nightlife scene, Republic FC encourages fans to get their own taste of Jakubek’s love for bikes by making Bike Month every month.

Republic FC fans may join Jakubek and Republic FC in celebrating two wheels this month by visiting MayisBikeMonth.com.

CELEBRATING BIKE MONTH WITH DOM JAKUBEK

By Eira Castillo

27

29

A QUALITY PITCH IS ESSENTIAL TO CREATE THE PERFECT STAGE FOR THE WORLD’S GAME.

Pitch maintenance is an often forgotten but a crucial aspect of the beautiful game. A poor pitch can cause problems not only with the rhythm and style of play, but also for the health of players, and sanity of coaches. An uneven playing surface slows down the pace of the game and any divots or bumps may cause minor to serious injuries to a player.

At Bonney Field, the pitch is kept in pristine shape by experienced Bonney Field Groundskeeper Tony Camarena and his crew.

Camarena and his crew take painstaking care to prepare Bonney Field’s pitch for every Republic FC home match, as well as Pro Rugby and USA Rugby play. In the 48 hours leading up to matchday, the pitch is meticulously mowed a day or so before and Camarena and his grounds crew ensure the irrigation is up and running smoothly. After the grass is mowed, the lines on the pitch are painted to exact measurements before each match.

On matchday, the field is groomed out with special equipment in order to fluff it up and create a smooth, soft pitch. Camarena takes a final walkthrough to make sure all areas of the field are in excellent playing condition. The very last step is to water the pitch just prior to kickoff.

“We water the pitch before matches so that the ball will move quickly,” said Head Coach and Technical Director Paul Buckle. “Teams that come to play against us, they would probably prefer a slower game, so if the pitch is dry the ball moves slower, which means our attacks are slower. If the pitch is quick, then we can move the ball quickly and its more difficult for the opposition to get into position and park the bus. So we like the pitch wet. It makes for a quicker game, a more exciting game.”

Aside from regular post-match maintenance, the Bonney Field grounds crew also has to rehab the pitch following events that can be more strenuous on the field.

“Bonney Field is used for more than one type of event,” said Camarena. “We have different events that happen on the pitch, like rugby, soccer, concerts and other events, so there’s a lot maintenance that goes down for each that people don’t know about.”

After concerts and other such events, the grounds crew goes in and clears the pitch of any trash. The crew then focuses on taking out all and any divots on the pitch, and then fluffing the grass back to its original state as best as possible. The crew must also remove any equipment off the field quickly, including stages or other items that may cover the grass, so it doesn’t burn the turf when exposed to heat and sun. The last step in getting the pitch back to pristine condition is to keep it irrigated properly and undisturbed so that it may recover on its own as much as possible.

The importance of pitch maintenance, and the individuals behind it, is highlighted in a curious anecdote from across the pond. In 2009, after multiple injuries at Spanish giant Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, “Los Galacticos” decided to make a move for one of Europe’s most renowned groundsman – Paul Burgess. Burgess was Arsenal’s head groundsman and was recommended to Madrid due to the standard-setting pitch of the Gunners’ Emirates Stadium. The highly lauded groundsman became the first full-time groundsman at Real Madrid and is in charge not only of the pitch at the Bernabeu, but also the club’s training ground, Ciudad Real Madrid.

One could say that the most important player in any match is the pitch itself.

“The quality of the pitch and level of the pitch is very important,” said Republic FC Team Administrator Dustin Cleaver. “When the quality of the pitch is taken care of, it helps not only the quality of the team’s game but also helps the players play at their very best.”

THE BEAUTIFUL GAME: MAINTAINING A PERFECT PITCH

By Eira Castillo

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