Talk about a strong debut: Sacramento Republic FC drew more than 20,000 fans to the team’s debut at Hughes Stadium.
The final crowd of 20,231 was larger than expected; lots of grassroots work went into bringing so many fans out. From the Sacramento Bee:
Erica Jahn oversaw ticket distribution in helping to marshal the wave of fans who poured through the stadium gates well before the 7:30 p.m. start.
“It’s the best of both worlds for us,” said Barbara Jahn, a Davis resident. “Erica’s working real hard helping with ticket sales, and we get to see Adam play so close to home.
“But I’m just as excited for the organization. It’s exciting to see such a large show of support for the sport in Sacramento.”
And, of course, strong fan interest will be of interest to MLS officials deciding on the next round of expansion teams.