Republic FC add more depth to back line

The Sacramento Republic FC announced yesterday that they have signed 23 year-old defender Matt Mahoney to a USL Championship contract with a team option for 2020 pending league and federation approval.

Mahoney joins the Republic after two seasons with Bethlehem Steel FC where he made 44 appearances (37 starts). Last season, Mahoney notched two goals and an assist, while leading the club in clearances (150), interceptions (81), tackles won (48), duels won (196) and aerial duels won (102) according to a release provided by the Republic.

Mahoney is lauded for his ability to play centrally and at fullback, so that versatility will be nice for Manager Simon Elliott to have over the course of the season.

“Matt is a gritty and reliable player whose versatility will be a great asset to our backline,” said Republic FC General Manager Todd Dunivant. “We are looking forward to adding his strong defensive mentality to our group.”

Originally from Buffalo, New York, Mahoney played collegiately at Temple University in Philadelphia where he appeared in all 78 matches for the Owls, including an impressive 55-game starting streak.

With Mahoney signed, the club now has five defenders under contract ahead of the 2019 season including, Shannon Gomez, Elliott Hord, Dekel Keinan and Mitchell Taintor. Last year, the Republic carried eight defenders on its roster, so while there is still room to add depth, you have to wonder if Emrah Klimenta’s time with the Republic has drawn to a close.

As the club continues to build out the roster, it would be great to see them add a prolific striker to pair along side Cameron Iwasa. As mentioned in my season recap, the lack and need of a second striker was apparent early on in the season. With training camp less than a month away, here’s to the club addressing that over the next month.