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With a clear need to add more scoring prowess, Sacramento Republic FC announced Monday they had signed forward Thomas Enevoldsen for the remainder of the season. Enevoldsen spent the first half of the year with Indy Eleven where he recorded five goals, two assists in 20 appearances. The deal includes a club option for 2020.
Make no mistake about it — this was a bold move made by General Manager Todd Dunivant and the Republic front office to get the 2018 Golden Boot Runner Up (20 goals and 10 assists), AND to pull it off this late in the season is quite remarkable. Players of Enevoldsen’s caliber are just not readily available, so it likely took some significant dough to make it happen.
Despite the Republic’s up and down season, bringing Enevoldsen in should be a clear sign to fans the club is not resting on its laurels, but rather going for it.
“We are very pleased to add a player of Thomas’ caliber to our squad at this stage of the season,” said Republic FC General Manager Todd Dunivant. “His experience at the highest level, and particularly in the USL Western Conference, will strengthen our attack in a major way.”
In related news, Tyler Blackwood announced via his Instagram account that he has left the Republic. The club haven’t issued an official press release yet to confirm, but I would expect something in the coming days.
As fans know, this was Blackwood’s second stint with the club. Last year he had a terrific season with Swope Park Rangers, so the hope was that he would carry over his mojo from last year to this season. For whatever reason, it just never materialized. Regardless of how it played out on the pitch, Blackwood was a true gentleman while he was here and will be missed.
But back to Enevoldsen — my expectation is he sees some action this Saturday when the Republic host Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. Not sure he will get the start, but at a minimum, he should log 20-25 minutes. Then expect him to be used heavily the rest of the season.
A top four finish in the Western Conference is still very much within reach for Sacramento, but as discussed here over the last few weeks, they need to get it going and going fast.
Will Enevoldsen make a difference and be the spark the club needs? Time will tell, but the Republic are certainly better today then they were just a few short days ago.
Are you excited about Thomas’ arrival? Sound off in the comments section below!