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MLS Ambitions Heighten Interest In Sac Republic FC Tryouts

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – A group of hopefuls tried out for a spot on what could be Sacramento's first Major League Soccer team.

Sacramento Republic FC coaches were out at Cosumnes River College this weekend looking for top talent.

"If I make this team it's going to be a dream come true," said hopeful Joshua Jurado.

Jurado, like everyone else on the field, wants to be a part of the Sac Republic movement.

"We're going to try and keep the standards very high. Hopefully, [it] will be just as exciting as well," said Sac Republic FC Head Coach Predrag "Preki" Radosavlijevic.

Not only are they USL Pro champions, they have the potential to be added to the list of MLS teams.

"If we feel there's some talent we can add to the squad, of course we'll give those guys an opportunity to train with us and we'll go from there," Coach Preki said.

The hype and excitement following this team is making its way to the open tryout.

"There's more interest this time around for sure," Coach Preki said.

Adding more competition to an already selective process.

"It's difficult to make the squad, but not impossible," Coach Preki said.

And while everyone's talking about expansion and what lies ahead, Coach Preki isn't jumping the gun.

"We can only focus on the things ahead of us; that's next season," Coach Preki said.

That's what the tryouts were all about: putting together a solid team – and players are coming from all over for a shot.

"After high school I played in South America, Central America," said hopeful Angel Castro from South San Francisco. "Recently, I was in Europe, Spain."

A chance to be a part of this, leaving everything they have on the field to play with champions and possibly even make it to major league soccer.

"That's what I really want. That's why I came back," Castro said. "I left what I had in Madrid, Spain that's what I want."

Republic FC is currently taking deposits for MLS season tickets, should the club be granted expansion rights. The goal is to sell 10,000 tickets.

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