Rodrigo ‘RoRo’ López was Sacramento Republic FC’s first signing and led the club to its first – and so far only – championship since its inaugural 2014 season.As this year’s season nears its end, the longtime Republic captain hopes to raise the USL Championship cup one more time before he retires. It would certainly be a capstone to a 22-season career that is expected to wrap with more than 400 professional soccer appearances for 13 clubs in the U.S. and Mexico. The milestones include 45 goals with the Republic and 49 assists, a club record, across seven seasons in Sacramento. López, 38, spoke at a press conference on Thursday with just one game left to play at home on Saturday for the regular season. Sacramento already clinched the No. 2 seed in the West. Four must-win games are ahead in the post-season. “Going into Hughes Stadium with 22,000 fans to open up our season in 2014 was a very special moment in my career,” López said of his first match representing Sacramento. “I’ve played in bigger crowds but just being the first player signed for a new club and seeing all the emotions and all the excitement and a city coming together to support our soccer team was truly special.” He said his dream of winning another title this year would be a “perfect story.” “The ending I want and obviously not just for myself,” he said. “I think this club deserves another championship.”López was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and his father left a professional soccer career there when López was 11 months old in pursuit of a better life for his family, he previously told KCRA 3. López said he’s been on the field with a soccer ball since he was 3 years old growing up in Santa Barbara, and so becoming a professional wasn’t “the hardest thing to do.” The hardest part has been to remain a “good pro” by maintaining consistency, he said. One of the lessons he said his father taught him was to always remember how hard it is for some fans to afford match tickets for their entire family. That meant he should “make it worth it” by giving his all on the pitch for his fans. “I hope I made people proud,” López said when asked about a message for the club’s supporters. “I hope I was able to put a smile in people’s faces every time they went out to the field.” López said that navigating how to wrap up his professional career has not been an easy process, especially as he recovered from a season-ending injury last year while one of his children was also recovering from open-heart surgery. “I had been talking to my wife and my kids about it for maybe a year, or so, maybe a little longer. And obviously, you know, with what we went through last year it was just a lot harder to come in every day and see everyone smile, enjoy the game,” he said. “And, you know, me having to come in and just rehab and run and put in all the work, which I love doing. But at the same time, it was definitely difficult. And obviously with what Roman was going through as well at home and, you know, all the work we had to do and my wife with the kids, it just became a lot.”He feels like now is a good point to retire with “a perfect team to finish with,” rather than risk getting hurt next year. “It’s time to turn the page and see what’s next for us,” he said. López has been tapped for a player-development role with the Republic that plans to bridge the team’s youth academy and first team.Asked how he wants to be remembered, he mentioned wanting to inspire not only professionals but also the next generation of players. “As a parent, I just want my kids, and not just my kids, but I have an academy that I run and so many kids that look up to me, especially my two boys. I just want them to see that every time I’m on the field, I’m gonna give it my all,” he said. “And it’s not just for me. It’s for the team. I want to inspire players. I want to inspire my kids, and I want to show them that with hard work, anything’s possible.” He said what he’ll miss most are lacing up with his teammates in the locker room, competing with them in training and, “just being someone that leads, that can make someone’s day better.”López became emotional toward the end of the nearly 30-minute press conference when asked for his closing thoughts. He mentioned the support of his wife and children, especially through the tough moments. “It definitely hasn’t been easy,” he said. “Sometimes I know that I was probably a pain in the ass to be around. It probably wasn’t enjoyable, especially after losses. I’m a very competitive guy. I want to thank them for everything they have done for me.” He said they reminded him “never to quit and follow my dreams.”See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Rodrigo ‘RoRo’ López was Sacramento Republic FC’s first signing and led the club to its first – and so far only – championship since its inaugural 2014 season.
As this year’s season nears its end, the longtime Republic captain hopes to raise the USL Championship cup one more time before he retires. It would certainly be a capstone to a 22-season career that is expected to wrap with more than 400 professional soccer appearances for 13 clubs in the U.S. and Mexico. The milestones include 45 goals with the Republic and 49 assists, a club record, across seven seasons in Sacramento.
López, 38, spoke at a press conference on Thursday with just one game left to play at home on Saturday for the regular season. Sacramento already clinched the No. 2 seed in the West. Four must-win games are ahead in the post-season.
“Going into Hughes Stadium with 22,000 fans to open up our season in 2014 was a very special moment in my career,” López said of his first match representing Sacramento. “I’ve played in bigger crowds but just being the first player signed for a new club and seeing all the emotions and all the excitement and a city coming together to support our soccer team was truly special.”
He said his dream of winning another title this year would be a “perfect story.”
“The ending I want and obviously not just for myself,” he said. “I think this club deserves another championship.”
López was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and his father left a professional soccer career there when López was 11 months old in pursuit of a better life for his family, he previously told KCRA 3.
López said he’s been on the field with a soccer ball since he was 3 years old growing up in Santa Barbara, and so becoming a professional wasn’t “the hardest thing to do.”
The hardest part has been to remain a “good pro” by maintaining consistency, he said. One of the lessons he said his father taught him was to always remember how hard it is for some fans to afford match tickets for their entire family. That meant he should “make it worth it” by giving his all on the pitch for his fans.
“I hope I made people proud,” López said when asked about a message for the club’s supporters. “I hope I was able to put a smile in people’s faces every time they went out to the field.”
López said that navigating how to wrap up his professional career has not been an easy process, especially as he recovered from a season-ending injury last year while one of his children was also recovering from open-heart surgery.
“I had been talking to my wife and my kids about it [retirement] for maybe a year, or so, maybe a little longer. And obviously, you know, with what we went through last year it was just a lot harder to come in every day and see everyone smile, enjoy the game,” he said. “And, you know, me having to come in and just rehab and run and put in all the work, which I love doing. But at the same time, it was definitely difficult. And obviously with what Roman was going through as well at home and, you know, all the work we had to do and my wife with the kids, it just became a lot.”
He feels like now is a good point to retire with “a perfect team to finish with,” rather than risk getting hurt next year.
“It’s time to turn the page and see what’s next for us,” he said.
López has been tapped for a player-development role with the Republic that plans to bridge the team’s youth academy and first team.
Asked how he wants to be remembered, he mentioned wanting to inspire not only professionals but also the next generation of players.
“As a parent, I just want my kids, and not just my kids, but I have an academy that I run and so many kids that look up to me, especially my two boys. I just want them to see that every time I’m on the field, I’m gonna give it my all,” he said. “And it’s not just for me. It’s for the team. I want to inspire players. I want to inspire my kids, and I want to show them that with hard work, anything’s possible.”
He said what he’ll miss most are lacing up with his teammates in the locker room, competing with them in training and, “just being someone that leads, that can make someone’s day better.”
López became emotional toward the end of the nearly 30-minute press conference when asked for his closing thoughts.
He mentioned the support of his wife and children, especially through the tough moments.
“It definitely hasn’t been easy,” he said. “Sometimes I know that I was probably a pain in the ass to be around. It probably wasn’t enjoyable, especially after losses. I’m a very competitive guy. I want to thank them for everything they have done for me.”
He said they reminded him “never to quit and follow my dreams.”
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel