The Swope Park Rangers returned from a weekend trip to California with a point after playing to a 1-1 tie with Sacramento Republic FC on Saturday night. Central defender Amer Didic recognized the importance of earning points away from home.
“This road point was very important because we are traveling a lot right now, so any point we can get is crucial,” Didic explained. “Toward the end of the season we have four or five home games in a row, so those are the games that we will be looking to get the three points from.”
Didic, who was born in Bosnia & Herzegovina but grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, was named Man of the Match for his standout defensive performance in the heart of the Rangers’ backline with numerous blocks, tackles, and successful aerial duels.
“This is my first real honor at the professional level, it feels really good,” the 21-year-old rookie said. “Most importantly it feels good that we could go into Sacramento and get the tie. Having the honor of being named Man of the Match shows how hard I’ve been working and trying to improve every day and help the team win.”
Didic is no stranger to the Kansas City area, having enjoyed a largely successful college career at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas. He made 84 appearances for the Wildcats, scoring 28 goals and adding six assists from central defense. He had 11 goals in his junior year and 10 goals in his senior season, both of which led the team. Didic is excited that he could stay locally and play for the Rangers.
“It’s nice to come here and play locally and it was a top priority for me because it saved me from moving. It really has been a positive experience to stay here because my friends from college are here and they are able to come watch me play.”
“It’s very important for me to be a part of the Rangers because my goal is to get to the next level and play for the first team,” Didic stated. “Playing at this level, with the Rangers, will help my development drastically. I feel like it has already helped me in the few months I’ve been with the team.”
The Swope Park Rangers are headed to Meridian, Idaho to play their second match against Portland Timbers 2 on June 4 at Rocky Mountain High School. Game time is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT and will be available via live stream on SportingKC.com. The last time the Rangers faced Portland Timbers 2 was for the side’s inaugural match on March 26 at Children’s Mercy Park, where the Rangers took all three points with a 2-1 victory.
Didic appeared off the bench in that game, making his professional debut in the process, and he’s excited to get the chance to play T2 again. Looking toward Saturday’s match, Didic said, “I’m excited, we obviously got the win last time. I feel like we could have had more goals in the last game, so I’m definitely curious to see how that plays out in the next game. I’m looking forward to playing this weekend and having a good impact.”
