Even the most die-hard of Sacramento Republic FC fans will be forgiven for not recognizing many of the faces on this year’s squad.

As the Republic heads into its fourth season, fans will get their first chance to see all the new players Saturday at Papa Murphy’s Park (formerly Bonney Field) at 7:30 p.m. when Sacramento take on Orange County SC, the same entity that knocked it out of the playoffs last year.

But just because the Republic sports such a new look isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

It appears as if head coach Paul Buckle finally has assembled the squad that he wants heading into his second full year as Sacramento’s head coach — at least if you ask his players.

“We have a lot of talent in every position — not that we didn’t in the last few years, but we were short in some positions — as opposed to this year, where every single player can play at any given minute,” said defender Emrah Klimenta.

“It’s a long season, so injuries, little nags here and there, a lot of people can come in and cover that position and just kill it. The coaches are confident, I’m confident, the players are confident. We’re stacked in every position … everybody seems to know their roles pretty well.”

Klimenta should know how to rate this team — he’s one of just two players (along with reserve goalkeeper Dominik Jakubek) who has been with the Republic for its entire history.

And it was Klimenta who last year appeared for stardom, collecting two goals and two assists from his right back spot and earning an international call-up to Montenegro before tearing his ACL against Seattle Sounders 2 midway through the season.

Without their ironman, the Republic struggled to create chances for much of the season. Immediately following Klimenta’s injury, the Republic went winless in four.

Though Sacramento (14-6-10) rebounded with an 11-game unbeaten run to the end the season — thanks in part to Klimenta’s replacement in UC Davis alum Elliott Hord — a complete lack of chance creation in the first round of the playoffs saw the Republic bounced on a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw.

The Republic has not scored a playoff goal since Tommy Stewart’s late insurance goal in the 2014 title game.

To rectify this, Buckle and the Republic front office brought in league veterans in Sammy Ochoa and Trevin Ceaser, both of whom scored double digit-goals for USL clubs in 2016.

Combined with captain and 2016 USL All-League Team selection Danny Barrera (nine assists in 2016), new signee Tyler Blackwood and returners Harry Williams (four goals), Wilson Kneeshaw (three goals) and late addition Christian Cheney, Buckle expects the Republic to be more dangerous in the attack in 2017.

“With Trevon and the competition that he and Sammy have brought — along with young Cheney and Harry Williams and Wilson — we can tell the two strikers to start, ‘Go all out, go completely all out,’ knowing that I’ve got two strikers or three that I can bring on of equal quality.”

Sacramento native Cameron Iwasa, 2017’s leading scorer and an All-League Second Team selection, has moved onto MLS with Sporting Kansas City. But so far, Buckle has been vindicated with this group, as Ochoa produced a goal and an assist in last weekend’s season opener against Seattle.

Scoring the other goal in the 2-1 win: Klimenta, making his triumphant return at an unfamiliar position.

Because of an injury to likely starter Carlos Rodriguez, the sale of Mike da Fonte and Chris Christian being unsigned for unknown reasons (he has since signed), Klimenta was forced on as a halftime substitute for center back Julius James.

He responded with a late winner to give the Republic just its second-ever opening-day victory.

In his place at right back was Hord, who played well down the stretch of last season across from dynamic left back James Kiffe.

Buckle said Klimenta is ready to play 90 minutes come Saturday, but at what position?

“I’d like to think that I’m a player that can play any position. You can put me anywhere and I’ll try my best to succeed and help the team out,” Klimenta said.

“Whether that’s a permanent spot for me, I don’t know. I like right back, that’s my position, that’s where I see myself, but if coach wants me at center back, if that’s where I can help the team out, then I’ll play.

“Game time, you’re not going to whine, as long as you’re on the field.”

Should Klimenta stay at center back, along with career midfielder and Puerto Rico international Jeremy Hall, the offense of the Republic actually could receive a boost, according to Buckle.

“There’s a lot of emphasis now on our center backs being able to really handle the ball and really come into some territories that they’ve never been asked to do before,” he said.

“When you look at somebody like Klimenta and you look at Hall, the plus side with those players is playing them at center back, they will come in. It’s natural for them to come in. They’re the things that we’re looking for.”

Notes: Klimenta called his return and the last few days “emotional.” The fan favorite and Bay Area native was one of two players to make the inaugural squad after an open tryout. He has since amassed 66 league appearances for the club, the most in Republic history…Though Sacramento brought a large number of fans to the Republic’s season opener in Seattle, the closest road trip for supporters in years past has always been to LA Galaxy II, roughly 400 miles away. Because of this, few have been able to travel, until this year, as the Republic gain an I-80 rival in Reno 1868 FC, which fell 2-0 to Orange County in its inaugural game…A sellout crowd of 11,569 at Papa Murphy’s Park is expected Saturday.

— Reach Evan Ream at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @EvanReam