GAME SUMMARY

Saturday, April 25, 2009   University of Richmond Stadium
Richmond Kickers              1 (Worthen 36’)
Pittsburgh Riverhounds     1 (Jerome 40’)

RICHMOND, VA – The Richmond Kickers battled the Pittsburgh Riverhounds to a 1-1 draw on an unseasonably warm spring evening in front of a crowd of 2,887 at the University of Richmond Stadium.  The Kickers were the first to score when Joey Worthen connected on a Matthew Delicâte cross in the 36th minute.  Four minutes later, the Riverhounds leveled the score when Randolph Jerome finished a rebound at point blank range.  Pittsburgh went a man down early after the second half restart due to a red card ejection to defender Chris Riley.  With the advantage on a steamy night, the Kickers out-shot the Riverhounds 12-5 but could not find the game-winning goal during regulation. 

The Kickers were the first on the attack when Man of the Match Sascha Görres played a long ball down the left flank 30 seconds into the game.  Delicâte flicked the ball to an onrushing Ben Hunter but his attempt narrowly glanced wide of the target.

Soon after, a flurry of activity inside the box led to a rebound to midfielder Luke Vercollone, but his left-footed strike sailed wide.

The Riverhounds retaliated in the 18th minute when midfielder Jason Kutney collected the ball just outside the box, turned and fired a rocket over the crossbar.

Ten minutes later, Pittsburgh midfielder Matt Langton placed a shot to the near post but it was redirected back out into the mix.  Justin Evans collected the rebound and played a cross into the box but Kickers goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale easily smothered the ball.

The Kickers found the back of the net in the 36th minute when midfielder Mike Burke delivered a well-placed cross into the box.  Delicâte flicked the ball on to Worthen who was able to get over the defense to win a header, laying the ball off into the right corner.

Worthen looked to be in scoring position again one minute later when Burke played a quick restart on a free kick at midfield.  Catching the Riverhounds defense off guard, Worthen struck a left-footed volley from the left side of the box but his attempt to double the score soared skyward.

Pittsburgh registered the equalizer four minutes later when forward Sean Cameron struck from 20 yards.  The deflected shot forced Pascale to dive right to push the ball against the post.  Jerome took advantage and gathered up the rebound, finishing from point blank range as Pascale scrambled back into position.

The two teams battled in the midfield following the second half restart and it was not until the 53rd minute that the Kickers were able to get into scoring position.  Second-half substitute Adrian Bumbut demonstrated tricky footwork on the left flank, eluding defenders to feed the ball to midfielder Gerson dos Santos.  The former Virginia Commonwealth University standout fired a shot from 22 yards but his attempt sailed high.

Space opened up in the 56th minute when Riverhounds defender Chris Riley was issued a red card for a studs-up tackle against Kickers forward David Bulow, just outside the box, deep on the left wing.  Looking to capitalize on the advantage, a series of good chances by Bulow and Vercollone were stifled by Pittsburgh goalkeeper Zach Varga soon after the send-off.  

With 15 minutes left in regulation, the Kickers nearly found the game-winning goal when Görres struck from 30 yards out.  After Worthen played the ball back, Görres cut inside and bent a right-footed strike on target, beating the goalkeeper but his shot rattled against the upper 90.

In an final attempt to take the lead, Görres swung a corner into the box from the right side, which was headed back into the mix by rookie forward David Rosenbaum.  Positioned 10 yards out, Bumbut was able to collect the loose ball and struck a right-footed volley to the near post but a Pittsburgh defender was able to clear the ball off the line to preserve the draw.

The Kickers take to the road for the next two contests but return to the University of Richmond Stadium on Friday, May 15th when they host the Charlotte Eagles and Faith & Family Night at 7:00 p.m.  Donate your new and gently used clothing and soccer equipment to benefit the children of Gulu, Northern Uganda and purchase tickets at the gate for just $5.00.  Visit RichmondKickers.com for more information.

Box Score      First Half     Second Half     Final
Richmond              1                       0               1
Pittsburgh            1                        0               1

Scoring Summary
36th minute – Richmond: Joey Worthen (Matthew Delicâte)
40th minute – Pittsburgh: Randolph Jerome

Lineups
 Kickers: GK Ronnie Pascale, Sascha Görres, Henry Kalungi, Yomby William, Kenny Cutler, Gerson Dos Santos, Ben Hunter (David Bulow – 45’), Luke Vercollone (David Rosenbaum – 86’), Mike Burke (Adrian Bumbut – 45’), Joey Worthen (Ross MacKenzie – 78’), Matthew Delicâte
 Riverhounds: GK Zach Varga, Ed Hayden, Nathan Salsi, Tenywa Bonseu, Chris Riley, Jason Kutney (Allan Brown – 66’), Justin Evans, Matt Langton (Tony Labudovski – 63’), Jeff Hughes, Sean Cameron (Joe Zewe – 68’), Randolph Jerome (Bill Brindley – 81’)

Shots                     Saves                         Fouls                         Corners
Riverhounds:   5    Riverhounds: 3            Riverhounds:   9        Riverhounds: 3
Kickers:          12    Kickers:         2            Kickers:          13        Kickers:   3

Cautions:
48th minute: Ed Hayden (Pittsburgh)

Ejections:
57th minute: Chris Riley (Pittsburgh)

Referee:    Mike Andrews
Assistant Referees:   James Conlee, Kai Goodrich
Fourth Official:    Alex Addison
Attendance:    2,887
Weather:    Hot, sunny, 96º
First Market Bank Man of the Match:  Sascha Görres