RICHMOND, VA - (Wednesday, May 20, 2009) – The Richmond Kickers return to the University of Richmond Stadium this Saturday, May 23rd to host Crystal Palace Baltimore and Military Appreciation Night at 7:00 p.m. All military personnel are admitted free with a valid photo ID. Additionally, Anthem Colonial Cup participants can purchase discounted tickets in advance by calling 804-644-5425 x 304 and the first 1,000 fans through the gate will receive a free chip clip, courtesy of Party Perfect. Follow the match LIVE via USL Match Tracker Saturday.
The Kickers meet Crystal Palace Baltimore for the first time in 2009 since a 5-0 home win to close out the 2008 regular season. Kickers midfielder David Bulow tallied a pair of goals while Mike Burke and Adrian Bumbut each added to the scoreline. The victory avenged an earlier season 2-0 loss to Baltimore on the road. Overall, the Kickers hold a 2-1-1 record against Baltimore.
The sophomore club finished in fourth place in the standings last season with an 11-8-1 record and 34 points. Advancing to the USL-2 semifinals, Baltimore snuck by the defending Champion Harrisburg in the first round after battling to a 2-2 draw and eight rounds of penalties. Narrowly missing a berth to the title match, Baltimore was eliminated from postseason play by the then top-seeded Charlotte, 2-1.
Most recently, Crystal Palace Baltimore resides in third place in the standings with a 3-3-1 record and 10 points while the Kickers battle to stay out of the standings basement with a 1-1-3 record and six points. Last time out, Baltimore dropped a 2-1 decision to the Charlotte Eagles at home. New York Red Bulls loan player Matthew Mbuta notched the lone goal for Baltimore, earning USL-2 Player of the Week honors for his offensive efforts. Meanwhile, the Kickers narrowly missed the opportunity to shutout the Charlotte Eagles one night prior, after taking an early lead and then conceding a late goal to finish 1-1 against their southern rivals. A battle in the midfield at the University of Richmond Stadium resulted in a low nine shots to three, in favor of the home side. Kickers forward Matthew Delicâte connected on an Evan Harding long ball to put Richmond up 1-0 in the 16th minute. Holding onto the lead for the majority of the match, the Eagles buried a free kick from 25 yards in the 84th minute to bring the scoreline level.
The Kickers head to Baltimore later in the season to take on Palace at UMBC Stadium on Saturday, July 18th to kickoff a three-game road stand.
Players to Watch
Kickers: Newcomer Yomby William (#2) earned a USL-2 Team of the week nod this week for his defensive efforts against Charlotte last weekend. Solidifying the back line that held the Eagles to just three shots, the native of Cameroon joined the Kickers prior to the 2009 season from the USL-1 Puerto Rico Islanders. Contributing to the scoreline in four out of five of the Kickers matches to open the season, forward Matthew “Deli” Delicâte (#7) leads the attack with three goals and one assist. Joining Yomby on this week’s USL-2 Team of the Week, Delicâte resides in fourth place in the league with seven points. Last season, midfielder David Bulow (#10) led the team with 29 points on 12 goals and five assists, adding a pair of tallies against Baltimore to conclude the 2008 campaign. Midfielder Adrian Bumbut (#9) returned to the starting lineup last week against Charlotte, fresh off a National Indoor Soccer League Championship with the Baltimore Blast. Five-year veteran and 2008 USL-2 Defender of the Year Finalist Sascha Görres (#23) looks to return to the field this weekend after being sidelined through injury for the last three games.
Palace: Joining Baltimore’s lineup on loan is New York Red Bulls forward Matthew Mbuta (#13), who traveled to Bermuda with the Kickers two weeks ago. The 2008 USL-2 Second Team nominee earned USL-2 Player of the Week honors this week for notching a goal each during Baltimore’s 1-0 win in Western Mass and 2-1 loss to Charlotte. Baltimore’s second leading scorer in 2008, Val Teixeira (#7) continues his scoring ways in 2009, having already notched a pair of goals on the season for four points. Named to the USL-2 First Team last season, Shintaro Harada (#21) joined the Palace roster prior to the 2007 season, without speaking a word of English. Previously, Harada played for ALO Hokuriko and Tokushima Vortis in the Japanese J-League. Defender Alex Ughiovhe (#6) spent the 2006 season with the Kickers PDL team where he played eight matches with the backline.
Destiny Doubleheader Saturday
The Richmond Kickers Destiny open their sixth season in the USL W-League this weekend with a back-to-back series slated for Friday and Saturday. First, the Destiny travel to Cary to take on the expansion Lady Clarets on Friday, May 22nd before kicking off the home season on Saturday, May 23rd when they host the Charlotte Lady Eagles. Saturday’s match doubles as the first leg of a doubleheader with the Richmond Kickers pro team who kicks off at 7:00 p.m. against Crystal Palace Baltimore.
