RICHMOND, VA - (Tuesday, June 30, 2009) – Kick off your Independence Day celebrations at the Richmond Kickers Fourth of July Bash. Festivities begin at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 4th at the University of Richmond Stadium and will feature a Splash Zone, inflatables, delicious food specials and live music. The Kickers professional soccer game will highlight the event as the Kickers host the Charlotte Eagles at 1:00 p.m. and the first 1,000 fans through the gate will receive a free cup, courtesy of PODS. In honor of July 4th, admission is just $4.00 per person at the gate and parking is free.
Richmond Kickers Fourth of July Bash
Beat the heat in the Kickers one-of-a-kind Splash Zone, featuring a 40-foot long slip ‘n slide, dunk tank, water balloons and more. Take advantage of delicious and affordable concessions, including combo meals for just $4.00. In addition, fans young in age and young at heart can enjoy soccer competitions on the field, carnival games, moonbounces, face-painting, contests and the longest inflatable obstacle course in Central Virginia, presented by Bounce 2 the Moon. The event will conclude with the Kickers pro soccer match featuring the defending regular season champions Charlotte Eagles at 1:00 p.m. Visit RichmondKickers.com for more information.
Kickers vs Eagles
Saturday’s game marks the third and final match-up between the Kickers and the Eagles, both of their previous matches resulted in draws. The two teams last met in Charlotte two weeks ago when the Kickers allowed the Eagles to rally back from a two-goal deficit to level the score. D.C. United loan John DiRaimondo and midfielder Adrian Bumbut gave the Kickers a two goal lead by the 15th minute. Before the end of the first half, Charlotte forward Jorge Hererra added a tally for the Eagles with the Kickers conceding an own goal in the 60th minute.
The Kickers hosted the defending USL-2 Regular Season Champions in May where they narrowly missed shutting out their southern rivals. The Kickers took an early lead but allowed a late goal to finish with a 1-1 draw. Forward Matthew Delicâte connected on an Evan Harding long ball to put Richmond up 1-0 early in the first half. Trailing for the majority of the match, the Eagles buried a free kick from 25 yards with just five minutes to spare in regulation to bring the scoreline even.
Hoping to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Charlotte Eagles battled the league-leading Harrisburg City Islanders to a scoreless draw last weekend. On load from the Colorado Rapids, goalkeeper Steward Ceus posted four saves on the night to preserve the clean sheet. Meanwhile, the Kickers ended a month-long road trip last weekend in Pittsburgh where they handed the Riverhounds a 2-1 loss. Kickers scoring sensation Matthew Delicate registered both goals for the visitors and is now tied for first in goals scored and second in points in the USL Second Division. The win boosted Richmond to a second-place tie in the standings, alongside Wilmington. Both teams are just three points out of first place while the defending USL-2 Regular Season Champions, Charlotte, currently reside in seventh place with a record of 3-4-4 and 13 points. With just 10 points separating the top seven teams, a win this weekend could dramatically change either team’s position in the standings.
Last season, the Eagles edged the Kickers out of a first-place finish in the league. Despite both clubs finishing with 44 points at the top of the standings in 2008, Charlotte claimed the Regular Season title based on a 2-1 head-to-head advantage, pushing the Kickers into second-place. Perennial Championship contenders, Charlotte made their way back to the USL Second Division final in 2008 where they nearly missed taking the crown, suffering a 2-1 loss to the Cleveland City Stars.
The Kickers lead the all-time series 14-7-6 against the Eagles, with a rivalry dating back to the club’s inception in 1993. Richmond faced Charlotte in the 2007 USL-2 Semifinals when the Kickers came away with a 2-1 overtime win, boosting Richmond to their third consecutive appearance in the finals. In 2006, the two clubs met in the Championship when the same scoreline fell to the home side in regulation, granting the Kickers their third league title in franchise history.
Players to Watch
Kickers: Romanian midfielder Adrian Bumbut (#9) added his third goal of the season in Charlotte, giving the Kickers an early 2-0 lead. In his sophomore professional season, Bumbut won a National Indoor Soccer League Championship with the Baltimore Blast during the off-season and has made 11 appearances with the Kickers during the 2009 campaign. 2008 Defender of the Year Finalist, Sascha Görres (#23) has earned USL-2 Team of the Week honors three times this season. Both an offensive threat and a defensive force, Görres has recorded two assists this season. Matthew “Deli” Delicâte (#7) claimed the scoring lead last weekend after notching a pair of goals in the Kickers 2-1 win in Pittsburgh. The veteran forward is now tied for first in goals scored and second in points in the USL Second Division. Anchoring the back line, defender Yomby William (#2) has helped keep the opposition to just 10 goals on the season. The Cameroonian joined the Kickers prior to the 2009 season after spending the 2008 campaign with the Puerto Rico Islanders. Ronnie Pascale (#22), a two-time USL-2 Goalkeeper of the Year, has posted four shutouts this season, most recently keeping the Riverhounds off the scoreboard in the Kickers 2-0 win. The experienced netminder ranks third in the league with a goals against average of 0.833, holding the opposition to just 10 goals in 12 games played.
Eagles: Forward Dustin Swinehart (#18) made eight appearances on loan with the Kickers USL-1 Finalist squad during the 2005 season and tallied one assist for Richmond that year. The 2008 USL-2 MVP currently leads the Eagles with five goals and two assists and is ranked fifth in the league with 12 points. Signed just prior to the 2009 season, Brazilian star midfield, Diego Martins (#12), has made an immediate impact for Charlotte. A member of eight Championship teams in Brazil, Martins joined the Eagles from Portuguese First Division Club Deportivo das Aves. He is currently second on the team with four goals and two assists. Midfielder Jorge Herrera (#10) continues his scoring ways in 2009, adding his third goal of the season against the Kickers in Charlotte on June 20th. Veteran Steve Shak (#20) returned to the Eagles for his third season as a player/assistant coach after leading the club to their seventh USL-2 Championship appearance last season. A 2008 USL-2 Defender of the Year Finalist, Shak is the only player to have played in every minute of every game with the Eagles so far this season. Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Steward Ceus (#0) joined the Eagles on loan prior to the Kickers last match-up in Charlotte. Most recently he posted four saves in his first shutout in a scoreless draw against the league-leading Harrisburg City Islanders last weekend.
Destiny Update
The Richmond Kickers Destiny claimed their first win of the season last week when they blanked the Northern Virginia Majestics 1-0. After going 0-7-1 to start the season, the Destiny desperately needed a win to rally out of the Atlantic Division standings basement. Nine minutes after entering the game, forward Colleen Schohl notched the game-winner for the Destiny, courtesy of a Sarah Hilt assist in the 70th minute. Making five saves on the night, goalkeeper Allie Albright was voted player of the match by coach Jen Woodie. The former Collegiate School netminder stopped a 1v1 breakaway to preserve the Destiny’s first win and first shutout of the season.
The Destiny face a home and away series against the second-place Tampa Bay Hellenic beginning Friday, July 3rd in Tampa. The teams swap home field advantage one week later when the Destiny host the Hellenic in their final regular season home game on Saturday, July 11th. Kicking off at 2:00 p.m., the match will take place at the University of Richmond Stadium and will serve as the first leg of a doubleheader with the Richmond Kickers professional team. Purchase a $5.00 ticket to see the Destiny and stay for the Kickers pro game at no extra charge.
