Richmond, VA – (Tuesday, July 21, 2009) – The Richmond Kickers are pleased to host Club Social y Deportivo Comunicaciones, Champions of the Guatemalan First Division, Liga Nacional, on Saturday, July 25th at the University of Richmond Stadium. Presented in cooperation with the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Score One Soccer, the match marks the first time in history the Guatemalan Champions will play in Richmond. Avoid lines at the gate and order tickets in advance via RichmondKickers.com!
Saturday’s historic event begins at 4:00 p.m. with a Hispanic Heritages Festival at UR Stadium. The Festival will feature authentic food, music, a soccer clinic for kids and inflatable games presented by Bounce 2 the Moon. The international exhibition featuring C.S.D. Comunicaciones will highlight the event, kicking off at 7:00 p.m. General admission tickets are $20 and are available at the stadium box office starting at 4pm. Please note: Season Passes, Sponsor Passes and Flexi-tickets are not valid for this match.
“The Hispanic community is very passionate about soccer and the entire Kickers organization is ecstatic about hosting C.S.D. Comunicaciones, Guatemala’s Premier Division Champions,” comments Leigh Cowlishaw, Richmond Kickers Vice President of Soccer Programs. “We look forward to a fantastic night of soccer and encourage all sports fans to support a significant moment for the Kickers and our local Hispanic community.”
One of the most successful clubs in Guatemala, C.S.D. Comunicaciones has won 23 league championships throughout its storied history. Comunicaciones most recently claimed the 2008 Apertura season (August through December) crown and the Clausura (January through May) title, earning a berth into the Group Stage of the CONCACAF Champions League. Nicknamed Los Cremas for the team’s cream-colored home jerseys, C.S.D. Comunicaciones is led by forward and captain Rolando Fonseca, the all-time leading scorer of the Costa Rican national team with 47 goals. The roster boasts international stars from four different Latin American countries including Guatemala, Brazil, Costa Rico and Uruguay.
C.S.D. Comunicaciones suffered a 2-0 loss to FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park to open the four-game U.S. tour on Wednesday, July 15th and most recently battled Costa Rican side Heredriano to a 1-1 draw in Charlotte last weekend. The Comunicaciones game in Richmond serves as the final stop that also includes a match-up against the Minnesota Thunder on Wednesday, July 22nd.
Players to Watch
Kickers: Leading the team with 22 points, forward Matthew “Deli” Delicâte (#7) notched his tenth goal of the season during last weekend’s 2-1 win over Baltimore. The Kickers star forward is ranked second in the league in points and is tied for first in goals. The VCU graduate returned to Richmond this year after spending three seasons with the Rochester Rhinos. Veteran goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale (#22) has posted five shutouts and ranks third in the league with a goals against average of 0.87. The two-time USL-2 Goalkeeper of the Year has held the opposition to just 13 goals allowed in 15 games played. Defender Yomby William (#2) anchors one of the best defensive units in USL-2, boasting the lowest goals against record in the league so far this season. A native of Cameroon, Yomby has earned USL-2 Team of the Week honors six times, more than any other Kickers player. In his 10th season with the Kickers, midfielder Mike Burke (#19) currently resides in third place on the team in scoring. He notched his first goal of the season, and added an assist, in the Kickers 7-2 win over Bermuda. Most recently, he added his 54th career assist against Baltimore last weekend. A perpetual fan-favorite, Burke leads the Kickers in the all-time assists category and is second on the all-time games played list with 243.
Comunicaciones: Forward Rolando Fonseca (#7) captains Los Cremas and has tallied 116 goals in 215 games for Comunicaciones. A prominent member of the Costa Rican National Team since 1992, Fonseca has earned more than 100 caps and is the nation’s all-time leading scorer with 47 goals. Renowned for his ability to create opportunities for his teammates, he usually occupies the space just behind the main striker and is known for his fierce long shots. Defender Carlos Eduardo Gallardo (#4) recently returned to Comunicaciones after spending the 2007 season with Deportivo Jalapa. Known for his aerial prowess and strong challenges, Gallardo made his international debut with the Guatemalan National Team in an April 2008 match against Haiti and has also appeared in six qualifying matches for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Teaming up with Gallardo on the back line, defender Carlos Castrillo (#18) is another former Deportivo Jalapa player who made his debut with the Guatemalan National Team in the same match as Gallardo, and has made four appearances during 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying.
About Richmond Kickers
The Richmond Kickers enter into their 17th season as a member of the United Soccer Leagues family since 1993. Over the past 16 seasons, Richmond has qualified for post-season play 13 times, including six Championship appearances. The Kickers reached the title match in 2007 for the fourth time in the past six seasons, narrowly missing their second consecutive league title after nine rounds of penalties. Richmond’s five previous league Championship appearances (1995, 1996, 2002, 2005, 2006) include winning the Premier League title in 1995, a shoot-out loss to Seattle in the USL First Division final in 2005 and taking the USL Second Division crown in 2006. In 2008, the Kickers fell short of another Championship berth after falling 1-0 in overtime to the eventual champions, Cleveland City Stars.
About Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
The Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce was founded in May 2000 as the first statewide organization to empower Hispanics in the Virginia business community by building economic, social, and cultural bridges between Virginia and its growing Hispanic community. Since its inception, the Chamber has worked to foster an environment that is conducive to business growth and benefits people with business acumen, both Hispanic and non-Hispanic, through cultural, social, and business activities. The Chamber strives to facilitate growth and success of the VAHCC membership and Virginia Hispanic businesses, link the Hispanic community, and provide advocacy, awareness and interest in the Virginia Hispanic community. The Chamber works with Hispanics and all interested in Hispanic business: the Virginia Hispanic business community; Virginia businesses and corporations; local, state, federal, and international entities; and non-profit organizations, as well as individuals.
