TAMPA, FL – (Tuesday, August 24, 2010) – United Soccer Leagues recently announced the 2010 All-League First and Second Teams, naming six Richmond Kickers players as top performers from the regular season.
Voted by team management, the Kickers led the league with three players on each the First and Second teams. Forward Matthew Delicâte, midfielder Luke Vercollone and defender William Yomby represent the Kickers on the top 11. Rounding out the Second Team are midfielder Mike Burke and defenders Sascha Görres and Dave Hertel.
The 2009 Goal Scoring Champion, Delicâte, earns First Team honors for the second consecutive year upon his return to Richmond. The Kickers leading scorer was just edged out of the 2010 Scoring Champion and Goal Scoring Champion titles by Battery forward Lamar Neagle. Despite posting 11 goals and 24 points and residing at the top of the league for the entire season, Neagle nudged Delicâte in both categories after registering in Charleston’s final regular season game. A pair of U.S. Open Cup tallies, paired with the game-winning goal in the USL-2 Semifinals bumped the star striker’s total to 14 goals on the season, good for third place on the franchise’s all-time goals category with 47.
Vercollone anchored the Richmond midfield for the third season and leads the Kickers to face his former team, Charleston, in the Championship this weekend. A first time First-Team honoree, the workhorse in the midfield made 19 appearances in 2010, notching the game-winning goal against Maryland on May 16th and adding an assist against Charleston on July 3rd. The native of Pembroke, MA was named to the USL-2 Team of the Week on seven occasions.
The 2009 Defender of the Year, Yomby is also a two-time First Team selection. The former Kansas City Wizards (MLS) defender led one of the stingiest defensive units to a second place finish in the league standings, surrendering just 20 goals on the season. The only Kickers player to start and play every minute of the regular season, he led the team in minutes with 1800, while leading the backline to a league-high seven shutouts. Chipping in offensively, he tallied one goal during U.S. Open Cup action.
The 2010 Assist Co-Champion, Burke led the league in assists for the third time in his career with five. Finishing his 11th season in Richmond third on the team with seven points, the Kickers perennial fan favorite added a sixth assist during the Kickers 3-1 win over Maryland in the U.S. Open Cup Second Round in June. A three-time USL-2 All-League First Team selection, the seven-time USL-2 Team of the Week honoree resides at the top the Kickers all-time assists category with 61.
An offensive threat and a defensive force, Görres recorded three assists on the regular season, good for second on the team, while leading the backline to seven shutouts. Named to the All-League First Team in 2006 and 2008 and to the Second Team in 2009, Görres has been instrumental in each of the Kickers last four Championship appearances. The native of Flensburg, Germany notched one goal during the 2010 campaign, burying a 40-yard rocket against the Battery on June 5th.
Newcomer Hertel joins the Kickers veterans as a first-time league honoree. Signing with the Kickers following a standout career with the Michigan Bucks (PDL), Hertel immediately made his way into the starting lineup, starting 18 of 20 games played. Recording two assists in his first full professional season, the Holland, MI native earned Team of the Week honors in August after leading the Kickers to the shutout in Harrisburg that secured their playoff berth.
Over the past 18 seasons, Richmond has qualified for postseason play 16 times, and reach the title match in 2010 for the sixth time in the past nine seasons. The defending champions defeated the Charlotte Eagles in 2009 to claim the USL-2 title for the second time. Previously, the Kickers hosted the Championship in 2007, narrowly missing their second consecutive league title after nine rounds of penalties. Richmond have appeared in the USL League Championship on other seven occasions (1995, 1996, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009) including 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.
USL Second Division All-League First Team
G – Hunter Gilstrap, Pittsburgh Riverhounds
D – Dustin Bixler, Harrisburg City Islanders
D – Gareth Evans, Real Maryland Monarchs
D – Shintaro Harada, Pittsburgh Riverhounds
D – William Yomby, Richmond Kickers
M – Alioune Gueye, Charleston Battery
M – Jorge Herrera, Charlotte Eagles
M – Luke Vercollone, Richmond Kickers
F – Matthew Delicâte, Richmond Kickers
F – Tom Heinemann, Charleston Battery
F – Lamar Neagle, Charleston Battery
USL Second Division All-League Second Team
G – Brian Levey, Real Maryland Monarchs
D – Anthony Calvano, Harrisburg City Islanders
D – Greg Dalby, Charlotte Eagles
D – Sascha Görres, Richmond Kickers
D – Dave Hertel, Richmond Kickers
M – Mike Burke, Richmond Kickers
M – Rudolph Mayard, Charleston Battery
M – Jason Pelletier, Harrisburg City Islanders
M – Darren Toby, Charlotte Eagles
F – Jeremy Deighton, Pittsburgh Riverhounds
F – Chad Severs, Pittsburgh Riverhounds
