Kickers hold league-leaders to one goal off missed clearance
The Richmond Kickers (3-4-3, 12 pts) fell 1-0 to league-leading Spokane Velocity (6-2-1, 19 pts) tonight at ONE Spokane Stadium. The Kickers saw players, Jonathan Kanagwa and 17-year-old Andrew Richman, make their first professional start, and professional debut respectively.
The Kickers pushed early forcing a save from Marciano within minutes of the match kicking off. Kanagwa, Emiliano Terzaghi and Josh Kirkland pestered the keeper and the Spokane backline quickly.
In the 13th minute, Spokane fell to 10 men after Camron Miller made contact with the head of Terzaghi, well-away from the play and earned himself a red card.
At the close of the half, a Spokane free kick just outside the 18 came bending into the box. James Sneddon went out to meet it but with players in his way, the ball fell to the feet of Simon Fitch. Fitch went to clear it and accidentally hit Beckett Howell sending the ball back its the six. From there, the Velocity striker Anuar Pelaez buried the lucky bounce for the first point of the match.
In the 47th minute, Spokane pushed men into the box but James Sneddon made an incredible save diving to his right that Gui Franca was able to clear. Sneddon would scoop up another ball cleanly just a few minutes later.
Darwin Espinal won the ball in the 54th minute and played Franca to reset. Franca kicked right back to Espinal who took space and sent a beautiful cross to Kirkland on the run but he just couldn’t get a touch to it and it fell just wide of the far post instead.
Maxi Schenfeld entered the match in the second, and helped in the build. Streaking up the left side, he won the ball and found Nils Seufert at the top of the box. Seufert connected with Barnathan who took a well-struck shot from outside the 18 but the ball went just high of the crossbar.
Spoken took off with a long ball over the top in the 77th, but Sneddon came well out of the box and headed the ball away to keep the Spokane attack off the ball and out of his box once again.
In the 80th minute, 17 year old Andrew Richman entered the match along with Hayden Anderson and Chandler O’Dwyer. The trio brought a new pace to the Kickers attack, with Richman winning the ball twice in transitional moment to keep the Kickers in the attacking third.
Richman, a current academy player, joined former Academy players —now pros— James Sneddon and Beckett Howell on the pitch as well as VCU alums Jonathan Kanagwa, Simon Fitch and Dakota Barnathan. While Fitch and Barnathan have both become Kickers stalwarts, Kanagwa made his first professional start tonight.
The Kickers will be back on the pitch next Sunday against Westchester SC for an afternoon kickoff in New York. The match will start at 2 pm EST the day before Memorial Day. Then, the Kickers return home to City Stadium on May 31st for Military Appreciation Night and the second leg of the USL Jägermeister Cup! The Roos will take on former Kickers keeper Akira Fitzgerald and the rest of the USL Championship side at NCFC. Get your tickets now at this link or at richmondkickers.com/tickets.
