The Richmond Kickers fell 2-0 to Greenville Triumph on the road in South Carolina.
Greenville attacked first but the Kickers backline held and forced several wide shots from the home team early. Looking to push in the 16th and building from that back line, Marcelo Lage, Griffin Garnett, Dakota Barnathan and Beckett Howell broke out of the Greenville press. Beckett took space and sent a long ball to Josh Kirkland. Kirkland shook his defender in a blink and sent a ball back to Baer at the penalty spot but a defender stepped in to force a corner. The corner swung just too far wide and sent possession the other way.
Awarded a penalty after a slight collision in the box, Greenville gets on the board in the 20th minute.
In the 34th minute, Greenville looked to knock again but James Sneddon came off his line well, shutting down the attempt and scooped the ball up.
Sneddon would make two more saves in the final minutes of the first: coming out on a Greenville corner to claim the ball before it could be played and making a diving stop on a low shot in the last action of the half.
Right out of the gate in the second half, the Kickers pushed. Chandler O’Dwyer sent Josh Kirkland up the right wing. Kirkland found Baer and Baer crossed in. The cross was deflected back out but Kirkland volleyed it back on frame but the ball flew just over the top right corner.
Maxi sent a free kick into the box which Chandler O’Dwyer got a head to but as he made contact with the ball he also made contact with a Greenville defender and it changed his interaction with the ball, ultimately sending it out of bounds.
In the 71st minute, the Kickers cleared a corner but only as far as the touchline. Greenville’s Evans sends the ball in again and it sneaks through a crowded box and into the back of the net.
Barnathan would take another free kick in the 86th minute. Sending a ball in to the head of Gui Franca. Franca redirects it to Marcelo Lage and Lage’s strike towards goal dribbles just wide left of the goal mouth.
Sneddon made two more quick-reaction saves in stoppage time to keep the scoreline where it was through the final whistle.
The Kickers saw seven homegrown players take the pitch tonight. All four academy-product pros made the start as a complete group tonight for the first time in league play — their second group start overall.
