RICHMOND, Va. – The Richmond Kickers (1-3-1) claimed a gritty 2-1 victory over USL League One foe Union Omaha on Friday at City Stadium.
Richmond struck early with a stunning opener from Darwin Espinal and stayed composed in a physical battle with Union Omaha. After conceding off a corner to level things before halftime, the Kickers responded quickly in the second half with Tarik Pannholzer finishing off a rebound to regain the lead. Strong defending and clutch saves from Yann Fillion down the stretch sealed a hard-fought 2-1 victory.
Union Omaha was led by Brent Kallman who equalized before the half.
Breaking Down The Action
- Darwin Espinal fired a strike from the top of the box into the top left corner in the 6th minute to give the Kickers an early lead.
- Union Omaha earned a corner, but Yann Fillion made the save in the 18th minute.
- Fillion tipped away another dangerous ball in the 20th minute to keep Richmond in front.
- Omaha equalized off a corner through Brent Kallman in the 21st minute.
- The match was level 1-1 at halftime.
- Owen O’Malley entered the match for Austin Amer in the 56th minute.
- Tarik Pannholzer capitalized on a rebound from Espinal’s shot and finished to restore the lead in the 57th minute.
- O’Malley played a ball to Espinal on the left, and a misplayed pass from an Omaha defender nearly led to a goal, but the keeper denied Josh Kirkland int he 64th minute.
- On a corner in the 65th minute, Mujeeb Murana got a touch on a header, but the goalkeeper made the save.
- Lucca Dourado and Landon Johson came on for Kirkland and Nils Seufert in the 70th minute.
- Daniel Moore and Beckett Howell entered for Pannholzer and Murana in the 80th minute.
- Omaha earned a free kick in the 82nd minute, but the Kickers backline cleared the set piece with a header.
- Fillion made another crucial save on a late Omaha free kick in the 95th minute.
- Omaha had a final corner in the 98th minute, but Sam Layton headed it clear.
- The final whistle sounded and Richmond secured a 2-1 win.
Notable Numbers
- 1: Darwin Espinal scored his first goal of the 2026 season.
- 1: Richmond secured its first USL1 win of the season and third in all competitions.
- 3: Yann Fillion tallied three crucial saves on the night.
- 5: Saturday marked Richmond’s fifth USL1 Regular Season match and second at home.
- 6: Richmond earned its sixth win over Union Omaha all-time.
- 10: The Kickers tallied ten total shots on the night.
- 10: Captain Dakota Barnathan is playing in his 10th professional season and fifth as a Richmond Kicker.
- 18: The Kickers totaled 18 clearances in the match.
- 34: 2026 marks the Kickers 34th continuously operating season.
- 100: Dakota Barnathan was honored for his 100th USL1 cap as a Richmond Kicker after the match.
Series History
- With the result, Richmond holds a 6-5-4 record all-time against Union Omaha
- The two clubs last faced each other on June 25, 2025, with Richmond claiming a 4-3 win in Nebraska.
- The Kickers swept the season series in 2025, earning a 1-0 win on April 9, 2025 at City Stadium
- Richmond has held a 2-2-1 record vs. Union Omaha over the last two seasons.
Up Next
- The Kickers continue USL1 Regular Season play, hosting Charlotte Independence at City Stadium on Saturday, April 25 at 6:00 p.m. EST. The game will be broadcast on CBS 6.3 and ESPN+ with live updates and links available at richmondkickers.com or @RichmondKickers on X (Twitter).
