GAME SUMMARY
Saturday, July 30, 2016 City Stadium
Richmond Kickers 2 (Imura 11’, Eskay 90’)
New York Red Bulls II 1 (Allen 10’)
RICHMOND, VA – The Richmond Kickers continued their winning streak in dramatic fashion, as they beat the New York Red Bulls II 2-1 at City Stadium on Saturday night. New York took the lead in the 10th minute but Kickers immediately responded with a Yudia Imura penalty kick and found the winner in the last minute of stoppage time through Jackson Eskay.
New York Red Bulls II started the game on the front foot, showing why they sit in second place in the Eastern Conference. Anatole Abang hit the crossbar from a tight angle but the ball ricocheted away from the danger.
The Kickers responded with an early chance of their own. After good build up play, Sunny Jane unleashed a left footed shot from the top of the box that stung the hands of Red Bulls keeper, Ryan Meara.
In the sixth minute Red Bulls were given a chance to take the lead from a penalty kick. Abang played Brandon Allen through one and one with Richmond goalkeeper, Andrew Dykstra, but Allen was taken down after rounding the keeper. Allen stepped up to take the penalty but his shot was blasted over the frame of the goal.
New York would take the lead in the 10th minute through Allen. Derrick Ettiene played the ball into the feet of Allen, who beat his man in the box and slotted past Dykstra, giving New York an early 1-0 lead.
Richmond responded immediately from the kick off. Braeden Troyer played a long ball over the top to Samuel Asante, who beat two men before he was taken down in the box by Tyler Adams.
Yudai Imura stepped up to take his second penalty in as many games and made no mistake from the spot, scoring his seventh goal of the season to level the score at 1-1.
Asante then had a chance to give the Kickers the lead going into half. Samuel Asante dispossessed a Red Bulls defender and raced towards the goal from half field, eventually getting a low shot off but it would be saved by Meara.
Andrew Dykstra came up with a big save early in the second half. From a New York corner, Zach Carroll rose the highest in the box and would head the ball towards the goal but it would be parried over the bar by Dykstra.
After defending the New York pressure for a sustained period, the Kickers threatened from a well worked counter attack. Luiz Fernando started the break from midfield and played the ball square to Michael Callahan at the top of the box, who would first time play the ball to setup Sunny Jane, whose shot couldn’t beat the NY keeper.
Richmond continued to threaten the Red Bulls’ goal. Michael Callahan again setup a goal scoring opportunity, this time finding Anthony Grant, who would have his shot saved by Meara and forced out for a corner kick.
Brandon Allen continued to be threat for the Red Bulls as he tested the Richmond goal again, this time from outside the box. Allen received the ball outside the 18 and drilled a shot that Dykstra saved with his chest.
In the final minute of stoppage time the Richmond Kickers found the winning goal. Michael Callahan crossed the ball into the box that was met by the New York goalie, but his attempted punch clear fell at the feet of Jackson Eskay, who with his first touch of the game, fired a low, left footed shot past the goalkeeper and into the net, scoring his first goal for the Kickers to give Richmond the 2-1 win.
The Richmond Kickers (9-6-5) have now won four straight USL games, equaling the four game win streak by Richmond in the 2015 season. Richmond will be putting the streak to test when they travel to the Rochester Rhinos on Wednesday, who after this weekends’ results are tied on points with the Kickers at 32.
The Kickers will be back at City Stadium on Saturday, Aug 13 when they host FC Cincinnati. Tickets are on sale now at www.richmondkickers.com.
Box Score First Half Second Half Final
Richmond 1 1 2
New York 1 0 1
Lineups
Kickers: GK Andrew Dykstra, Braeden Troyer, Luke Mishu, William Yomby, Hugh Roberts, Samuel Asante (Luiz Fernando – 59’), Fred Owusu Sekyere (Michael Callahan – 49’), Yudai Imura (Chris Durkin – 89’), Sunny Jane (Brian Ownby -68’), Miguel Aguilar, Anthony Grant (Jackson Eskay – 89’)
Red Bulls II: GK Ryan Meara, Kevin O’Toole (Ryan Mingachos – 89’), Tim Schmoll, Zach Carroll, Konrad Plewa, Dan Metzger, Tyler Adams (Devon Williams – 57’), Derrick Ettienne (Zoumana Simpara – 68’), Florian Valot (Junior Flemmings -61’), Brandon Allen, Anatole Abang (Vincent Bezecourt – 68’)
Shots Saves Fouls Corners
Kickers: 12 4 12 3
Red Bulls II: 10 8 9 8
Scoring Summary
10th minute: New York: Brandon Allen (Derrick Ettiene)
12th minute: Richmond: Yudai Imura (Penalty Kick)
90th minute: Richmond: Jackson Eskay (Unassisted)
Cautions:
6th minute: Andrew Dykstra (Richmond)
13th minute: Zach Carroll (New York)
65th minute: Anatole Abang (New York)
90th minute: Dan Metzger (New York)
Ejections:
N/A
Referee: Artur Sibiga
Assistant Referees: Jimmy Brooks, Matthew Richardson
Fourth Official: Nick Seymour
Attendance: 3113
Weather: Cloudy, 80
