RICHMOND, VA – (Tuesday, August 30, 2016) – The oldest rivalry in American professional soccer history continues this Wednesday, August 31 when the Richmond Kickers (12-6-7) host the Charleston Battery (11-5-8) at City Stadium. Rivals for over two decades, Wednesday’s match marks the 58th meeting between the Kickers and the Battery, who play mid-week after the originally scheduled date was postponed due to persistent lightning on August 17.
Happy Hour starts at 5:30 p.m. with live music by Back Seat Drivers, RVA food trucks and exclusive specials on over 15 craft beers on tap until kickoff at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at www.richmondkickers.com and tickets previously issued for the August 17 match will be accepted on August 31.
Charleston leveled the all-time series record at 24-24-8 last year when the Battery edged the Kickers with a dramatic 2-1 overtime victory in the 2015 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Scoreless through regulation, the Kickers took the lead two minutes into the first overtime period on an own goal but Charleston avenged the defensive mistake with two goals in five minutes in the second period.
The rivalry continued in Charleston last month when the Battery gained the series advantage with a 2-0 victory at MUSC Health Stadium. Despite outshooting the Battery 14-8 and gaining an advantage after Charleston was reduced to 10 men in the second half, the Kickers could not overcome the deficit from a pair of first half goals by Taylor Mueller and Heviel Cordoves in a span of seven minutes.
The Kickers enter the mid-week match up on a nine game unbeaten streak following a 1-0 win against Orlando City B last Saturday. Newcomer Scott Thomsen gave the Kickers the full three points when he converted a cross by Alex Lee late in the second half to leapfrog FC Cincinnati into third place in the USL Eastern Conference standings and to clinch a berth in the 2016 USL Playoffs.
Meanwhile, Charleston snapped a four-game winless streak and edged the Charlotte Independence 1-0. Midfielder Maikel Chang notched his second goal in three games to lift the Battery to fifth place in the USL Eastern Conference standings. The Battery reside two points behind the Kickers with a game in hand.
The longtime rivals conclude the three-game series at City Stadium for the Kickers regular season home finale on Saturday, September 17.
Kickers: Defender Hugh Roberts (#8) has played every minute of every game during the 2016 campaign, anchoring the Kickers backline to 11 shutouts. The native of Olney, MD has amassed over 5,000 minutes in a Kickers uniform over three seasons after being discovered at the club’s 2014 pro tryouts. Newcomer Scott Thomsen (#32) posted his first professional goal when he lifted the Kickers to a 1-0 win over Orlando City B last weekend. The former University of Virginia standout signed with New York Red Bulls as a Homegrown Player in 2015 before joining the Kickers mid-season. Returning on loan from the club’s official MLS affiliate, D.C. United, goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra (#50) backstopped the Kickers to their 11th shutout of the season last week. On loan with the Kickers for the majority of the 2013 season, the MLS veteran earned 2013 USL Goalkeeper of the Year honors on route to the 2013 USL Regular Season Championship.
Battery: Recovering from an injury-blighted first year in 2013 that restricted him to just six games played, Cuban midfielder Maikel Chang (#12) returned to full strength last season and has appeared in all but one match during the 2016 campaign. Leading the team with five assists, he recently added his fourth goal of the season against Charlotte to lead the Battery to a 1-0 win. Forward Romario Williams (#9) joined the Battery prior to the 2016 season on loan from Major League Soccer’s Montreal Impact, making an immediate impact and leading the club with nine goals and 19 points. Picked third overall in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft, the U23 Jamaican National Team forward made two appearances with the Impact’s first team last season. Alex Tambakis (#1) backstopped the Battery to their first shutout in over a month, making three crucial saves against the Charlotte Independence last week. The Greek/American goalkeeper holds the distinction of becoming the first-ever signing for MLS expansion club, Atlanta United F.C., Charleston’s official MLS affiliate.
