MATCH REPORT
April 29, 2017 Al Lang Stadium
Tampa Bay Rowdies 1 (Brown 45’)
Richmond Kickers 0
ST. PETERSBURG, Fl – (Saturday, April 29, 2017) – The Richmond Kickers (2-4-0) fell on the road to the Tampa Bay Rowdies (4-2-1) in the club’s first-ever meeting. Deshorn Brown gave the Rowdies the one goal lead just before half time, scoring on a volley.
Richmond looked to get on the attack early in the first half. Patrick McCann collected the ball in the midfield and chipped a pass over the top for Alhaji Kamara. The Sierra Leonean forward could not get on it as it rolled into the hands of Rowdies goalkeeper Matt Pickens.
Two minutes later, Tampa Bay would try to create their first chance of the match. Marcel Schäfer received the ball out wide and sent in a cross in to find Deshorn Brown in the center of the Richmond box. Brown chested the cross down and attempted a shot as Conor Shanosky was there to deflect it away. McCann retrieved it on the endline and cleared it away from danger.
Tampa Bay would create another chance in the 12th minute. Darnell King fought to get a cross in to the far post trying to connect with Brown. Evan Lee would beat him to the ball and get a toe to it as it goes out for a corner kick. Schäfer would take the corner that connects with Justin Chavez. His shot hits off the head of Shanosky and Kamara is there to clear the ball away.
Leo Fernandes switched sides during the half and sent in a cross trying to find Brown at the far post in the 34th minute and it gets knocked out for a corner kick. This time Schäfer plays it in looking for Lowe, but McCann beats him to the ball and then is fouled by Lowe.
Fred Owusu Sekyere created the best opportunity for Richmond of the first half in the 37th minute. After getting the ball out wide, Owusu Sekyere chipped in a cross just inside the Tampa Bay box and finds Kamara. Fighting off his defender, Kamara’s header would go just over the Rowdies goal.
Owusu Sekyere had a chance of his own in the 41st minute. Damion Lowe tripped up Kamara from behind, earning himself a yellow card for the tackle. Shanosky on the free kick played it short and quick to McCann and his cross in would get cleared out by the Rowdies. Owusu Sekyere collected the ball about 25 yards out and launched a shot that sailed just over.
Tampa Bay would break through the deadlock in the 45th minute. Schäfer controlled the ball on the endline and played a cross into the Richmond box. King rushed in to get a head on the ball as Troyer is able to beat him to it. The ball came off Troyer back towards the center of the box giving Brown a chance to play it on the volley with a scissor kick to give the home side a one goal lead heading into the halftime break.
Darwin Jones tried his luck on Turner in the 61st minute. After controlling the ball just inside the Richmond half, Jones cut across the top of the box and put a shot on frame as Turner came off his line to make the save.
An offside call prevented Brown from trying to double the Rowdies lead in the 63rd minute. Alex Lee tried to get to a loose ball inside the center circle. Chavez cames sliding in just a second ahead of Lee and was able to play the ball through to Brown. On the break Brown thought he had another chance as the linesman was there to make the offside call.
Brown tried his luck again that ends up as a chance for Richmond at the other end. Brown received the ball out wide from Chavez and wanted to get a quick shot in as Shanosky is there to deflect it away. The ball lands inside the center circle and Sunny Jane is there to collect it. Owusu Sekyere made the overlapping run as Jane slots it through. Owusu Sekyere launched a shot from 30 yards out that ended rolling wide of Pickens’ goal.
Another chance came for Brown in the 81st minute. Again collecting the ball out wide, Brown rushed towards goal getting around Mallan Roberts and gets a shot off. Turner is not able to get another on it, but the shot sails just wide.
With six minutes to go, the Kickers would get a free kick from 35 yards out. Owusu Sekyere stepped up to take the free kick and got it to Evan Lee. Unable to turn, Lee played the ball out wide to Roberts. Roberts tried to play the cross in as it gets deflected and ends in the hands of Pickens.
The Kickers would hold off the Rowdies from scoring further, but would fall in the first-ever meeting between the two clubs.
Richmond returns to City Stadium to face FC Cincinnati and the Bark and Brew Craft Beer Fest Saturday, May 6. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm. Tickets and more information are available at www.richmondkickers.com.
|
Box Score |
First Half |
Second Half |
Final |
|
Tampa Bay |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Richmond |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Lineups
Tampa Bay: GK Matt Pickens, Darnell King, Damion Lowe, Neill Collins, Marcel Schäfer, Justin Chavez, Martin Vingaard, Darwin Jones (81’ – Michael Nanchoff), Joe Cole, Leo Fernandes (62’ – Georgi Hristov), Deshorn Brown
Richmond: GK Matt Turner, Alex Lee, Evan Lee, Mallan Roberts, Braeden Troyer, Conor Shanosky (79’ – Luiz Fernando), Samuel Asante (64’ – Anthony Grant), Patrick McCann, Fred Owusu Sekyere, Oliver Minatel (64’ – Sunny Jane), Alhaji Kamara
|
Statistics |
Shots |
Saves |
Fouls |
Corners |
|
Tampa Bay |
9 |
0 |
10 |
7 |
|
Richmond |
5 |
2 |
12 |
0 |
Scoring Summary
45th minute: Tampa Bay Rowdies: Deshorn Brown
Cautions:
40th minute: Tampa Bay Rowdies: Damion Lowe
88th minute: Richmond Kickers: Fred Owusu Sekyere
Ejections:
None.
Referee: Elvis Osmanovic
Assistant Referees: Walter Heatherly, Esteban Rosano
Fourth Official: Miguel Martes
Attendance: 4,829
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 90 ºF
