MATCH INFORMATION
Pittsburgh Riverhounds (5-8-8) vs Richmond Kickers (3-11-7)
2017 USL Regular Season
Date: Saturday, August 5, 2017
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m.
Stadium: Highmark Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA
All-Time Series: 19-8-5
At Pittsburgh: 7-5-6
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: WTVR CBS 6.3 (Comcast 206, Verizon FiOS 466)
Online: USL Match Center
Hashtag: #PITvRIC
Twitter: @RichmondKickers and @PGHRiverhounds
RICHMOND, VA — (Friday, August 4, 2017) — The Richmond Kickers (3-11-7) travel to take on the Pittsburgh Riverhounds Saturday night at Highmark Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. The match will be available live on the Kickers official television partner WTVR CBS 6 on their 6.3 sub-channel (Comcast 206, Verizon FiOS 466). Online streaming of the match will be available via the USL Match Center.
The Kickers hold the advantage over the Riverhounds in the overall series between the two long standing clubs dating back to 1999, with a record of 19-8-5. The Kickers and Riverhounds met previously this season on April 22 and following a one-hour delay to kickoff the match, the Kickers took a 2-1 win on a rain soaked evening. Fred Owusu Sekyere opened the scoring in the 15th minute putting away a cross from Raul Gonzalez. D.C. United loanee Alhaji Kamara doubled the lead for the Kickers in the 46th minute. Pittsburgh pulled one back through Marshall Hollingsworth in the 59th minute.
Richmond heads into Saturday’s match following a 0-1 defeat to Saint Louis FC at City Stadium last Saturday. This was the first meeting between the two clubs since the 2015 season, following Saint Louis moving to the Western Conference for the 2016 season. The visitors broke the deadlock right at the beginning of the second half as Octavio Guzman picked out Emmanuel Appiah on a corner kick for the game’s only goal in the 46th minute.
Pittsburgh returns back home to Highmark Stadium following a 0-2 road defeat at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rowdies last Saturday, extending their winless streak to six matches. Alex Morrell scored brace with a goal in each half to give the Rowdies the victory.
The Kickers return home to City Stadium next Saturday, August 12 to host Orlando City B and the Social Sports Fest. The party starts at 5:30 p.m. with interactive games including CLUBWAKA, Major League Bocce, Soccer Billiards, Giant Pong, Futchi and Soccer Darts, plus music by Pretty Ugly, RVA food trucks, and Happy Hour specials on over a dozen craft beers on tap. Then, the Kickers take the field at 7:00 p.m. as they take on Orlando City B. Tickets are on sale now at www.richmondkickers.com.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Richmond: Defender Mallan Roberts (#15) has played in every minute of every match during the 2017 season for the Kickers. He has contributed to four clean sheets this season, making 76 clearances and 11 blocks. Roberts spent the 2016 season on loan to Ottawa Fury FC from FC Edmonton, before joining the Kickers this past off season. Lesotho international forward Sunny Jane (#10) has made 15 appearances this season while assisting on one goal. Jane scored five goals and added an assist in his first season with the Kickers after spending 2015 with the Wilmington Hammerheads. Scoring two goals this season, forward Luiz Fernando (#71) scored a goal and an assist against Bethlehem Steel FC within a minute of each other. The Brazilian is in his second season with the Kickers, where he made 26 appearances and scoring on two occasions while adding an assist.
Pittsburgh: Forward Romeo Parkes (#36) rejoined the Riverhounds after the start of the 2017 season and has scored two goals, following 26 appearances with Asociación Deportiva Isidro Metapán in El Salvador. In his previous stint with the Riverhounds, Parkes scored five goals in six appearances before being released from his contract at the beginning of the 2016 season. Signing with Pittsburgh in January, goalkeeper Trey Mitchell (#30) has five clean sheets in 14 games. Mitchell started his professional career with the LA Galaxy before moving to become an MLS League Pool Goalkeeper and training with Sporting Kansas City in 2016. Forward Corey Hertzog (#11) has tallied seven goals in 21 games in his second season with the Riverhounds. Hertzog brought MLS experience to Pittsburgh having been a part of the New York Red Bulls and Vancouver Whitecaps. Before joining Pittsburgh, Hertzog spent two seasons with the then-NASL Tampa Bay Rowdies having scored eight times over 47 appearances.
