Recap: Charlotte 3, Richmond 0

MATTHEWS, NC — (Saturday, September 2, 2017) — The Richmond Kickers (5-13-8) fell on the road to the Charlotte Independence (13-5-8) Saturday night. The Independence took the lead after just three minutes from Jaime Siaj. Two second half goals from Enzo Martinez, first a penalty in the 60th minute followed by another in stoppage time gave the home side the full three points.

The Independence took an early lead through Jaime Siaj in the 3rd minute. Siaj nearly scored just a minute earlier after putting a shot wide that took a slight deflection following a free kick from Enzo Martinez. Lewis Hilton stepped up to play the ensuing corner kick from the left side into the center of the Richmond box as Dennis Castillo was able to get a foot to the ball to control. Siaj met the ball and put his shot to the lower right corner past Travis Worra for the opening goal.

Chris Durkin, coming back from United States U-17 National Team Camp, looked to try to get the Kickers back into the game in the 26th minute. The Kickers held a spell of possession around the outside of the Charlotte box. Durkin found space at the top of the box and let a shot go that went right to the hands of the Independence keeper Cody Mizell.

Two minutes later, the Kickers would get another opportunity, this time from a free kick about 25 yards out from goal. Sunny Jane won the free kick after getting fouled from Jaime Siaj from behind. Jane and Yudai Imura stood over the free kick. Imura went for goal as his shot went just wide left of the Independence goal.

Charlotte nearly doubled their lead in the 44th minute. Lewis Hilton again played a corner in from the left side towards the back post. Siaj was there to head the ball towards goal. Chris Durkin met the ball on the goal line to head it away preventing the chance.

Richmond nearly clawed their way back into the match just before the halftime whistle. Sunny Jane sent in a low, quick corner from the right side towards the near post as Braeden Troyer was there to meet it and tip it back up to the back post. William Yomby met the ball at the back post sending his headed shot just wide of the Independence goal.

The Independence doubled their lead in the 60th minute from the penalty spot. Braeden Troyer battled Joel Johnson on the right side of the field and as Johnson went towards the box Troyer clipped him for a foul. Though the foul appeared to be just outside the Richmond box, the referee whistled for a penalty kick for Charlotte. Enzo Martinez stepped up and buried it to Worra’s right as the keeper did not guess correctly.

Mallan Roberts came close to getting the Kickers back into the game in the 83rd minute from a short corner kick. Raul Gonzalez came over quickly to take a corner kick on the left side to find Luiz Fernando nearby. Fernando sent the ball in towards the far post and found Roberts there to meet it with a header that grazed just by the post.

Enzo Martinez would get a brace as the match entered stoppage time to give the Independence a three-goal lead. Martinez lost the ball as he was getting into the Richmond box, as Yomby was able to get a foot to the ball and clear it away, right to the feet of Lewis Hilton. Noticing space opening up for Martinez, Hilton slipped the ball through the Kickers backline, allowing Martinez to turn and fire a shot that flew past Worra and hitting the far post side netting for his second of the night.

The Kickers are back on the road this Thursday night as the team travels to Orlando City Stadium to take on Orlando City B at 7:30 p.m. The match will be available to stream online via the USL Match Center.

BOX SCORE

LINEUPS

Charlotte GK Cody Mizell, Dennis Castillo, Henry Kalungi, Bilal Duckett, Austin Yearwood, Joel Johnson, Lewis Hilton, David Estrada, Enzo Martinez (90 – Jacob Bender), Jaime Siaj (89 – Caleb Calvert, 90 – Luke Waechter)

Unused Substitutes: Kainoa Likewise, David Spies, Samuel Vines, Zev Taublieb

Richmond GK Travis Worra, Braeden Troyer, Mallan Roberts, William Yomby, Alex Lee, Chris Durkin, Oscar Umar, Matt Bolduc (45 – Raul Gonzalez), Luiz Fernando, Yudai Imura, Sunny Jane (45 – Oliver Minatel, 63 – Franck Tayou)

Unused Substitutes: Marcel DeBellis, Fred Owusu Sekyere, Evan Lee, Jackson Eskay

STATISTICS

SCORING SUMMARY

CAUTIONS SUMMARY

EJECTIONS SUMMARY

MATCH INFORMATION

Referee: Gustavo Solorio

Assistant Referees: Gregory Brigman, Christian Frey

Fourth Official: John Rush

Attendance: 1329

Weather: Partly Cloudy, 83ºF