The Rise to the Occasion Match Preview is presented by Great Harvest Bread Co.
Match Information:
Broadcast Information:
RICHMOND, Va. – The Richmond Kickers (3-3-3) head south for the second match of the season against their regional rivals, North Carolina FC (0-1-6), on June 25th. Kickoff for this match is set at 7:00 p.m.
Richmond’s previous match was against Union Omaha which proved to be an intense battle for leverage between the two sides. Union Omaha went into the match as league leaders in impressive form, but Richmond was resilient against the Omaha attack on its way to earning a point. Richmond has been unbeaten so far in the month of June and a late 76th-minute own goal — forced by a thunderous header from Jalen Crisler — helped equalize the scoreline and earn the result for the Reds.
The Kickers finished the match with more possession (55.8%) and an 81.8% passing accuracy. Akira Fitzgerald made his 50th league appearance over the weekend and showed off his valuable experience and talent with eight saves on the night. Ivan Magalhães and Crisler continued their run as the starting centerback pairing against Union Omaha’s talented front line and each made three interceptions and combined for eight clearances.
NCFC is the second team for the Kickers to face multiple times in 2021. As the Reds learned at City Stadium in May, NCFC is a young, talented team. NCFC has been in every match it’s played — never losing a match by more than a goal — yet it is still searching for its first win of the season. The team’s most recent match was against Greenville Triumph SC who conceded first to NCFC’s Jay Tee Kamara. However, the reigning league champions responded with two unanswered goals by Mario Lomis and Don Smart to win 2-1.
The last time Richmond and NCFC met was at the end of May, and the match finished in a scoreless draw. The two sides combined for 28 shots but neither could break the stalemate after 90 minutes. Matt Bolduc and Oalex Anderson forced key saves from the NCFC keeper while Nil Vinyals had an 81.4% passing accuracy with 31 passes into the opposition’s half. Malick Mbaye and Max Flick, the two central defenders for North Carolina, were monumental in keeping the scoreline level.
Richmond’s next match will be at City Stadium against North Texas SC, on July 3rd. The last time the two teams matched up was during the final weeks of the 2020 season with North Texas taking the result down in the Lone Star State.
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Richmond Kickers
Akira Fitzgerald (#1) made eight saves against Union Omaha’s attack and helped keep Richmond’s unbeaten-streak in June going. Fitzgerald and the Kickers lead the league in clean sheets with four, and Fitzgerald himself is in the top three goalkeepers for saves with 23.
Zaca Moran (#6) has been monumental in Richmond’s form this season. Playing as a holding midfielder, Moran provides a cushion between the midfield and the defense and helps pivot to a quicker attacking play. He made 24 passes into the opposition’s half and put in the cross for Crisler’s header that led to Richmond’s goal against Omaha.
Emiliano Terzaghi (#32) leads the team in goals scored. His play style and contribution this season has elevated the attacking side of this team. His pressure and defense upfront helped force a counter attack and goal against Chattanooga, and against New England. Look for Terzaghi to continue to make his offensive presence known.
North Carolina FC
Max Flick (#4) is a strong defensive option for NCFC, he made seven clearances, one interception and had a passing accuracy of 88% against Greenville. Flick also made 17 passes into the opposition’s half and one block. If Richmond looks to get one over on North Carolina they will need to beat Max Flick.
Jay Tee Kamara (#20) scored the opening goal against Greenville in just 11 minutes. Kamara is an agile central midfielder playing in a more advanced position and he made 31 passes into the opposition’s half against Greenville. His nimbleness and great dribbling ability will be a challenge for the Richmond defense and midfield.
Selmir Miscic (#6) is the leading goalscorer for North Carolina with three goals. Miscic made eight crosses, 20 passes into the opposition’s half and two key passes in their match against Greenville.
