Richmond Kickers 3, Central Valley Fuego 3
| RICHMOND KICKERS | 3 | 43′ Gomiero, 54′ O’Dwyer (Hornsby), 84′ Simmonds (Gomiero) |
| CENTRAL VALLEY FUEGO | 3 | 60′ Cerritos (penalty), 61′ Forbes, 76′ Dulysse (Falck) |
RICHMOND, Va. — The Richmond Kickers (6-10-10, 28 pts) earned a 3-3 comeback draw, Wednesday night, against Central Valley Fuego FC (5-15-4, 19 pts) after 16-year-old Nicholas Simmonds scored an 84th-minute equalizer three minutes into his professional debut.
Homegrown player Simmonds delivered from a corner kick on the same pitch that his father Gregory played on 20 years previously. João Gomiero served up an inswinging ball to the far post as Simmonds got inside of his defensive marker and stuck his leg out to guide the ball into the net.
At 16 Years, 8 Months, and 13 Days, Simmonds became the youngest goalscorer in the Kickers’ modern history.
The Kickers started on the front foot in the match, putting pressure on Fuego’s defense while holding the opposition to a single off-target shot.
Gomiero drew first blood in the 43rd minute from a corner kick. Nil Vinyals played a lofted inswinging ball to the far post. The Fuego keeper got a hand to the ball but could not clear it as it fell to the feet of Gomiero. He quickly caught the ball on a half-volley and sent it into the top corner before racing over to celebrate his first goal in front of the Red Army.
Richmond doubled its lead on the other side of the halftime whistle in the 54th minute.
Michael Hornsby served up a low pass from a corner kick to the near post. Chandler O’Dwyer got in front of his marker and deftly backheel flicked the ball on target and found the back of the net.
The goal was the second-year pro’s first as a professional.
Fuego leveled the match with successive goals in the 60th and 61st minute. Alexis Cerritos converted a penalty before Billy Forbes capitalized on a turnover in Richmond’s penalty area.
In the 76th minute, Fuego took the lead from a free kick. Victor Falck sent a ball into the box that found the head of François Dulysse who guided his attempt into the net.
The Roos are on the road next, Saturday, Sept. 9th, as they prepare to face Union Omaha at Werner Park. The match is set to kick off at 8 p.m. The team will hold an official watch party at Three Notch’d Brewing.
The Kickers return home on Saturday, September 23rd to host Greenville Triumph SC on Noche de la Hispana presented by the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The doors at City Stadium are set to open at 4:45 p.m. ahead of the 6 p.m. kickoff. Tickets are available at richmondkickers.com/tickets.
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