LANCASTER, Calif. — The Richmond Kickers open the 2026 USL League One regular season against AV Alta FC on Saturday, March 7 with kickoff set for 10:30 p.m. EST. The game will be broadcast on CBS 6.3 and ESPN+ with live updates and links available at richmondkickers.com or @RichmondKickers on X (Twitter).
Season Opener
- The Kickers open their USL League One slate on the road for the fourth consecutive season.
- Richmond holds a 3-2-1 record in season openers under Head Coach Darren Sawatzky and an 3-3-1 record in USL1.
- The Kickers hold a 1-1 record all-time vs. AV Alta, as the Lancaster, California based club enters it’s second season in USL1
- Richmond defeated Alta 3-1 on March 22, 2025 in their lone trip to Lancaster Minicipal Stadium last season.
- The Kickers enter their 34th season all-time and seventh under Head Coach Darren Sawatzky.
34th Season Synopsis
- The Kickers enter the 2026 season with a new look roster featuring nine returners and 13 newcomers.
- Richmond returns it’s top goal scorer from a season ago as Darwin Espinal enters 2026 off a campaign which saw the El Progreso, Honduras native score nine goals including eight from outside the box.
- The Kickers also return striker Josh Kirkland who added eight goals a season ago and captain Dakota Barnathan who will look to anchor the midfield in his fifth season with the team.
- Richmond will feature a new look backline with the addition of goalkeeper Yann Fillion and backs Ethan Kos, Sam Layton, Daniel Moore, Mujeeb Murana and Sean Vinberg.
kickers Release Crossing Kit
- As their 34th consecutive season begins, the Richmond Kickers reveal the Crossing Kit — a classic silhouette crafted to honor a uniquely Richmond landmark.The Kickers will debut their 2026 primary kit at AV Alta in the 2026 USL League One season opener.
- The Kickers will debut the club’s 2026 primary kit on March 7 at AV Alta, in the 2026 USL League One season opener.
- The kit is inspired by Richmond’s Triple Crossing — one of only two places in the United States where three railroads intersect — is a significant piece of industrial architecture that stands as a powerful symbol of the city’s enduring connection to the railways that helped shape its growth.
- The design incorporates a tonal triangular pattern subtly layering depth into the fabric, while referencing the intersecting geometry of the railway. The custom jocktag features the names of the original three operating railroad companies receding into the distance.
- The Crossing Kit is available in long-sleeve and offers supporters additional ways to style the kit on and off the pitch.
Kickers Unveil Give Me Liberty Kit
- The Richmond Kickers unveiled their Give Me Liberty Kit on February 11, 2026 — a design inspired by one of the most historic moments in the City of Richmond and one that sparked the American Revolution.
- At the heart of the 2026 secondary kit’s narrative is Patrick Henry’s legendary speech, delivered at the Second Virginia Convention in Richmond’s historic Church Hill neighborhood. Widely regarded as a catalyst for the American Revolution, the speech’s most infamous line — “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” — is featured in a custom jocktag, anchoring the kit in one of the most pivotal moments in American history.
- The kit features dark blue-on-blue vertical stripes, contrasted by the Kickers’ primary red at the collar and cuffs. The complete text of Henry’s enduring words are integrated subtly into the vertical stripes across the full body of the kit.
- The kit was designed by Alex Kocher of Easy Friday Co., marking the third year of partnership between the club and the agency. Easy Friday Co. led the Kickers’ rebrand that launched in 2025 and the 2026 primary kit..
The Kickers will host NoVA FC at City Stadium in the first round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday, March 17 at 6:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on CBS 6.3 and ESPN+ with live updates and links available at richmondkickers.com or @RichmondKickers on X (Twitter).
