Club

KICKERS HOST NORTH CAROLINA FC SATURDAY

RICHMOND, VA – (Friday, March 30, 2018) – The Richmond Kickers (0-2-0) will play their second of three-straight home matches at City Stadium this Saturday night at 5:00 p.m. as they host another new club to the USL, North Carolina FC (0-1-0). This game is also RVA Bike Fest, with the gates opening at 3:30 p.m. with live music, RVA food trucks and over a dozen craft beers on tap. Anyone that rides their bike to City Stadium can get tickets for just $8, plus a free Bike Valet courtesy of I Am RVA and the Giant pop-up shop for free tune-ups. Then, the Kickers take the field to take on North Carolina for a 5:00 p.m. kickoff. This match will be available live on the Kickers Official Television partners WTVR CBS 6 and streaming online through the USL Match Center. Tickets are on sale now at www.richmondkickers.com.

When the two clubs meet this Saturday, it will be the first time they have met in league play, but the fifth overall with honors even with a 2-2-0 record. The Kickers have hosted North Carolina on two occasions for exhibitions before the start of the 2007 and 2009 seasons, both of which were victories for Richmond. The other two contests have come in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, both on the road at North Carolina FC, with the home side getting the best of the Kickers each time in 2007 and 2009.

Richmond opened the home slate for the 2018 season last Saturday night, falling to Indy Eleven 0-1. The visitors broke the deadlock in the 41st minute with Soony Saad getting to the endline with enough space to send in a cross to the back post as Jack McInerney beat Raul Gonzalez to the ball and finding the back of the net.

North Carolina FC played their first USL match since joining the league, March 17 hosting the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Steven Miller tied the game up for the home team in the 38th minute from an assist by Marios Lomis. Two more goals from the Rowdies gave the visitors all three points as NCFC fell in their opening match of the season. North Carolina was slated to play on the road at Louisville City FC, as weather and field conditions forced the postponement of the match.

The Kickers will close out their three-match home stand next Saturday night as they host New York Red Bulls II and the I Heart Carytown Craft Beer Festival. The gates open at 3:00 p.m. with live music by Pretty Ugly, a mini-Carytown marketplace featuring locally-owned restaurants, food trucks and handcrafted items from Carytown boutiques, 20+ craft beers on tap and the Kickers pro game versus New York Red Bulls II at 5:00 p.m. to showcase why Carytown is the best place to Eat, Shop and Play. Tickets are available now at www.richmondkickers.com.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Richmond: Midfielder Neil Hlavaty (#7) made his Kickers debut last Saturday against Indy Eleven, wearing the captain’s armband. He signed with the Kickers before the start of the season following an extensive professional career, including recent stints with North Carolina FC and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. Defender Conor Shanosky (#5) has played every minute for the Kickers in their first two matches this season. The Pittsburgh, PA native made 18 appearances for the Kickers last season, including 15 starts and scored one goal. Forward Giuseppe Gentile (#92) made his first start for the Kickers in last Saturday’s match against Indy Eleven, his second appearance of the season recording three shots in 90 minutes. Gentile joins the Kickers after one season with Puerto Rico FC, where he contributed four goals and five assists in 27 appearances.

North Carolina: Defender Steven Miller (#31) scored the first goal in the USL for North Carolina FC in their season opening match against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Miller was loaned to NCFC for the final five matches of 2015 while with the Tulsa Roughnecks, before signing with North Carolina in 2016. Midfielder Kyle Bekker (#10) made his debut with NCFC March 17, where he recorded three shots in 90 minutes. Drafted third overall by Toronto FC in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft, Bekker went on to make stops at FC Dallas, Montreal Impact and the San Francisco Deltas before landing with North Carolina. Defender Peabo Doue (#3) is another new face on the NCFC roster, making his debut in the club’s season opener, playing 90 minutes and taking two shots. Doue most recently faced the Kickers in 2016 while with Wilmington Hammerheads FC.

OVER 20,000 WATCHED MARCH 24 MATCH ON WTVR CBS 6

RICHMOND, VA – (Wednesday, March 28, 2017) – The first televised match of the 2018 season for the Richmond Kickers was viewed by over 20,000 in the metro Richmond area Saturday night on the Official Television Partners of the Kickers, WTVR CBS 6.

Saturday night’s game was the second highest viewed program in the Richmond market. This game is a 400% increase in rating over the average of last season’s games that were broadcasted on the WTVR CBS 6.1 main channel.

The Kickers will return to WTVR CBS 6 airwaves this Saturday night as they host another new team to the USL, North Carolina FC at City Stadium at 5:00 p.m. Tickets to this match are on sale now at www.richmondkickers.com.

I HEART CARYTOWN CRAFT BEER FEST APRIL 7 AT CITY STADIUM

RICHMOND, VA – (Wednesday, March 28, 2017) – The Richmond Kickers, in partnership with the Carytown Merchants Association, are pleased to host the third annual I Heart Carytown Craft Beer Festival at City Stadium on Saturday, April 7. Tickets are on sale now at www.richmondkickers.com.

Celebrating RVA’s most iconic shopping district, the party starts at 3:00 p.m. with live music by Pretty Ugly, a mini-Carytown marketplace featuring locally-owned restaurants, food trucks and handcrafted items from Carytown boutiques, 20+ craft beers on tap and the Kickers pro game versus New York Red Bulls II at 5:00 p.m. to showcase why Carytown is the best place to Eat, Shop and Play.

City Stadium, located just blocks from Carytown, offers ample free parking and a convenient stop for free Spoken4 Pedicabs that will be running continuously from City Stadium to Carytown from 3:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Fans are encouraged to stroll through the unique shopping neighborhood prior to the Kickers game and to keep the party going after the match in Carytown.

Tickets to the I Heart Carytown Craft Beer Festival are $15 per person and includes festival admission, a ticket to the Kickers game and a drink ticket that can be redeemed for any of the craft beers on tap, or an ice-cold lemonade. The first 200 fans through the gate will also receive an exclusive sampling of small plates from some of Carytown’s eclectic restaurants.

A portion of every I Heart Carytown Craft Beer Festival ticket purchased will directly benefit the Carytown Merchants Association. Tickets are on sale now at www.richmondkickers.com.

The East Coast’s first outdoor shopping center since 1938, Carytown is home to over 300 locally-owned businesses from Thompson Street to the Boulevard, featuring unique boutiques, award-winning restaurants, specialty shops, spas and professional services. Voted “Best Shopping Neighborhood in Virginia” by the readers of Southern Living Magazine, Carytown offers distinctive landmarks, including Cary Court and The Byrd Theater, Richmond’s movie palace since 1928, and the family-friendly “Mile of Style” invites patrons of all ages to eat, shop and play.

Craft Beers on tap include:

Arrogant Bastard Ale
Ballast Point Sculpin
Beales Gold
Blue Moon
Blue Moon Mango
Blue Mountain Dark Hollow
Blue Mountain Hopwork Orange
Blue Mountain Kolsch
Blue Mountain Rockfish Wheat
Buskey Red Card Cider
Buskey RVA Cider
Deschutes Black Butte Porter
Deschutes Fresh Squeezed
Deschutes Hop Henge
Miller Lite
Modelo
Negra Modelo
South Street Satans Pony
Stone Delicious
Stone IPA
Stone Tangerine Express
Trapezium Red Army IPA
Trapezium Toasted Coconut Cream Ale
Trapezium White

KICKERS DROP HOME OPENER

TEAM	SCORE	GOALSCORERS
RICHMOND KICKERS (0-2-0, 0 points, 16th East)	0
INDY ELEVEN (1-0-0, 3 points, 6th East)	1	McInerney (Saad) 41′

TEAM

SCORE

GOALSCORERS

RICHMOND KICKERS

(0-2-0, 0 points, 16th East)

0 INDY ELEVEN

(1-0-0, 3 points, 6th East)

1

McInerney (Saad) 41′

RICHMOND, VA — (Saturday March 24, 2018) — The Richmond Kickers (0-2-0) fell in their Home Opener to USL newcomers Indy Eleven (1-0-0) in the first-ever meeting between the two clubs. Jack McInerney scored the only goal of the match for the visitors in the 42nd minute.

Giuseppe Gentile created the first chance of the match in the 24th minute. At midfield, Raul Gonzalez played the ball back to Braeden Troyer inside the center circle. He went for the long ball with Starikov putting the pressure on. Gentile was able to get on the ball and took a touch around Owain Fôn Williams. As he went for the shot, he mishit the ball sending it wide of the goal.

Yudai Imura found himself with a chance on goal at the top of the Indy box in the 36th minute. From a throw in on the right side, Gentile quickly threw in the ball to Neil Hlavaty, wearing the captain’s armband for the Kickers tonight. Hlavaty connected with Imura just ahead of him. With his space cut down in front of him, Imura turned and ran across the top of the box going for a shot from just to the right of the goal. The shot was deflected down as Koby Osei-Wusu tries to get on the ball. Reiner Ferreira stepped in and got a touch on the ball to play it out for a corner before Osei-Wusu could control it.

The first goal for Indy Eleven in the USL came from Jack McInerney in the 42nd minute to give the visitors the first half lead. Controlling the ball near the right sideline, Karl Ouimette played the ball up to Soony Saad as he made a run towards the endline. Under pressure from Troyer, Saad put in a quick cross into the far post. McInerney timed his run perfectly, beating Raul Gonzalez to the ball and finding the back of the net for the opener.

The best chance for the Kickers came in the 68th minute from Gentile. Coming on just four minutes prior, Matt Bolduc was able to gain control of the ball in the midfield and saw Gentile ready to make a run. Bolduc fed the ball through for Gentile as he slipped through the Indy backline. As he reached the top of the box, Gentile went for a shot that Fôn Williams needed to save to keep Richmond off the board.

A near chance came for Richmond in the 88th minute from a ball played in from Gonzalez. Finnlay Wyatt played the ball out wide right. He looked for Gentile in front of goal with a cross in. Ferreira was able to get a slight touch to the ball to knock it down for Fôn Williams to pick up before Gentile could get to the ball.

Richmond were reduced to 10 men in stoppage time after a straight red card was issued to Fred Owusu Sekyere.

The Kickers will be back at City Stadium next Saturday, March 31 night as they host North Carolina FC at 5:00 p.m. Gates will open at 3:30 with live music, RVA food trucks and craft beer on tap. Tickets are on sale now at www.richmondkickers.com.

BOX SCORE

Team	First Half	Second Half	Final
Richmond	1	0	1
Indy	0	0	0

LINEUPS

Richmond GK Travis Worra, Scott Thomsen, Braeden Troyer, Conor Shanosky, Raul Gonzalez, Neil Hlavaty (63’ – Matt Bolduc), Oscar Umar, Brian Shriver (63’ – Fred Owusu Sekyere), Yudai Imura (87’ – Finnlay Wyatt), Giuseppe Gentile, Koby Osei-Wusu

Unused Substitutes: Trevor Spangenberg, William Yomby, Finnlay Wyatt, Evan Lee, Heviel Cordovés

Indy GK Owain Fôn Williams, Tyler Pasher, Reiner Ferreira, Carlyle Mitchell, Karl Ouimette, Nico Matern (82’ – Brad Ring), Matt Watson, Zach Steinberger, Eugene Starikov (72’ – Juan Guerra), Soony Saad, Jack McInerney (90’ – Justin Braun)

Unused Substitutes: Ben Lundgaard, Seth Moses, Brad Rusin, Ben Speas

STATISTICS

Team	Shots	Saves	Fouls	Corners
Richmond	6	1	13	4
Indy	10	2	13	4

SCORING SUMMARY

Min	Team	Goalscorer
41′	IND	Jack McInerney (Soony Saad)

CAUTIONS SUMMARY

Min	Team	Goalscorer
60′	IND	Nico Matern
68′	IND	Zach Steinberger
88′	RIC	Fred Owusu Sekyere
90′	IND	Reiner Ferreira

EJECTIONS SUMMARY

Min	Team	Goalscorer
90′	RIC	Fred Owusu Sekyere

MATCH INFORMATION

Referee: Matthew Franz

Assistant Referees: Ben Pilgrim, Benjamin Hichak

Fourth Official: Neil Morrissette

Attendance: 4756

Weather: Partly Cloudy, 50 ºF

KICKERS HOME OPENER THIS SATURDAY

RICHMOND, VA – (Friday, March 23, 2018) – The Richmond Kickers (0-1-0) will host their 26th Home Opener, presented by Woodfin this Saturday night, March 24, as USL newcomers Indy Eleven (0-0-0) makes their first trip to City Stadium at 5:00 p.m. The party starts at 3:30 p.m. with live music from Pretty Ugly, RVA food trucks and over 20 craft beers on tap, followed by the Kickers battling Indy at 5:00 p.m. Woodfin will be giving away free scarves to the first 500 fans through the gates. The match will be available live on the Kickers official television partners WTVR CBS 6 on their main 6.1 channel (Comcast 9/212, Verizon FiOS 6/506), as well as streaming online through the USL Match Center. Tickets for the Home Opener are on sale now at www.richmondkickers.com.

Saturday will mark the first meeting between the Kickers and Indy Eleven since Indy joined the USL during the offseason. Indy Eleven will be the 119th different opponent the Kickers will face over their 26-year history as a club. The Kickers are 14-7-4 all-time in their 25 previous home openers.

Richmond will be seeking their first win of the season after falling on the road to Bethlehem Steel FC last Sunday afternoon. Steel FC got on the scoreboard early with Eric Ayuk netting the first goal of the match in the 24th minute from a cross by Matthew Mahoney. Derrick Jones doubled the Bethlehem lead in the 40th minute as he broke through the Kickers defense and took a low shot to the right of a diving Travis Worra. Kickers midfielder Oscar Umar scored his first professional goal in the 57th minute, pulling a goal back for the Kickers. Brian Shriver controlled the ball in the midfield, turning to find Umar in the center of the field with plenty of space. After taking a touch, Umar let a rocket of a shot go to the upper left corner of the goal from about 30 yards out. A second half brace from Brandon Allen sealed the victory for Steel FC as the Kickers dropped the season opener, 1-4.

Indy Eleven will be playing their first-ever USL match when they come to Richmond, having joined the league over the off season, moving over from the North American Soccer League (NASL). When they take the field Saturday, it will be with almost an entirely different look as new Head Coach Martin Rennie completely revamped the roster that finished with a 3-9-4 record in the 2017 NASL Fall Season. Only three players were held over from the previous season: Justin Braun, Brad Ring and Ben Speas.

The Kickers will host another USL newcomer, North Carolina FC next Saturday night, March 31 for at 5:00 p.m. for Bike Night. This match will also be available live on the Kickers official television partners WTVR CBS 6 on their main 6.1 channel (Comcast 9/212, Verizon FiOS 6/506), and streaming online through the USL Match Center. Tickets for the match next Saturday are on sale now at www.richmondkickers.com.