Match Preview

RICHMOND, VA – (Monday, September 12, 2016) – The Richmond Kickers (12-7-8) return to City Stadium for the penultimate regular season home game on Wednesday, September 14 when they host the Charlotte Independence (14-7-6).  Oktoberfest, presented by Draper Aden Athletics begins at 5:30 p.m. with live German music by Die Elbe Musikanten, brats and savory Germany fare by Stroops, Sam Adams Stein Hoisting Competitions and over a dozen seasonal and Oktoberfest craft beers on tap before the game kicks off at 7:00 p.m.

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The Kickers host the Independence for the first time in 2016 after dropping a pair of losses in Charlotte early in the season.  The two clubs last met in June when Charlotte forward Caleb Calvert gave the home side an early lead and the Kickers could not recover from the deficit for the second time in as many games at Ramblewood Soccer Complex.

The road woes began when late game dramatics and a controversial penalty call handed the Independence a 3-2 victory in April.  Midfielder Sunny Jane gave the Kickers the lead but Calvert leveled the score just before the break.  Kickers goalkeeper Ryan Taylor sustained a devastating season-ending knee injury early in the second half and Enzo Martinez punished 18-year old backup goalkeeper Sawyer Gaffney with a blistering goal minutes later.  All was seemingly not lost when Kickers all-time leading scorer Matthew Delicâte buried the equalizer in the final minute of regulation before Jorge Herrera converted the stoppage time penalty to steal all three points.

Charlotte travels to Richmond this week on a three game win streak, amassing 12 goals and allowing just three to leapfrog into third place in the USL Eastern Conference standings.  Following a decisive 5-1 win over Toronto FC II, the Independence returned home to defeat the Pittsburgh Riverhounds 4-0 last week.  Brian Brown added his seventh goal of the season with David Estrada contributing a pair of goals on either side of the half before USL veteran Jorge Herrera rounded out the scoreline with a 90th minute tally.

Meanwhile, the Kickers will look to return to winning ways this week after Louisville City FC snapped their 10-game unbeaten streak last Saturday on the road.  The 2-0 loss was the first in over two months for the Kickers who conceded the advantage when Louisville drew a foul in the box and made no mistake from the penalty spot inside the first 20 minutes.  The home side doubled their lead early in the second half to claim three points as the Kickers slipped to seventh place in the USL Eastern Conference.

Following Wednesday’s game, the Kickers host their longtime rivals, Charleston Battery, in the regular season home finale on Saturday, September 17 before concluding the 2016 regular season on the road in Wilmington one week later.

Players to Watch
Kickers:  Kickers all-time leading scorer Matthew Delicâte (#7) returned to action during the club’s 1-0 win against Orlando on August 27 after being sidelined for four months following a cancer scare and kidney surgery.  Amassing nearly 250 appearances and over 200 points in a Kickers uniform over nine seasons, Delicate added his 94th career goal in April against Charlotte.  Sophomore defender Braeden Troyer (#31) has anchored the Kickers backline in all 27 games this season, playing 2,309 minutes and contributing to 10 shutouts. Signing with the Kickers days before the start of the 2015 season, he was discovered at the 2015 Pro Combine, earning his first contract out of the University of South Carolina.  Available to make his Kickers debut for the first time since 2014, newcomer Conor Shanoksy (#29) joined the team days before the USL Roster Freeze last week after making 41 appearances with Louisville City FC.  Signed by D.C. United as a Homegrown Player in 2010, the defender spent the majority of the 2013 and 2014 seasons on loan in Richmond where he made 35 appearances and anchored the Kickers back line to the best defensive record in the league on route to the 2013 USL Regular Season Championship title.

Independence: Former Kickers defender Henry Kalungi (#25) anchors the Independence back line, contributing to the club’s ninth shutout of the season in last week’s 4-0 win against Pittsburgh. Making 135 appearances with the Kickers over six seasons, the defensive stalwart shored up one of the league’s best defensive units on route to the 2009 USL Championship, 2010 USL Finals, 2011 U.S. Open Cup Semifinals and 2013 USL Regular Season Championship before signing with Charlotte in 2015.  The first player signed in Independence history, forward Jorge Herrera (#10) notched his seventh goal of the 2016 season when he added a 90th minute tally to the 4-0 win over Pittsburgh.  Ranking third on the team with 16 points, the USL veteran spent eight seasons with the Kickers former rivals Charlotte Eagles before joining the Independence in 2015.  Midfielder David Estrada (#11) scored three goals in Charlotte’s last two games, adding a goal in the 5-1 win in Toronto before leading the Independence offense with two tallies against Pittsburgh six days later.  Bringing five years of MLS experience to Charlotte, Estrada made 41 appearances with the Seattle Sounders and nine appearances with D.C. United before stints in the USL with Sacramento and Orange County led him to the Independence prior to the 2016 season.

RICHMOND, VA – (Tuesday, August 30, 2016) – The oldest rivalry in American professional soccer history continues this Wednesday, August 31 when the Richmond Kickers (12-6-7) host the Charleston Battery (11-5-8) at City Stadium.  Rivals for over two decades, Wednesday’s match marks the 58th meeting between the Kickers and the Battery, who play mid-week after the originally scheduled date was postponed due to persistent lightning on August 17.

Happy Hour starts at 5:30 p.m. with live music by Back Seat Drivers, RVA food trucks and exclusive specials on over 15 craft beers on tap until kickoff at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at www.richmondkickers.com and tickets previously issued for the August 17 match will be accepted on August 31.

Charleston leveled the all-time series record at 24-24-8 last year when the Battery edged the Kickers with a dramatic 2-1 overtime victory in the 2015 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.  Scoreless through regulation, the Kickers took the lead two minutes into the first overtime period on an own goal but Charleston avenged the defensive mistake with two goals in five minutes in the second period.

The rivalry continued in Charleston last month when the Battery gained the series advantage with a 2-0 victory at MUSC Health Stadium.  Despite outshooting the Battery 14-8 and gaining an advantage after Charleston was reduced to 10 men in the second half, the Kickers could not overcome the deficit from a pair of first half goals by Taylor Mueller and Heviel Cordoves in a span of seven minutes.

The Kickers enter the mid-week match up on a nine game unbeaten streak following a 1-0 win against Orlando City B last Saturday.  Newcomer Scott Thomsen gave the Kickers the full three points when he converted a cross by Alex Lee late in the second half to leapfrog FC Cincinnati into third place in the USL Eastern Conference standings and to clinch a berth in the 2016 USL Playoffs.

Meanwhile, Charleston snapped a four-game winless streak and edged the Charlotte Independence 1-0.  Midfielder Maikel Chang notched his second goal in three games to lift the Battery to fifth place in the USL Eastern Conference standings.  The Battery reside two points behind the Kickers with a game in hand.

The longtime rivals conclude the three-game series at City Stadium for the Kickers regular season home finale on Saturday, September 17.

Kickers:  Defender Hugh Roberts (#8) has played every minute of every game during the 2016 campaign, anchoring the Kickers backline to 11 shutouts.  The native of Olney, MD has amassed over 5,000 minutes in a Kickers uniform over three seasons after being discovered at the club’s 2014 pro tryouts.  Newcomer Scott Thomsen (#32) posted his first professional goal when he lifted the Kickers to a 1-0 win over Orlando City B last weekend. The former University of Virginia standout signed with New York Red Bulls as a Homegrown Player in 2015 before joining the Kickers mid-season.  Returning on loan from the club’s official MLS affiliate, D.C. United, goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra (#50) backstopped the Kickers to their 11th shutout of the season last week.  On loan with the Kickers for the majority of the 2013 season, the MLS veteran earned 2013 USL Goalkeeper of the Year honors on route to the 2013 USL Regular Season Championship.

Battery: Recovering from an injury-blighted first year in 2013 that restricted him to just six games played, Cuban midfielder Maikel Chang (#12) returned to full strength last season and has appeared in all but one match during the 2016 campaign.  Leading the team with five assists, he recently added his fourth goal of the season against Charlotte to lead the Battery to a 1-0 win.  Forward Romario Williams (#9) joined the Battery prior to the 2016 season on loan from Major League Soccer’s Montreal Impact, making an immediate impact and leading the club with nine goals and 19 points.  Picked third overall in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft, the U23 Jamaican National Team forward made two appearances with the Impact’s first team last season. Alex Tambakis (#1) backstopped the Battery to their first shutout in over a month, making three crucial saves against the Charlotte Independence last week.  The Greek/American goalkeeper holds the distinction of becoming the first-ever signing for MLS expansion club, Atlanta United F.C., Charleston’s official MLS affiliate.

RICHMOND, VA – (Friday, August 19, 2016) – The Richmond Kickers (11-6-6) travel to take on Orlando City B (8-8-7) this Sunday, August 21 at Titan Soccer Complex.  The match will be broadcast live through the league’s official Match Center, uslsoccer.com/match-center, at 7:30 p.m. and the Kickers will be hosting an official Watch Party at Continental Divide, located in the Fan at 2501 West Main Street.

The Kickers and expansion franchise OCB meet for the first time in club history this Sunday, swapping home field advantage six days later when the Kickers play host at City Stadium.

OCB returns to Titan Soccer Complex this week after dropping points on the road.  Suffering a 5-1 loss to New York Red Bulls II, OCB continued their two-game road trip in Charlotte with a mid-week, 4-0 defeat in Charlotte four days later.

Orlando now reside in the eighth and final playoff spot in the USL standings, eight points behind Richmond, who are tied for fourth place with the Charlotte Independence after the Kickers mid-week match against the Charleston Battery was suspended in the 21st minute due to persistent lightning.

Previously, the Kickers extended their unbeaten streak following a 1-1 draw against FC Cincinnati last weekend.  Midfielder Sunny Jane gave the Kickers a second half lead but Cincinnati rallied for the equalizer with less than 10 minutes remaining in regulation.

Following Sunday’s road trip, the Kickers will return to City Stadium on Saturday, August 27 to host Orlando City B and Family Fest, presented by Union Bank & Trust and Bounce 2 The Moon.  Admission is $20 for the whole family before 6:30 p.m. and tickets are on sale now at www.richmondkickers.com.

RICHMOND, VA – (Thursday, August 11, 2016) – The Richmond Kickers (11-6-5) return to City Stadium this Saturday, August 13 to host FC Cincinnati (12-4-5).  The pre-game party starts at 5:30 p.m. with live music by Box Car, RVA food trucks and over a dozen craft beers on tap before the pro game kicks off at 7:00 p.m.  Tickets are available in advance for $10 and include the chance to win a Momentum Rocker fat tire bike by Giant Bicycles, valued at over $600, with proceeds benefiting Richmond More.  Additionally, donations benefitting Tech 4 Troops Project and Caritas will include a $5.00 off coupon for the Kickers pro shop at City Stadium.

The Kickers extended their unbeaten streak with a pair of back-to-back road wins last week.  Opening the two-game road swing with a mid-week game against the Rochester Rhinos, goalkeeper Matt Turner saved a second half penalty to preserve the shutout as Yudai Imura’s lone goal lifted the Kickers to a 1-0 win over the defending USL Champions.  The Kickers moved into fourth place in the Eastern Conference Standings three days later when they edged FC Montreal 2-1.  Midfielder Luiz Fernando gave the visitors a second half lead before the Kickers conceded a penalty in the 87th minute, but Imura struck again with less than two minutes remaining in regulation to steal all three points.

The Kickers now reside just three points behind third-place FC Cincinnati, who most recently handed FC Montreal a 2-0 scoreline last week. Outshooting their hosts 10-2, FCC picked up the decisive victory courtesy of forward Sean Okoli, who contributed a goal on either side of the half to put them within 10 points of the Eastern Conference leaders Louisville City FC.

Concluding a two-game regular season series this Saturday, the two clubs swap home field advantage following a 1-1 draw at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati in June.  Okoli gave the home side the lead within the first 15 minutes and the Kickers waited until the final minute of second half stoppage time to level the score.  Brian Ownby’s lofted cross into the box found Hugh Roberts who heroically volleyed home the last-gasp equalizer to salvage a much-needed point on the road.

Players to Watch
Kickers:  Midfielder Yudai Imura (#14) increased his team-leading tally to nine goals after adding a pair of game winners on the road last week against Rochester and Montreal.  Discovered at the Kickers 2015 Pro Tryouts, the Japanese midfielder has contributed six goals in his last five consecutive games and ranks seventh in the USL.  Newcomer Scott Thomsen (#32) made his professional debut last Saturday, adding an assist on the Kickers opening goal in Montreal minutes after entering the match as a second half substitute.  The former University of Virginia standout signed with New York Red Bulls as a Homegrown Player in 2015 before joining the Kickers mid-season.  Returning on loan from the club’s official MLS affiliate, D.C. United, goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra (#50) made his first appearance in Richmond this season on July 30 when he backstopped the Kickers to a 2-1 win over New York Red Bulls II.  On loan with the Kickers for the majority of the 2013 season, the MLS veteran earned 2013 USL Goalkeeper of the Year honors en route to the 2013 USL Regular Season Championship.
 
FCC:  Forward Sean Okoli (#9) earned USL Team of the Week honors this week for the fourth time after adding a pair of goals in FC Cincinnati’s 2-0 win in Montreal.  Joining FCC after a 2015 stint with New England Revolution, he is currently tied for third in the USL with 11 goals this season.  One of FC Cincinnati’s first-ever signings, midfielder Corben Bone (#19) leads the team and ranks third in the league with five assists.  Bringing extensive MLS experience to FCC, the Plano, Texas native spent two years with the Wilmington Hammerheads prior to joining the expansion side this season.   Goalkeeper Mitch Hildrebrandt (#1) has played every minute of every game during the 2016 campaign, leading the team in minutes played with 1,890.  Signing with FC Cincinnati after four seasons with NASL side Minnesota United, he has backstopped FCC to six shutouts and a goals against average of 0.90.

RICHMOND, VA – (Friday, August 5, 2016) – The Richmond Kickers (10-6-5) conclude a two-game road trip this Saturday, August 6 when they face FC Montreal (2-17-1) at Complexe Sportif Claude-Robillard.  The match will be broadcast live through the league’s official Match Center, uslsoccer.com/match-center, at 3:00 p.m.

The Richmond Kickers opened the two-game road swing with a mid-week game against the Rochester Rhinos on Wednesday.  Goalkeeper Matt Turner saved a second half penalty to preserve the shutout as Yudai Imura’s lone goal lifted the Kickers to a 1-0 win over the defending USL Champions to claim sole possession of fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Winless since a 3-2 victory in Harrisburg in June, FC Montreal enter Saturday’s match following a six-game losing streak.  Most recently, FC Montreal dropped a 2-0 decision to FC Cincinnati, conceding goals on either side of the half at Complex Sportif Claude-Robillard.

The Kickers and FC Montreal meet for the second time this season to close out the two-game series, having last met at City Stadium in May when FC Montreal handed the Kickers their only loss of the season at home. Suffering a 2-1 defeat, the Kickers finished the match with 10 men following a red card ejection to Samuel Asante.  Earlier in the match, a pair of penalties on each side of the field determined the final score with FC Montreal converting theirs before goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau denied Jason Yeisley’s attempt from the spot.  The Kickers could not stop Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla’s second half tally but Brian Ownby pulled a goal back with two minutes remaining to avoid the shutout.

Following the week-long road trip, the Kickers return to City Stadium to host FC Cincinnati on Saturday, August 13.  Tickets are on sale now at www.richmondkickers.com.

RICHMOND, VA – (Tuesday, August 2, 2016) – The Richmond Kickers (9-6-5) embark on a two-game road trip this Wednesday, August 3 when they face the Rochester Rhinos (8-4-8).  The match will be broadcast live through the league’s official Match Center, , at 7:05 p.m.

The Kickers and the Rhinos close out the two-game regular season series this Wednesday, having last met at City Stadium in April when the Kickers edged the defending USL Champions. Yudai Imura’s lone goal lifted the Kickers to a 1-0 victory as goalkeeper Ryan Taylor posted his second shutout in as many weeks, days before a knee injury sidelined him for the rest of the season.

Keeping a four-game unbeaten streak alive, the Kickers defeated the second-place New York Red Bulls II 2-1 at City Stadium last week.  Avenging a missed penalty with a 10th minute goal, New York claimed an early lead before Imura leveled the score when he converted a penalty two minutes later but late-game heroics saw the Kickers steal all three points, courtesy of Jackson Eskay’s last gasp game-winner.

Meanwhile, the Rhinos return home after three consecutive 1-1 ties on the road.  Most recently, the Rhinos held the Harrisburg City Islanders scoreless for 90 minutes with midfielder Sean Totsch giving the visitors the lead with less than three minutes to spare.  The celebrations were cut short, however, when the City Islanders retaliated with a second half stoppage time equalizer to split the points.

Following Wednesday’s game, the Kickers continue north to take on FC Montreal on Saturday, August 6 before returning to City Stadium to host FC Cincinnati on Saturday, August 13.  Tickets are on sale now at www.richmondkickers.com.

RICHMOND, VA – (Thursday, July 21, 2016) – The Richmond Kickers (7-6-5) return to regular season action this Saturday, July 23 to host Toronto FC II (5-11-5) and Craft Beer Fest at City Stadium. The party starts at 5:30 p.m. with over 20 craft beers and ciders on tap, live music by Salted Dog Blues Band, and RVA food trucks before the Kickers battle Toronto FC II at 7:00 p.m.

The RVA Trolley will be operating a continuously running, free, hop-on-hop-off trolley loop from City Stadium to Carytown from 5:00 p.m. until 9:30 p.m.  After the game, fans are invited to take the trolley to Citizen Burger Bar (2907 West Cary Street) to join the Kickers pro players at the post-game party.  Craft Beer Fest tickets including game admission and a drink ticket are on sale now for $12 at www.richmondkickers.com.

The Richmond Kickers return to regular season action at City Stadium this Saturday following a three-game road stand.  After struggling to gain points on the road this season, the Kickers rebounded with back-to-back shutouts over the Harrisburg City Islanders and Pittsburgh Riverhounds, posting 3-0 and 2-0 wins respectively.

Most recently, the Kickers hosted Swansea City AFC of the world famous English Premier League at City Stadium, claiming a historic 2-0 victory over the formidable opponent in front of 7,128 fans.   A 90-minute lightning delay at the end of the first half followed a Swansea own goal before Kickers forward Anthony Grant solidified the victory with a 74th minute tally to hand the home side their first victory over a Premier League opponent in club history.

Meanwhile, Toronto FC II will play their second game in four days following a midweek clash against the Rochester Rhinos.  After conceding a goal in the first half, Toronto rallied for the equalizer when Skylar Thomas leveled the score with a perfectly placed header to level the score at 1-1 and extend the club’s unbeaten streak to three matches.

Saturday’s game closes out a three-game series between the Kickers and TFC II who exchanged home and home 1-0 win earlier this season.  Brian Ownby’s lone goal lifted the Kickers to victory at City Stadium before Toronto avenged the loss at the Ontario Soccer Centre 11 days later, courtesy of Sal Bernal’s late tally.

Players to Watch
Kickers:  Jamaican forward Anthony Grant (#9) made history last week with a second half tally against Swansea City AFC to hand the Kickers their first-ever win against an English Premier League side.  Breaking into the starting lineup last month, the 2015 PDL Most Valuable Player notched his first professional goal in the Kickers 3-1 win at City Stadium last month after adding an assist against FC Montreal two weeks earlier.  Newcomer Sunny Jane (#10) notched his fourth goal in a Kickers uniform in last week’s 2-0 win in Pittsburgh, one week after adding a tally in club’s 3-0 win in Harrisburg.  The Lesotho National Team forward signed with Richmond prior to the 2016 season after spending two years with the Wilmington Hammerheads.  Goalkeeper Travis Worra (#48) returned to Richmond on loan from the club’s official Major League Soccer affiliate, D.C. United earlier this month, and immediately posted back-to-back shutouts against Pittsburgh and Swansea City.  Starting 11 matches in his sophomore season with D.C. United’s first team, he made 12 appearances in goal for the Kickers on loan during the 2015 campaign, posting 31 saves and five shutouts.

TFC II: Called up to Toronto FC II from the Kia Toronto FC Senior Academy in August 2015, midfielder Raheem Edwards (#48) leads the team with six goals and two assists in his sophomore season.  The Canada U23 midfielder added a goal and an assist in last week’s 4-2 win at Harrisburg before adding an assist on the game-tying goal against Rochester earlier this week.  Anchoring the midfield in all but one match this season, midfielder Sal Bernal (#31) notched his first goal of the season in May to lift TFC II to a 1-0 victory against the Kickers.  Selected in the fourth round of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft by Toronto FC, Bernal made 12 appearances with the USL side last year following four seasons at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.  On loan from the Toronto FC First Team, goalkeeper Quillan Roberts (#40) became the seventh Academy player to graduate to the senior team in 2012.  Posting 25 saves in seven appearances during the 2016 campaign, he backstopped TFC II side that shut out the Kickers at Ontario Soccer Centre earlier this season.

RICHMOND, VA – (Thursday, July 14, 2016) – The Richmond Kickers are pleased to host Swansea City AFC of the world famous English Premier League in an international exhibition, presented by Chick-fil-A, at City Stadium this Saturday, July 16.  The pregame party starts at 5:00 p.m. with live music by The Folly, RVA food trucks and over 20 craft beers on tap and the game kicks off at 7:00 p.m.  Tickets ($30) are on sale now at www.richmondkickers.com.

“We are delighted to host the world’s greatest sports league at City Stadium on Saturday,” commented Leigh Cowlishaw, Richmond Kickers Director of Soccer.  “Swansea City have an inspired history and tradition with a truly remarkable story over the last decade, establishing themselves as one of the top teams in the English Premier League.  The atmosphere at City Stadium is guaranteed to be electric and we look forward to having this high profile exhibition highlight RVA’s Summer of Soccer.”

Following a week long training camp in Washington, D.C., the prestigious match in Richmond concludes Swansea’s two-game U.S. preseason tour, which also included 4-0 win against the Charlotte Independence earlier this week.  The 2016-17 English Premier League season begins August 13.

The East Coast tour marks the second time the club have traveled to America for preseason, having visited Colorado and California in 2012 before returning to Chicago, Milwaukee and Minnesota two years later.  Both tours helped prepare the Swans for hugely successful seasons, with the club lifting the Capital One Cup in 2013 while a record-breaking campaign was sealed in 2015.

Established in 1912, the Welsh club based in Swansea, South Wales, battled for many years in the lower divisions before making a historic climb from near bankruptcy in the Fourth Division to the Premier League in 2011, becoming the first Welsh team to play in the top flight since the league’s restructure in 1992.  Swansea celebrated their greatest success to date by winning the Capital One Cup in 2013, with a record-breaking 5-0 victory over Bradford City, claiming the club’s first major trophy and qualifying for the 2013-14 UEFA Europa League.  Most recently, Swansea finished the 2015-16 season in 12th place in the English Premier League standings with a 12-15-11 record and 47 points.

Saturday’s historic match marks the third consecutive season that a team from England’s top flight will appear in Virginia following exhibitions against Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion in 2014 and 2015, respectively, in front of a combined 14,632 fans at City Stadium.

Players to Watch
Kickers:  Returning to his hometown team prior to the 2016 season following a season ending injury in 2015, Brian Ownby (#22) has tallied three goals and three assists.  The homegrown midfielder out of Deep Run High School and University of Virginia notched five goals and four assists in 14 appearances in 2015 after a three-year stint with Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo.  Newcomer Sunny Jane (#10) notched his fourth goal in a Kickers uniform in this week’s 2-0 win in Pittsburgh.  The Lesotho National Team forward signed with Richmond prior to the 2016 season after spending two years with the Wilmington Hammerheads.  Goalkeeper Travis Worra (#48) returned to Richmond on loan from the club’s official Major League Soccer affiliate, D.C. United earlier this week.  Starting 11 matches in his sophomore season with D.C. United’s first team, he made 12 appearances in goal for the Kickers on loan during the 2015 campaign, posting 31 saves and five shutouts.

Swansea:  Ghanaian forward Andre Ayew (#10) is slated to join Swansea’s preseason tour after representing his country during the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.  Joining the Swans last season after a stint with French side Marseille, he contributed 12 goals during the 2015-16 English Premier League campaign.  Swansea newcomer Mike van der Hoorn made his first appearance with his new club during Wednesday’s match in Charlotte.  Signing with Swansea earlier this month, the 23-year old Dutchman began his professional career at FC Utrecht before spending the last three seasons at Ajax where he made 49 appearances through all competitions.  Midfielder Wayne Routledge (#15) led the Swans to a 4-0 win in their first preseason match in Charlotte earlier this week, contributing a pair of goals and an assist.  Bringing extensive English Premier League experience to Swansea City, the former England U21 National Team player previously made over 200 appearances at several English Premier League sides including Crystal Palace, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa before signing with Swansea in 2011.

Tickets
General Admission tickets for the Richmond Kickers versus Swansea City match are $30.  Tickets in the official supporter’s section are available for $25 for current Section O Season Pass holders.  Season Passes will not be accepted at this match.  Tickets are on sale now at www.richmondkickers.com and at select ticket outlets throughout the Greater Richmond area.

RICHMOND, VA – (Wednesday, July 13, 2016) – The Richmond Kickers (6-6-5) conclude a three-game road stand this Thursday, July 14 when they travel to Highmark Stadium to face the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (2-9-4).  The match will be broadcast live through the league’s official Match Center, uslsoccer.com/match-center, at 7:00 p.m.

The Kickers and the Riverhounds close out the two-game regular season series this Thursday, having last met at City Stadium in June when the Kickers came away with a 3-1 victory.  After a pair of first half own goals handed the Kickers the lead, forward Anthony Grant solidified the three points when he nodded home his first professional goal just past the hour mark.  Pittsburgh avoided the shutout when Corey Hertzog pulled a goal back with a last-gasp tally in the 90th minute.

Following last month’s victory over Pittsburgh, the Kickers went winless for nearly a month before snapping the three-game slide with a 3-0 win in Harrisburg last week.  Midfielders Lucas Paulini and Sunny Jane gave the visitors a first half advantage before captain Michael Callahan rounded out the scoreline.

Meanwhile, the Riverhounds’ road woes continued, most recently with a 2-0 loss against Bethlehem Steel FC.  After conceding an early goal, the Riverhounds could not find the equalizer before a 90th minute goal assured the loss on the road.

Following Thursday’s game, the Kickers return to City Stadium to host Swansea City of the world famous English Premier League on Saturday, July 16.  Tickets are on sale now at www.richmondkickers.com.

RICHMOND, VA – (Thursday, July 7, 2016) – The Richmond Kickers’ (5-6-5) three-game road stand continues this Friday, July 8 when they travel to Clipper Magazine Stadium to face the Harrisburg City Islanders (4-11-2).  The match will be broadcast live through the league’s official Match Center, uslsoccer.com/match-center, at 7:00 p.m.

With a rivalry spanning more than a decade, the Kickers hold an all-time series record of 17-5-8 over the City Islanders.  The two clubs opened this season’s two-game series at City Stadium in March when the Kickers claimed a 3-1 win over their northern rivals.  Michael Callahan opened the scoreline in the 16th minute with forward Jason Yeisley adding a second tally seven minutes later.  Midfielder Yudai Imura notched a third goal for the home side minutes after the second half restart before City Islanders midfielder Jose Barril pulled a goal back to avoid the shutout.

Winless for nearly a month, the Kickers road woes continued last week when they dropped a 2-0 loss in Charleston.  Despite outshooting the Battery 14-8 and gaining an advantage after Charleston was reduced to 10 men in the second half, the Kickers could not overcome the deficit from a pair of first half goals in a span of seven minutes.

Meanwhile, Harrisburg return home Friday after a clash with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds earlier this week, snapping a five-game losing streak with a 0-0 draw with their cross-state rivals.  Harrisburg defender Dante Leverock was ejected late in the match, but the City Islanders’ staunch defense was able to hold the Riverhounds scoreless.

The Kickers conclude the three-week road trip when they travel to take on Pittsburgh on Thursday, July 14 before returning to City Stadium to host Swansea City of the world famous English Premier League on Saturday, July 16.  Tickets are on sale now at www.richmondkickers.com.