Match Preview

BOX SCORE

LINEUPS

Tucson GK Phillip Ejimadu, Luke Hauswirth, Lamar Baptista, Kyle Venter, Jose Terron, Jamael Cox, Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu, Erik Virgen, Devyn Jambga, Zach Wright (71’ – Guillermo Delgado), Jordan Jones (71’ – Roy Abergil)

Unused Substitutes: Carlos Merancio, Kody Wakasa, Raheem Somersall, Eli Taveras, Colin Stripling

Richmond GK Akira Fitzgerald, Scott Thomsen, Wahab Ackwei, Conor Shanosky, Eli Lockaby, Maxi Rodriguez (84’ – Jannik Eckenrode), Nick Retzlaff, Joe Gallardo, Greg Boehme (60’ – Josh Hughes), Mutaya Mwape, Dennis Chin (76’ – Luke Pavone)

Unused Substitutes: Joe Rice, Daniel Jackson, Braeden Troyer

STATISTICS

SCORING SUMMARY

CAUTIONS SUMMARY

EJECTIONS SUMMARY

MATCH INFORMATION

RICHMOND, Va. – (Friday, June 7, 2019) – The Richmond Kickers (3-5-2) will travel to face FC Tucson (3-4-2) Saturday night at Kino North Stadium for a 10:30 p.m. ET kickoff. This match will be available locally on WTVR CBS 6.3 (Comcast 206, Verizon FiOS 466) and streaming online on ESPN+.

Saturday’s match will mark the second of three meetings between the two clubs this season. The Kickers claimed a 2-0 victory at City Stadium back on May 11 in the first match. Wahab Ackwei set up Joe Gallardo in the 83rd minute to put Richmond ahead 1-0. Heading into stoppage time, Mutaya Mwape was in space for Matt Bolduc to slide the ball to and add the insurance goal to claim all three points.

Richmond will be looking to be getting back into the win column after three straight league defeats, including last Saturday’s 0-3 home loss to North Texas SC. Dante Sealy scored in the 27th minute to give the visitors the lead early. He continued the attack in the second half, setting up both Ricardo Pepi’s 63rd minute and David Rodriguez’s 68th minute goals as North Texas took the victory in the first ever meeting between the two sides. 

FC Tucson returns home after picking up a 2-2 draw on the road at Orlando City B May 31. Just before halftime, Rafael put Orlando ahead in the 44th minute. Jamael Cox played a ball for Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu to level the score in the 58th minute. Devyn Jambga connected with Terron in the 73rd minute to jump out to a 2-1 lead. That lead would be short lived, however, when former Kickers player Koby Osei-Wusu netted a goal just five minutes later forcing the two sides to share the points. 

The Kickers will return to City Stadium next Saturday night, June 15 for Summer Fest, presented by Bounce 2 the Moon. The party starts at 5:30 p.m. with happy hour specials on craft beer, water slides, inflatable, face painting and more! Then, get loud with the Red Army when the Kickers take the field at 7:00 p.m. to take on Chattanooga Red Wolves SC. Tickets and more information can be found at www.richmondkickers.com. 

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Richmond: Defender Braeden Troyer (#31) made his first start in league action last Saturday night against North Texas SC. The veteran defender has made five appearances this season following knee surgery that kept him off the field since last season. Forward Charles Boateng (#77) made his second start up front for the Kickers this season. The Ghanaian made his mark on Kickers fans this season with four goals against Virginia United in the First Round of the 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Midfielder Maxi Rodriguez (#21) has one goal in nine matches this season for the Kickers. Named team captain prior to the start of the season, Rodriguez is averaging 82.4 passes per 90 minutes with an accuracy of 81%.

Tucson: Midfielder Devyn Jambga (#16) leads FC Tucson in scoring this season with three goals in eight matches. He has also assisted on one goal while creating five chances. Midfielder Jamael Cox (#11) has seen the field on nine occasions, recording a team-high two assists, picking up his second in the 2-2 draw against Orlando City B. Cox has also scored one goal behind four shots. Defender Kody Wakasa (#33) controls the ball for Tucson, with passing accuracy of nearly 80% after 382 passes. The captain of Tucson, Wakasa recorded 79 passes and had an accuracy of 86.1% in their draw with OCB.

RICHMOND, Va. – (Friday, May 31, 2019) – The Richmond Kickers (3-4-2) return to City Stadium Saturday night as they play host to league leading North Texas SC (6-1-1). It’s Pride Night, presented by Health Brigade and supported by Stonewall Sports, when the gates open at 5:30 p.m. with happy hour specials on craft beer on tap for the first 30 minutes and live music from Mars River Bridge. Plus, dogs are now allowed inside City Stadium for all matches. The Kickers players will come out for warm ups wearing limited edition Pride jerseys that will be auctioned off to benefit Health Brigade. This match will be available live on WTVR CBS 6.3 (Comcast 206, Verizon FiOS 466) and streaming on ESPN+. Get tickets now at www.richmondkickers.com.

This Saturday will be the first of three meetings between the Kickers and North Texas. The affiliate for FC Dallas will return just over a month later on July 13. The Kickers will make the trip out to Toyota Stadium September 10.

Richmond will be looking for their first win in four matches following a wild 2-3 road loss at Orlando City B back on May 22. Four minutes into the match, Moises Tablante put OCB up with a strike from the top of the box. Serginho would double the Orlando lead in the 27th minute. In the 35th minute, Matt Bolduc sprung Eli Lockaby on a run up the right side to score his first goal in league action. Bolduc was active again in the 80th minute, setting up Josh Hughes to level the score. Five minutes before the end of regulation, the referee pointed to the spot to award a penalty to Orlando, with Thiago Souza converting from the spot and claim all three points.

North Texas suffered their first defeat of the season Wednesday on the road at Toronto FC II, 2-3. Two first half goals from Patrick Bunk-Andersen and Matthew Srbely put the home side up heading into the first half stoppage time. Before the whistle blew to end the first half, Ronaldo Damus played the ball to Ricardo Pepi to pull a goal back. Damus leveled the score in the 56th minute. Terique Mohammed scored in the 77th minute to get the win over the league leaders. 

The Kickers are back on the road next Saturday night, making the cross-country trek to face FC Tucson at Kino Sports Complex. Kickoff for that match is set for 10:30 p.m. ET and will be available locally on WTVR CBS 6.3 (Comcast 206, Verizon FiOS 466) and streaming on ESPN+. Stay up to date with the Kickers on www.richmondkickers.com. 

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Richmond: Midfielder Matt Bolduc (#11) leads USL League One in assists with four this season, following two more assists in the last outing against Orlando City B. The Massachusetts native is in his third season with the Kickers having made eight appearances, including seven starts. Midfielder Josh Hughes (#7) scored his first professional goal in last Wednesday’s loss to OCB. Hughes has made seven appearances with the Kickers this season. Defender Eli Lockaby (#17) netted his first goal in league play in his homecoming against Orlando. The VCU product has two goals this season after scoring his first professional goal in the First Round of the 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match against Virginia United.

North Texas: Forward Ricardo Pepi (#9) leads the league in scoring with six goals over five matches in the inaugural season for North Texas. Goalkeeper Carlos Avilez (#1) has three cleansheets for North Texas over six appearances. Midfielder Arturo Rodriguez (#10) has a team high three assists, playing in all eight matches for North Texas this season. All three players are products of the FC Dallas Academy.

RICHMOND, Va. – (Tuesday, May 21, 2019) – The Richmond Kickers (3-2-2) will finish off a three match road trip Wednesday night as they travel down to face Orlando City B (1-5-2) at Montverde Academy. Kickoff for this match is set for 7:30 p.m. and will be available live on WTVR CBS 6.3 (Comcast 206, Verizon FiOS 466) and streaming online on ESPN+. 

This match will mark the fifth meeting between the two clubs, with the Kickers holding a slight 2-1-1 advantage over OCB. 

Prior to Orlando going on hiatus for the 2018 USL Championship season, both teams took a road victory in 2017. Orlando picked up a 1-0 victory August 12 behind a lone goal from Hadji Barry at City Stadium. Richmond returned the favor nearly a month later on September 7, with the Kickers getting a 2-0 win with goals from Mikey Minutillo and Sunny Jane. 

Richmond will be looking to get back to winning ways after Saturday night’s 0-1 road loss at Greenville Triumph SC. Three minutes before halftime, Jake Keegan was able to get a touch on the ball just enough to chip Akira Fitzgerald as he was coming off his line. The Kickers keeper kept Richmond in the match behind a game-high ten saves. 

OCB is coming off their first win of the season, taking a 2-0 victory over Toronto FC II Friday night. Orlando jumped ahead in the 42nd minute through a goal from Moises Tablante. Two minutes later, Toronto we’re reduced to ten men after Franco Ramos Mingo was issued a straight red card and the referee awarded a penalty to OCB. Austin Amer stepped up to try and double to lead for Orlando from the spot, as Kevin Silva denied him and made the save. Orlando would finally get the second goal, redeeming themselves from the spot as Thiago Sousa converted a second penalty.

The Kickers get a ten day break before their next match, Saturday, June 1 at 7:00 p.m. at City Stadium when they host North Texas SC. The gates open at 5:30 p.m. for Pride Night, where the players will wear limited edition pregame pride jerseys that will be auctioned off for charity. Plus, there will be drink specials for the first 30 minutes after gates open on craft beer and live music. Tickets are on sale now at www.richmondkickers.com. 

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Richmond: Goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald (#1) posted ten saves in the Kickers last outing at Greenville. The native of Chiba, Japan is tied for the league lead with four shutouts through eight matches this season. Defender Scott Thomsen (#3) faces his former club, where he spent the 2016 season with OCB. A product of the University of Virginia, Thomsen has made six starts for Richmond and has recorded a team-high 18 interceptions. Midfielder Maxi Rodriguez (#21) continues to control the Kickers midfield, leading the team in passes with 532 this season and averaging 84.1 passes per 90 minutes. Wearing the captain’s armband this season, Rodriguez has one goal in seven matches. 

Orlando: A familiar face to Kickers fans, Koby Osei-Wusu (#8) leads OCB with two goals in eight appearances this season. The George Washington University product made 17 appearances with the Kickers in his rookie season in 2018, scoring one goal in the U.S. Open Cup. Goalkeeper Juliano Chade (#1) has two clean sheets in six matches this season. Chade grew up in the Brazil youth national team system, including the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Forward Moises Tablante (#24) scored the first goal Friday night to lead OCB to their first victory of the season. Born in Venezuela, Tablante signed an academy contract after last playing with the Orlando City U19 Academy team.

RICHMOND, Va. – (Friday, May 17, 2019) – The Richmond Kickers  return to USL League One action Saturday night, as they travel down to take on Greenville Triumph SC at Legacy Early College. Kickoff for this match is set for 7:00 p.m. and will be available on WTVR CBS 6.3 (Comcast 206, Verizon FiOS 466) and streamed online on ESPN+. 

Saturday night will mark the second meeting between the two clubs, with the Kickers taking the first match. Conor Shanosky got the attack going, playing the ball ahead to Matt Bolduc inside the center circle. He found enough space to slip the ball through for Joe Gallardo. The San Diego native put together a massive solo effort, getting past five Greenville defenders and finding the back of the net in the 49th minute for the only goal of the match.

Richmond will be coming into this match on the heels of being eliminated from the 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, falling 1-4 to USL Championship side North Carolina FC Wednesday night. Wahab Ackwei scored his first goal of the season in the 34th minute to level the score heading into halftime. Three second half goals from NCFC gave the home side the victory.

The Kickers last USL League One match saw them close out a four-match home stand in all competitions, earning a 2-0 win over FC Tucson last Saturday at City Stadium. Wahab Ackwei set up a run for Joe Gallardo to score his fourth goal of the season to put Richmond up 1-0 in the 83rd minute. Heading deep into stoppage time, Matt Bolduc played the ball to his right with Mutaya Mwape in space. He cut back to avoid a defender and put the ball in the back of the net for the late insurance goal. 

Greenville saw a similar fate to the Kickers in the U.S. Open Cup, falling at home to the Charleston Battery, 2-1 Wednesday night. Aaron Walked connected with Max Hemmings in the 29th minute to take the lead. Charleston struck back in the 79th minute and then again in stoppage time for the USL Championship side to take the victory and move on in the tournament. 

Triumph SC last saw USL League One action May 11 on the road at Lansing Ignite FC. Greenville took the lead in the 68th minute through Travis Ward, who came into the match just a minute prior. They only held on to the lead for eight minutes when Lansing were able to convert off a corner kick to tie up the match, ending in a point for both sides. 

The Kickers will conclude their road trip Wednesday night as they take their first trip to Orlando City B since the 2017 season. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and will be available live on WTVR CBS 6.3 (Comcast 206, Verizon FiOS 466) as well as streaming online through ESPN+. Stay up to date on all of the Kickers news at www.richmondkickers.com. 

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Richmond: Defender Wahab Ackwei (#18) picked up his first goal of the season Wednesday night in the U.S. Open Cup match against USL Championship side North Carolina FC. The Ghanian has made seven appearances for the club this season in league action, adding an assist. Defender Braeden Troyer (#31) is starting to find his place in the Kickers Starting XI after missing the end of the 2018 season as well as the start of the 2019 season after knee surgery. He has started both U.S. Open Cup matches, coming off the bench four times this season in USL League One matches. Forward Joe Gallardo (#10) continues to impress on the field, recently setting up Ackwei’s goal in the U.S. Open Cup match Wednesday night. Gallardo is tied for the lead in scoring for USL League One with four goals this season, including one in the first meeting with Greenville April 20. 

Greenville: Forward Jake Keegan (#9) leads Triumph SC in scoring with two goals this season. Coming from a season with St. Patrick’s Athletic in Ireland, Keegan has started all seven matches for Greenville. Midfielder Carlos Gomez (#10) has played in six matches, starting two, and leads Triumph SC in assists with two this season. Gomez is in his first professional season after 54 matches at Young Harris College, scoring 32 goals over his three collegiate seasons. Goalkeeper Dallas Jaye (#22) has played every match for Greenville this season, picking up two clean sheets and making nine saves. Jaye brings in USL Championship experience for Greenville after stints with FC Cincinnati and Phoenix Rising FC, along with making 12 appearances for the Guam National Team.

RICHMOND, Va. – (Tuesday, May 14, 2019) – The Richmond Kickers travel to Cary, N.C. for the Second Round of the 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Wednesday to take on old USL Championship rivals North Carolina FC. This match, along with the entire tournament, will be available to stream online on ESPN+. 

The Kickers and North Carolina FC have some history as the two are set to meet in the Open Cup, as recent as 2018, with the record in all-time meetings being 3-4-0 in favor of NCFC. During the 2018 USL Championship season, NCFC got the best of the Kickers on two of the three meetings. 

The first meeting came on March 31, with Richmond picking up a 2-1 victory. Goals from Yudai Imura and Raul Gonzalez cancelled out a first half Daniel Rios goal. NCFC crashed the debut of David Bulow as Kickers head coach, taking all three points at City Stadium. Heviel Cordovés found the back of the net after just four minutes. Three second half goals from an own goal, Austin da Luz and Donovan Ewolo sealed the win for NCFC. The final match between the two clubs was at WakeMed Soccer Park, as NCFC came from being down 1-2 at halftime to get the 3-2 win at home.

Richmond closed out a four match home stand in all competitions, extending their unbeaten streak to five matches, most recently a 2-0 victory Saturday night over FC Tucson in USL League One action. Joe Gallardo scored his fourth goal of the season after 83 minutes. Deep into stoppage time time, Mutaya Mwape doubled the Richmond lead, ensuring all three points at City Stadium. 

NCFC come into this match on the heels of a two match winless streak, last taking a 1-2 road loss at Ottawa Fury FC Sunday afternoon. Mour Samb put Ottawa ahead four minutes before halftime. Steven Miller got NCFC back into the match in the 66th minute to tie things up. Four minutes later Kévin Oliveira got the game winner to down North Carolina on the road. 

The Kickers get right back to USL League One play Saturday night as they travel down to face Greenville Triumph SC at Legacy Early College for a 7:00 p.m. kickoff. This match will be available to stream live on ESPN+ and shown locally on WTVR CBS 6.3 (Comcast 206, Verizon FiOS 466). Stay up to date with the Kickers at www.richmondkickers.com.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Richmond: Midfielder Charles Boateng (#77) lit up the First Round of the 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, netting four goals to lead all scorers in the round. The Ghanian has made three appearances, including one start this season in league play. Defender Eli Lockaby (#17) scored his first professional goal in the First Round of the tournament, plus adding an assist. The VCU product is in his first professional season, making five starts in five appearances for Richmond. Goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald (#1) recorded his fourth shutout of the season Saturday night against Tucson. A veteran at the USL Championship level, Fitzgerald has played every minute for the Kickers this season, posting six saves. 

NCFC: Forward Marios Lomis (#9) leads all scorers for NCFC, netting six goals in nine matches and adding one assist.  The native of the Netherlands is in his second season with North Carolina, making 32 appearances over the two seasons. Defender Steven Miller (#31) has two goals and a team-high three assists over nine matches. Miller is in his fourth season with NCFC, making over 70 appearances for the club. Midfielder Austin da Luz (#6) has played in five matches this season, scoring on one occasion. A veteran of soccer in the United States, da Luz joined NCFC in 2012 where he has gone on to make over 100 appearances after stints in the USL Championship and Major League Soccer.

RICHMOND, Va. – (Friday, May 10, 2019) – The Richmond Kickers (2-2-2) return to USL League One action and  finish off their home stand this Saturday night as they host FC Tucson (2-2-1) at City Stadium. The gates open at 5:30 p.m. with happy hour specials on over 20 craft beers, plus wine slushees and live music from the Back Seat Drivers. The action gets going at 7:00 p.m. when the Kickers take the field to take on Tucson. Starting with Saturday’s match, the Kickers will allow dogs inside City Stadium regularly. More information on dogs inside City Stadium can be found at www.richmondkickers.com/matchday-info. This match will be streamed live on ESPN+. Tickets are available now at www.richmondkickers.com. 

This will be the first-ever meeting between the Kickers and Tucson. The Kickers will be heading into the match after a midweek match up in the U.S. Open Cup. Tucson has not played a match since April 30, at home against Lansing Ignite FC. 

The Kickers come into this match in the heels of a massive 6-2 victory in the First Round of the 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Tuesday night over amateur side Virginia United. Richmond would jump ahead behind two goals from Charles Boateng in the 17th and 22nd minutes. United pulled a goal back in the 28th minute through Elias Martinez. Eli Lockaby scored his first professional goal two minutes before halftime. Three minutes into the second half, Daniel Jackson scored in his second straight match to extend the Richmond lead to 4-1. Boateng netted a hat trick in the 55th minute, followed by a fourth goal in the 75th minute. The visitors added a second goal into stoppage time as the Kickers claimed the 6-2 win. 

Richmond’s last action in USL League One was last Saturday night in a dramatic 2-2 draw with Lansing Ignite FC. Dennis Chin scored his second goal of the season in the 32nd minute from a nice set from Josh Hughes. Lansing jumped into the lead after goals in the 58th and 70th minutes, a lead they held heading into the final moments of the match. Deep into stoppage time, Conor Shanosky slipped a ball through for Daniel Jackson, who turned and let a shot rip that hit the back of the net to tie it up late and salvage the draw for the Kickers.

FC Tucson will make their first trek to Richmond after an eleven day layoff, last playing April 30 at home against Lansing Ignite FC. Tucson jumped ahead in the 27th minute from Devyn Jambga, making his first career start. The home side doubled their lead through Phoenix Rising loanee Devin Vega off a free kick in the 62nd minute. FC Tucson and LAFC loanee goalkeeper Phillip Ejimadu picked up their first shutout of the season. 

The Kickers hit the road next Wednesday, May 15 as they travel down to Cary, N.C. to face old USL Championship rivals North Carolina FC in the Second Round of the 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Richmond will continue their road trip getting back to league action next Saturday night, May 18 against Greenville Triumph SC. Both of these matches will be streamed live on ESPN+, plus Saturday’s match will be available live on WTVR CBS 6.3 (Comcast 206, Verizon FiOS 466). Stay up to date with all of the Kickers news at www.richmondkickers.com.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Richmond: Forward Daniel Jackson (#9) has two goals in two straight matches, including the dramatic game tying goal last Saturday against Lansing. That goal earned him a spot on the USL League One Team of the Week for Week 6. Defender Conor Shanosky (#5) was also named to the Team of the Week after his assist to set up Jackson’s stoppage time screamer. The Pittsburgh, Pa. native recorded four clearances and had two interceptions as the Kickers extended their unbeaten streak to three matches. Forward Dennis Chin (#15) was the third player named on the Team of the Week, netting his second goal of the season for the Kickers in the 32nd minute to open up the scoring in Saturday’s match. The Jamaican completed 16 of 23 passes and won 9 of 14 duels in the draw.  

Tucson: Midfielder Devyn Jambga (#16) made his first start and scored his first goal of the season to open up the scoring for Tucson in their 2-0 win over Lansing. Jambga made five appearances for USL Championship side Portland Timbers 2 in 2018. Midfielder Devin Vega (#15) scored his second goal of the season in his second appearance for Tucson, on loan from their parent club Phoenix Rising FC. He is in his second season with Phoenix after making 12 appearances last season after making the move from San Antonio FC. Goalkeeper Philip Ejimadu (#24) picked up his first clean sheet in the match against Lansing, posting five saves. The Los Angeles FC loanee is in his first professional season after growing up in the Nacional São Paulo academy in Brazil.

RICHMOND, Va. – (Monday, May 6, 2019) – The Richmond Kickers start their quest for the 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Tuesday at City Stadium when they host amateur side Virginia United in the First Round of the tournament. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. for Food Truck Night, featuring a variety of RVA food trucks. It is also Two for Tuesday, where you can get two tickets and two beers for just $22. This match and the entire Open Cup will be available to stream live on ESPN+. Get tickets now at www.richmondkickers.com.

Richmond is on a three-match unbeaten streak in USL League One play heading into Tuesday night’s match, coming off a dramatic 2-2 draw with Lansing Ignite FC Saturday night. Dennis Chin scored his second goal of the season in the 32nd minute from a nice set from Josh Hughes. Lansing jumped into the lead after goals in the 58th and 70th minutes, a lead they held heading into the final moments of the match. Deep into stoppage time, Conor Shanosky slipped a ball through for Daniel Jackson, who turned and let a shot rip that hit the back of the net to tie it up late and salvage the draw for the Kickers. 

Virginia United earned a spot in this year’s tournament after penalties decided their match against World Class Premier Elite FC back on April 8. The side out of Woodbridge, Va. came back twice, both goals coming from Bernardo Majano to force extra time and penalties. United goalkeeper Manuel Medrano made one save in the shootout to give his team the 5-4 victory to move on to face the Kickers in the First Round.

The winner of this match will continue on in the tournament to face USL Championship club North Carolina FC in the Second Round May 15 at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park. Kickoff for that match is set for 7:00 p.m. and will be available to stream live on ESPN+.

After the match, head to Bingo Beer Co., the official post match party spot for this match. Meet the players, coaches and staff and enjoy specials on food and drinks!

The Kickers are back in USL League One action Saturday night, May 11 at City Stadium as they take on FC Tucson for the first time this season. It’s Craft Beer and Wine Fest, presented by Premium Distributors and New Kent Winery and supported by the Carytown Merchants Association, with over 20 craft beers on tap, plus wine slushees and live music. With Mother’s Day coming up, design a wreath and enjoy some wine with Home Grown Designs. All of the supplies, plus wine and game ticket are included for only $60.  Then, get loud with the Red Army when the Kickers take the field to face on Tucson at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at www.richmondkickers.com.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

RICHMOND, Va. – (Friday, April 26, 2019) – The Richmond Kickers (1-2-1) return home to City Stadium for the start of a four match homestand in all competitions, starting this Saturday night as Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (2-2-0) comes to town for a 7:00 p.m. kickoff. It is Kickers K-9 Night presented by Impawsible Pups at City Stadium, with the first 150 dogs that come through the gates starting at 5:30 p.m. receiving a free dog bowl. Plus, Happy Hour drink specials from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. with craft beers on tap and a selection of wines from New Kent Winery, live music from the Dirty Runaways and then the Kickers take the field to take on Chattanooga at 7:00 p.m. This match will be available live on ESPN+. Get tickets now at www.richmondkickers.com.

Saturday’s match against Chattanooga will be the first-ever meeting between the two clubs, and the first of four matches this season. 

Richmond come into this match on the heels of a 1-0 road victory at Greenville Triumph SC last Saturday night. Coming out of halftime scoreless, the Kickers took the lead just four minutes into the second half. Conor Shanosky played a long ball forward to Matt Bolduc inside the Greenville end of the pitch. He turned and quickly found Joe Gallardo just ahead of him in space. In a brilliant run, Gallardo was able to get around four Triumph SC defenders and slotted the ball in the near post for the only goal of the match and his second of the season to lift Richmond to their first win. Gallardo, Wahab Ackwei and Josh Hughes were recognized for their efforts in the match, being named to the USL League One Team of the Week for Week 4. 

Chattanooga held on to take a 3-2 home win against South Georgia Tormenta FC last Saturday night at David Stanton Field. Steven Beattie put up a USL League One Player of the Week performance scoring two first half goals, with Éamon Zayed adding a goal in between. Red Wolves SC took a commanding 3-0 lead into halftime. Tormenta FC fought back in the second half with two goals from Conner Antley and Christopher Hellman. The Chattanooga defense was able to hold stout to keep Tormenta from getting a third goal and claimed the victory. 

The Kickers are back at City Stadium next Saturday night for the third and final meeting with Lansing Ignite FC at 7:00 p.m. The party gets started at 5:30 p.m. for Star Wars Night, with happy hour drink specials for the first 30 minutes after the gates open with craft beer on tap and selections of wine, live music. The players will come out for warm ups in limited edition Star Wars pregame jerseys, which will be auctioned off to benefit Sportable. This match will be available to stream live on ESPN+. Tickets are available now at www.richmondkickers.com.  

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Richmond: Forward Joe Gallardo (#10) scored his second goal of the season and the game winner Saturday night at Greenville. The San Diego native has made four appearances, all of which were starts for Richmond this season. Midfielder Josh Hughes (#7) returned to the Kickers starting lineup in Greenville after dealing with a slight injury. Hughes played an integral part of Richmond’s first three points of the season, winning 10 of 14 duels and completing 26 of 33 passes. Making his second appearance in the USL League One Team of the Week, defender Wahab Ackwei (#18) held strong with the Kickers backline to preserve the second clean sheet of the season. The Ghanian recorded a passing percentage of 80% and 8 clearances as the Kickers picked up their second clean sheet of the season. 

Chattanooga: Named the USL League One Player of the Week, midfielder Steven Beattie (#10) leads Red Wolves SC in scoring this season with three goals. Beattie netted two goals in their last outing, a 3-2 win against Tormenta FC. Defender Vangjel Zguro (#6) has two assists this season for Chattanooga, including setting up the first goal for Beattie in their last match. The Albanian has played in four matches this season, starting in three of those matches. Defender Richard Dixon (#2) has one goal in four matches for Red Wolves SC. Dixon is a familiar foe for the Kickers after spending 2015-16 with Saint Louis FC before spending time at Oklahoma City Energy FC for the last two seasons.