News

Four Teams Advance to NPL State Cup Semifinals

The Richmond Kickers are delighted to announce that four teams have advanced to the Virginia NPL State Cup Final Four: U16 Girls Elite, U17 Girls Elite, U19 Girls Elite, and U15 Boys Elite.

All participating teams will face off this Saturday with the winners advancing to Sunday’s Final matches. Good luck Kickers!

Nov 3rd Schedule:

10:00 am U15 Boys Richmond Kickers vs FC Virginia – #2 Embry Mill Park
12:00 pm U16 Girls Richmond Kickers vs VYS – #3 Embry Mill Park
2:00 pm U19 Girls Richmond Kickers vs FC Virginia – #4 Embry Mill Park
3:00 pm U17 Girls Richmond Kickers vs Richmond Strikers – #1 Striker Park

USL League One Unveils 2019 Season Structure

TAMPA, Fla. – (Thursday, November 1, 2018) – USL League One announced on Thursday 10 teams will compete in a single table during the inaugural 2019 season, with the league’s regular season consisting of 28 games.

“This is an exciting moment for the league, as the competition format for the first season in USL League One history was approved by the Board of Governors today,” USL League One Senior Vice President Steven Short said. “Kickoff is nearly four months away, so fans and followers of the 10 clubs set to compete can expect many major announcements in the next few months, including the full schedule release.”

The 2019 regular season will kick off the weekend of March 29-31 and is slated to conclude on the weekend of Oct. 4-6. The 2019 USL League One Playoffs, which will consist of four teams, begin the weekend of Oct. 11-13, with the final match of the postseason set to take place from Oct. 17-21.

The 28-game season will see each club play eight clubs three times, apart from one club that they will play four times.

About USL League One

USL League One is shaping the future of the game in the United States, uniting passionate fans in new markets with the thrill of a proven professional soccer experience. League One submitted its sanctioning application to the U.S. Soccer Federation on Aug. 14. South Georgia Tormenta FC, FC Tucson, Greenville Triumph SC, a Madison-based team, Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, Toronto FC II, Orlando City B, Lansing Ignite FC and the Richmond Kickers have been revealed as teams set to compete in the inaugural 2019 season. The 10th and final founding member for 2019 will be revealed soon.

Richmond Kickers 2018 Jersey Auction

AUCTIONS START ENDING AT 12:00PM ET THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1

Don’t miss your chance to own a one-of-a-kind piece of history from the Richmond Kickers 2018 Season!

The primary game-worn jersey features the name and number of your favorite Kickers players and the official USL patch.

Showcasing the club’s signature red, the sleek and lightweight custom jersey features subtle white accents and traditional adidas three-striping.

Place your bid starting at 12pm ET this Monday, October 29 through Thursday, November 1 at www.richmondkickers.com for your chance to own a jersey from the 2018 team, including Kickers legend William Yomby, 2018 goals and assists leader Brian Shriver, fan favorites Braeden Toyer and Yudai Imura.

Jerseys Available

Red (Home) Jerseys

#	Player	Size
2	Yomby, William	L
4	Owusu Sekyere, Fred	XS
5	Shanosky, Conor	L
7	Hlavaty, Neil	L
10	Thomsen, Scott	L
11	Bolduc, Matt	S
12	Lee, Evan	XL
14	Imura, Yudai	M
16	Cordovés, Heviel	M
17	Umar, Oscar	M
21	Shriver, Brian	S
24	Osei-Wusu, Koby	M
27	Gonzalez, Raul	M
28	Boehme, Greg	M
29	Kelly, Dane	S
31	Troyer, Braeden	M
32	Miranda, Bruno	M
55	Williams, Mekeil	M
71	Fernando, Luiz	XS

White (Away) Jerseys

#	Player	Size
3	Yearwood, Austin	L
7	Hlavaty, Neil	L
11	Bolduc, Matt	S
14	Imura, Yudai	M
15	Roberts, Mallan	M
25	Eaton, Brandon	L
29	Kelly, Dane	M
32	Miranda, Bruno	M
38	Agyemang, Prince	M
55	Williams, Mekeil	L
92	Gentile, Giuseppe	L

Goalkeeper Jerseys

#	Player	Color	Size
1	Spangenberg, Trevor	Blue	L
1	Spangenberg, Trevor	Yellow	L
33	Barnes, Brandon	Yellow	L
45	Dickey, Kent	Blue	L
48	Worra, Travis	Yellow	L
48	Worra, Travis	Gray	L

Richmond United Players Selected for U.S. Youth National Teams

The Kickers would like to congratulate Richmond United ECNL player Lindsey Romig and former RU ECNL player, Jordan Canniff, who have been selected to the United States Soccer U17 women’s national team roster for the 2018 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay. The tournament runs from November 13 until the 1st of December.

The USA kicks off a challenging Group C on Wed., Nov. 14 against Cameroon (1 p.m. ET), faces Korea DPR on Sat., Nov. 17 (1 p.m. ET) and wraps up the group stage against Germany on Wed., Nov. 21 (4 p.m. ET). All of the USA’s matches will be broadcast on FS2.

Kickers would also like to congratulate to current Richmond United player, Natalie Maurer, who has been selected to the US Soccer U19 WNT International Camp Roster in the Netherlands from November 1st-10th.

Community Outreach

The Richmond Kickers U17 Girls South team volunteered their time for Chalkley Elementary School’s Multicultural Night.

The girls were wonderful ambassadors for the club, setting up and running small-sided games. The group also interacted with all of the children in attendance at the event, showing their passion for soccer.

Kickers Announce Tryout Dates

RICHMOND, Va. – (Thursday, October 18, 2018) – The Richmond Kickers announced today that the club will host open tryouts December 7-9, 2018 (Registration closed for Dec 7-9 Tryout) and January 25-27, 2019. A select number of players will be invited to participate in three days of intense training and scrimmages in front of technical staff at the Kickers state-of-the-art training facility Ukrop Park in Richmond, Virginia. Eligible college seniors, qualified free agents and talented amateur players that are seeking a professional contract are encouraged to register now at www.richmondkickers.com.

Attendance at the player combine is one of the best ways to ensure that a player’s complete soccer resume and professional evaluation is in front of key decision makers for the Richmond Kickers. Training sessions will take place in front of professional coaching staff, led by Kickers Head Coach David Bulow, who will be joined by an array of experienced technical staff and former professional players.

Kickers Pro Tryouts discovered standout defender Braeden Troyer, who has made more than 100 appearances over four seasons and Japanese midfielder Yudai Imura, while past trials have also produced such prominent players as 2016 USL Defender of the Year Finalist and All-League First Team Defender Hugh Roberts, 2013 USL Rookie of the Year Nate Robinson, Clyde Simms (New England Revolution, D.C. United and U.S. Men’s National Team), Ronnie Pascale (Three-time USL Goalkeeper of the Year), Tim Brown (New Zealand National Team) and Robert Ssejjemba (2006 USL MVP and Ugandan National Team).

“The tryouts are run professionally from the beginning to the end and allow players to compete at a high level in front of the coaching staff,” commented Troyer. “I could not have asked for a better place to start to my pro soccer career than the Richmond Kickers.”

Interested players should submit an application and $150 registration fee by November 30, 2018 or January 18, 2019. Space is limited and applications will be reviewed on a first come, first served basis. Registration fees are non-refundable. Application fees increase to $195 after the registration deadline. Attendance at all sessions is required.

COWLISHAW NAMED A 2018 RTD PERSON OF THE YEAR HONOREE

RICHMOND, Va. – (Monday, October 15, 2018) – The Richmond Kickers are pleased to announce that Director of Soccer Leigh Cowlishaw has been named a 2018 Richmond Times-Dispatch Person of the Year Honoree.

Having previously joined the Kickers as a player during the club’s inaugural season in 1993, Cowlishaw assumed the role of head coach in 2000. He has amassed an overall record of 276 wins,156 losses,128 draws, leading the Kickers to 13 consecutive playoff berths (2004-2016). Under his guidance, the Kickers have qualified for postseason play 15 times, reaching the title match in 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010, while earning the Regular Season Championship title on four occasions (2001, 2006, 2007 and 2013) and claiming the league crown twice (2006 and 2009).

Cowlishaw coached his 560th and final match on June 23, 2018 with a 1-1 draw against the Charlotte Independence at City Stadium and reached his 276th win as head coach with a 2-0 victory over long-time rivals Charleston Battery two weeks prior.

As Director of Soccer, Cowlishaw is responsible for guiding the strategic direction of the club while managing the technical staff, overseeing branding and marketing initiatives and delegating responsibilities in a continuously evolving sport marketplace. He continues to provide leadership throughout all levels of the Richmond Kickers 8,000-member youth soccer club, while serving on the Richmond United Executive Committee.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch is proud to honor 25 individuals in the 2018 RTD Person of the Year program, which recognizes servant-leaders and others who strengthen and highlight the Richmond region.

The 2018 honorees will be featured in the December edition of the RTD’s Discover Richmond magazine, which publishes on Tuesday, Dec. 11. The magazine captures not just how the honorees have shaped the region but who they are as individuals behind their titles and accomplishments.

The RTD introduced its Person of the Year program in 2015, which was the 165th anniversary of the RTD and the 40th anniversary of its Discover Richmond publication. The RTD views its work as a service to Richmond, so to celebrate the milestone year, it developed a civic recognition program to honor individuals who also serve or achieve in our region.

KICKERS SEASON ENDS IN DEFEAT TO ATLANTA

TEAM	SCORE	GOALSCORERS
ATLANTA UNITED 2 (7-17-10, 31 points, 14th East)	3	Kunga (Hernandez) 61’, Kunga (Shannon), Sandoval (Gallagher)
RICHMOND KICKERS (6-24-4, 22 points, 15th East)	2	Gentile (Shanosky) 80’, Gentile (Fernando) 90’

TEAM

SCORE

GOALSCORERS

ATLANTA UNITED 2

(7-17-10, 31 points, 14th East)

3

Kunga (Hernandez) 61’, Kunga (Shannon), Sandoval (Gallagher)

RICHMOND KICKERS

(6-24-4, 22 points, 15th East)

2

Gentile (Shanosky) 80’, Gentile (Fernando) 90’

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — (Saturday, October 13, 2018) — The Richmond Kickers (6-24-4) 2018 season came to an end with a 2-3 defeat at the hands of Atlanta United 2 (7-17-10) Saturday night at Coolray Field. Scoreless at halftime, Lagos Kunga put in a brace along with a third goal by Devon Sandoval to put Atlanta ahead. The Kickers nearly had the come back with Giuseppe Gentile netting a brace of his own coming on a second half substitute.

Heviel Cordovés had a chance just three minutes into the match. Oscar Umar played the ball quickly to Raul Gonzalez as three Atlanta players are pressuring. Gonzalez went for the long ball forward trying to pick out Cordovés, instead Miles Robinson heads it away. Brian Shriver tried for a one-time effort instead mis-hitting the ball as it rolled to the feet of Cordovés. He got control and took two touches to get enough space for a shot, putting it high over the goal.

A chance for Atlanta was shut down by Brandon Barnes in the 11th minute. Kevin Kratz sent the ball up the right side for Jon Gallagher. He cut towards goal to get around Austin Yearwood and then looked to get a shot in towards the near post low corner as Barnes dives to make the stop. Devon Sandoval followed that up with another shot that the Kickers keeper also saves as the ball deflects out for a corner kick. Kratz came over to the right corner and sent in the cross for Miles Robinson at the back post. The defender’s header went straight down and over for a Richmond goal kick.

Brandon Barnes was called into action again in the 21st minute. Laurent Kissiedou and Oliver Shannon both looked for an opening for a shot. Shannon kept the ball going to the right for Kevin Kratz in just enough space. Kratz let a shot go that took a slight deflection heading in towards goal as Barnes dove to his right to make the save.

Koby Osei-Wusu had a chance saved in the 39th minute. Austin Yearwood fed it up the left flank for Osei-Wusu. He started a run towards the top of the Atlanta box. With no open options for a pass, Osei-Wusu let a shot rip from just inside the box that forced a save from Atlanta keeper Nicolaus Caraux.

Thirty seconds into the second half, Raul Gonzalez had a chance to get Richmond on the board. Koby Osei-Wusu played the ball back on the left side for Austin Yearwood when he could not find a cross. Yearwood played in the cross, connecting with Heviel Cordovés. The Cuban’s header popped up the in the air, nearly falling to Luiz Fernando for a volley as José Hernandez headed it away and right to Gonzalez. He came up and looked to pick out the upper 90, missing just high of the goal.

The Kickers nearly found the opening their were looking for in the 59th minute. Oscar Umar won the ball in the midfield taking it off the feet of Laurent Kissiedou. He went for a quick pass to Luiz Fernando, who then continued the play out wide on the left side for Brian Shriver. Looking at his options, Shriver switched the play up and sent it wide for Osei-Wusu on the right side. The rookie wanted to pick up his first goal in the regular season, as Nicolaus Caraux stopped his shot at the near post.

Atlanta broke the deadlock in the 61st minute through Lagos Kunga. AJ Cochran controlled a loose ball in the midfield and sent it ahead for José Hernandez. He got a touch to play it ahead for Kunga right as Koby Osei-Wusu came in for a challenge. Kunga split between Austin Yearwood and Oscar Umar to get into the box for a shot that he slipped past Brandon Barnes and over the goal line.

Nine minutes later, Lagos Kunga doubled the lead for Atlanta. Brandon Barnes received the ball from Giuseppe Gentile and quickly tried to get it to Mallan Roberts. With Kevin Kratz coming in for a tackle, Roberts played the ball ahead to Oscar Umar. He could not get control as Oliver Shannon came up to get a touch on the ball getting it to Kunga. He managed to avoid a tackle from Roberts, then chipped Brandon Barnes for his second of the night.

A mistake at the back for the Kickers ended up with a third goal for Atlanta. Brandon Barnes sent a pass to Austin Yearwood out wide on the left side. He went for a long ball forward, instead hitting Oliver Shannon who was jumping in the way of the attempted pass. Devon Sandoval picked up control of the ball inside the Richmond box. He just needed to get a touch around Brandon Barnes as he slid in one on one for the goal.

Giuseppe Gentile came on in the second half and started a come back for the Kickers, scoring in the 80th minute. Luiz Fernando could not find an option on the left side and elected to play the ball back to Yudai Imura. He sent the ball back for Fernando retreating back, as the Brazilian continued playing the ball back for Oscar Umar. He picked out Conor Shanosky to his right in acres of space. Cutting away from his defender, Gentile gave Shanosky the easy option for a through ball. Gentile turned and blasted a shot into the near post, giving Nicolau Caraux no chance to make the save.

Heading into stoppage time, Giuseppe Gentile picked up his second of the night. Luiz Fernando used his speed on the left flank to get around his defender. He whipped in a cross that Gentile met at the near post for a glancing header to put it into the back of the net.

Keep up to date with the Kickers in the offseason online at www.richmondkickers.com and on social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

BOX SCORE

TEAM	FIRST HALF	SECOND HALF	FINAL
*Atlanta*	0	3	3
*Richmond*	0	2	2

LINEUPS

Atlanta GK Nicolas Caraux, Miles Robinson, A.J. Cochran, Shawn Nicklaw, José Hernandez, Laurent Kissiedou (68’ – Christopher Goslin), Oliver Shannon, Kevin Kratz, Lagos Kunga (87’ – Jack Metcalf), Devon Sandoval (78’ – Jackson Conway), Jon Gallagher

Unused Substitutes: Paul Christensen, Jack Metcalf, Kevin Barajas, Alessandro Castro

Richmond GK Brandon Barnes, Austin Yearwood, Mallan Roberts, Conor Shanosky, Raul Gonzalez (69’ – Brandon Eaton), Neil Hlavaty (63’ – Yudai Imura), Oscar Umar, Koby Osei-Wusu (63’ – Giuseppe Gentile), Luiz Fernando, Brian Shriver, Heviel Cordovés

Unused Substitutes: Trevor Spangenberg, Mekeil Williams, Shaun Russell, Greg Boehme

STATISTICS

TEAM	SHOTS	SAVES	FOULS	CORNERS
*Atlanta*	23	4	12	6
*Richmond*	21	5	13	4

SCORING SUMMARY

MIN	TEAM	PLAYER
61′	ATL	Lagos Kunga (José Hernandez)
69′	ATL	Lagos Kunga (Oliver Shannon)
76′	ATL	Devon Sandoval (Oliver Shannon)
80′	RIC	Giuseppe Gentile (Conor Shanosky)
90′	RIC	Giuseppe Gentile (Luiz Fernando)

CAUTIONS SUMMARY

MIN	TEAM	PLAYER
65′	ATL	Oliver Shannon

EJECTIONS SUMMARY

MIN	TEAM	PLAYER
None.

MATCH INFORMATION

Referee: Natalie Simon

Assistant Referees: Benjamin Wooten, Matthew Osterhouse

Fourth Official: Kyle Whitley

Attendance: 3,334

Weather: Sunny, 67 ºF

KICKERS CLOSE OUT SEASON AT ATLANTA SATURDAY

RICHMOND, Va. – (Friday, October 12, 2018) – The Richmond Kickers (6-23-4) will finish off the 2018 USL regular season Saturday night on the road against Atlanta United 2 (6-17-9) at Coolray Field. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. This match will be available on WTVR CBS 6.3 (Comcast 206, Verizon FiOS 466) and streaming online on ESPN+.

Saturday night’s match will be just the second meeting between the two clubs. Atlanta made the trip up to City Stadium back on July 21, where the teams battled to a 1-1 draw. Brian Shriver put the Kickers ahead in the 38th minute, curling in a free kick from just outside the Atlanta box. The visitors leveled the score from a solo effort by Jon Gallagher in the 67th minute.

Richmond will be looking for just their second win on the road this season following a 0-3 home defeat to Nashville SC last Saturday night. Nashville got on the board after 20 minutes when Tucker Hume headed in a deflected save from Trevor Spangenberg. Michael Reed doubled the Nashville lead after Ropapa Mensah sent in a cross that Mekeil Williams looked to play away, but ended up hitting Reed and deflected into the goal. Matt LaGrassa picked up a loose ball and played it up for Alan Winn for the third goal of the night in the 56th minute.

Atlanta took a point Wednesday night at home against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC after a 1-1 draw. Pittsburgh went ahead in the 27th minute as Christiano François sent in a free kick that Thomas Vancaeyezeele headed into goal. Laurent Kissiedou scored his third goal of the season in the 52nd minute to salvage the home point for Atlanta. This draw extended Atlanta’s unbeaten streak to three matches.

Keep up to date with the Kickers online at www.richmondkickers.com and on social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Richmond: Forward Heviel Cordovés (#16) returns to action after a one-match red card suspension, co-leading the club in scoring with seven goals this season. The Havana, Cuba native has made 23 appearances, including 15 starts since joining the Kickers in the off season from the Charleston Battery. Defender Austin Yearwood (#3) has been getting into the attack, notably setting up the first goal against North Carolina FC back on September 29, along with three assists this season. Yearwood was lead the team with seven crosses in their last outing against Nashville SC. Defender Mekeil Williams (#55) has been solid at the back for the Kickers this season. The Trinidad and Tobago international had eight clearances and three interceptions last Saturday against Nashville

Atlanta: Midfielder Laurent Kissiedou (#11) netted his third goal of the season Wednesday night against Pittsburgh. On loan with the Charleston Battery in 2017, Kissiedou made just one appearance, playing 10 minutes against the Kickers in a 1-3 loss. Defender A.J. Cochran (#3) leads Atlanta in clearances (137), blocks (33) and interceptions (58) this season with 29 appearances. Cochran signed with Atlanta after two seasons with Saint Louis FC, where he made 49 appearances and scored one goal. Forward Jon Gallagher (#26) leads the scoring for Atlanta with six goals in 29 games this season. Drafted by Atlanta United, the Dundalk, Ireland native made 84 appearances over four seasons at the University of Notre Dame and scored 39 goals.

KICKERS FALTER IN HOME FINALE, FALL TO NASHVILLE

TEAM	SCORE	GOALSCORERS
RICHMOND KICKERS (6-23-4, 22 points, 15th East)	0
NASHVILLE SC (12-9-11, 47 points, 7th East)	3	Hume 20′, Reed 29′, Winn (LaGrassa) 56′

TEAM

SCORE

GOALSCORERS

RICHMOND KICKERS

(6-23-4, 22 points, 15th East)

0 NASHVILLE SC

(12-9-11, 47 points, 7th East)

3

Hume 20′, Reed 29′, Winn (LaGrassa) 56′

RICHMOND, Va. — (Saturday, October 6, 2018) — The Richmond Kickers (6-23-4) closed out their final home match of the 2018 season, falling to Nashville SC (12-9-11) at City Stadium Saturday night. First half goals by Tucker Hime and Michael Reed put the visitors up 2-0 at halftime. Matt LaGrassa set up Alan Winn to add a third goal in the second half giving Nashville the victory over the Kickers.

The Kickers looked to go ahead early just three minutes. Mekeil Williams played a ball over the top and found Luiz Fernando at the top of the box. He was able to set the ball in space for Brian Shriver to run on to for the shot, that sailed just over.

Another chance came for the Kickers in the 9th minute. Oscar Umar fed the ball up the field for Raul Gonzalez. Turning quickly, Gonzalez tried to put the ball in the box as it was over everyone and Brian Shriver picked up control on the left side. He wanted to put it back across goal as Luiz Fernando was coming into space, but Liam Doyle was there to clear it from danger.

Nashville took the lead in the 20th minute. Ropapa Mensah won the ball on the right side, taking a touch to get around Austin Yearwood on the end line. He whipped in the ball, as Trevor Spangenberg dove to block the cross. Tucker Hume was in place to get a head on the ball and put it into the open net.

The lead doubled for the visitors nine minutes later. Michael Reed won the ball in the midfield and played the ball out wide on the right side for Ropapa Mensah. He was able to play a cross in low towards the near post. Mekeil Williams got to the ball first, as his clearance hit the feet of Reed and deflected into the goal for the second of the night.

A set piece in the 64th minute was an opportunity for the Kickers to get back into the match. Brian Shriver stood over the ball and ended up squaring the ball across the field for Prince Agyemang. The Ghanian went for the shot from distance, right into the hands of Matt Pickens.

Another free kick came for Richmond in the 78th minute. Bolu Akinyode was called for a foul on Luiz Fernando in the midfield, about 35 yards from goal. Giuseppe Gentile and Raul Gonzalez came over to stand over the free kick. Gonzalez was the one that went for the chance on goal. Matt Pickens was there to make the stop.

Late into stoppage time, the Kickers looked to try and pull a goal back. Yudai Imura took control of the ball inside the Nashville end of the field. The Japanese midfielder sent the ball forward for Brian Shriver in the Nashville box. He knocked the ball down to lay it off for Scott Thomsen, who ran onto the ball for the shot that went over the goal.

The Kickers will close out the 2018 USL season next Saturday night as the team heads down to face Atlanta United 2 at Coolray Field. This match will be available locally on WTVR CBS 6.3 (Comcast 206, Verizon FiOS 466) and streaming online on ESPN+. Keep up to date with the Kickers at www.richmondkickers.com.