News

SHRIVER SCORES IN SECOND STRAIGHT MATCH AS KICKERS FALL

Team	Score	Goalscorers
LOUISVILLE CITY FC (4-0-0, 12 points, 1st East)	2	Smith (penalty) 64′, Davis IV (Ilic) 90′
RICHMOND KICKERS (1-2-2, 4 points, 12th East)	1	Shriver (Gonzalez) 18′

Team

Score

Goalscorers

LOUISVILLE CITY FC

(4-0-0, 12 points, 1st East)

Smith (penalty) 64′, Davis IV (Ilic) 90′

RICHMOND KICKERS

(1-2-2, 4 points, 12th East)

Shriver (Gonzalez) 18′

LOUISVILLE, KY — (Saturday, April 14, 2018) — The Richmond Kickers (1-2-2) fell on the road to Louisville City FC (4-0-0) Saturday night at Louisville Slugger Field. Brian Shriver scored his second goal in as many matches in the 18th minute to give the Kickers the first half lead. A penalty kick converted by Kyle Smith and a stoppage time game-winner by George Davis IV sealed the victory for the home side.

Trevor Spangenberg went to work early to prevent a chance for Louisville in the 13th minute. Oscar Jimenez worked the ball up the right side of the field and played in a cross at the end line. Before Cameron Lancaster could get a couch on the ball, Spangenberg dove on the ball to shut it down.

A long range effort from Mangus Rasmussen was the first chance for the home side. Sean Totsch headed the ball up the field for Oscar Jimenez. He took a touch to leave the ball for Rasmussen. Not being pressured, Rasmussen went for a shot from about 40 yards out as his chance sailed over the bar.

Brian Shriver continued his recent run of form with a goal in the 18th minute. Shriver won the ball on the left hand side and looked to play the ball centrally to Gonzalez. He was unable to control the ball with a defender tight on him and touched it back for Shriver. He let a shot rip from 35 yards out and it found the upper right corner and the back of the net. That goal was the first that Louisville has given up this season.

Cameron Lancaster was denied a headed opportunity in the 38th minute by Spangenberg. Shaun Francis from midfield looked for a long ball over the top for Lancaster. He tried to redirect the ball to the bottom left corner of the goal as Spangenberg dove to prevent the goal.

Right at the start of the second half Heviel Cordovés nearly doubled the Richmond lead. Austin Yearwood played a quick ball up the field as Cordovés tried to get on the ball. Sean Totsch needed to quickly pass the ball back to goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh, but he did not put enough on the pass. Cordovés was there to meet the ball and looked to chip a shot in as the ball goes wide of goal and cleared away by Louisville.

Louisville came close to leveling the score in the 50th minute from a chance by Oscar Jimenez. Sean Totsch sent the ball over the top, out wide right for Jimenez. He had enough space to turn towards goal and went for a shot that went wide of the far post and out for a goal kick.

A penalty kick would level the score in the 64th minute. Cameron Lancaster broke into the Richmond box as William Yomby was trying to tackle the ball away, Lancaster went down forcing the referee to blow his whistle for the penalty. Kyle Smith stepped up and sent the ball to Spangenberg’s right for the game-tying goal.

Trevor Spangenberg came up with three saves in a row to prevent another goal from Louisville, starting in the 74th minute. Jimenez was able to get the ball around Thomsen and up the field for Brian Ownby on the right side. At the end line, Ownby played the ball back for Jimenez in space inside the Richmond box. He went for a quick, low shot towards the near post as Spangenberg dove to make the stop. Yudai Imura tried to clear the ball away as it fell to the feet of Shaun Francis on the left side. He tried to sneak a low shot in as Spangenberg was there again to make the save. Ownby would get another chance for Louisville at the top of the box and once again, Spangenberg was there for the save.

Heading into stoppage time, Ilija Ilic took control of the ball just inside the Richmond end of the field. He began to make his run towards goal with George Davis IV just to his left. As Davis IV reached the top of the Kickers 18-yard box, Ilic slide the ball through for him. Braeden Troyer moved in to make a stop as Davis IV went for a shot towards the far post and into the back of the net to seal the victory for Louisville in the dying moments of the match.

The Kickers return to action Wednesday, April 25 as Toronto FC II comes to City Stadium for a 7:00 p.m. kickoff. The gates open at 5:30 p.m. for Happy Hour, with drink specials on over a dozen craft beers until kickoff, live music by Rear View Mirror and interactive games including CLUBWAKA, Soccer Billiards, Cornhole, Giant Jenga, Giant Pong, and Soccer Darts. The match will be available to stream online on ESPN+. Tickets are on sale now at www.richmondkickers.com.

BOX SCORE

Team	First Half	Second Half	Final
*Louisville*	0	2	2
*Richmond*	1	0	1

LINEUPS

Louisville GK Greg Ranjitsingh, Oscar Jimenez, Sean Totsch, Paco Craig, Shaun Francis (75’ – George Davis IV), Paolo DelPiccolo, Devon Williams, Kyle Smith, Niall McCabe (69’ – Ilija Ilic), Cameron Lancaster, Mangus Rasmussen (55’ – Brian Ownby)

Unused Substitutes: Tim Dobrowolski, Alexis Souahy, Chris Hubbard

Richmond GK Trevor Spangenberg, Austin Yearwood (77’ – Luiz Fernando), Conor Shanosky (60’ – William Yomby), Mekeil Williams, Braeden Troyer, Raul Gonzalez, Koby Osei-Wusu, Yudai Imura (86’ – Greg Boehme), Scott Thomsen, Brian Shriver, Heviel Cordovés

Unused Substitutes: Zachery Tashjy, Mallan Roberts, Neil Hlavaty, Brandon Eaton

STATISTICS

Team	Shots	Saves	Fouls	Corners
*Louisville*	28	1	4	11
*Richmond*	6	7	7	2

SCORING SUMMARY

Min	Team	Player
18′	RIC	Brian Shriver (Raul Gonzalez)
64′	LOU	Kyle Smith (penalty)
90′	LOU	George Davis IV (Illija Ilic)

CAUTIONS SUMMARY

Min	Team	Player
66′	RIC	Heviel Cordovés

EJECTIONS SUMMARY

None.

MATCH INFORMATION

Referee: Joshua Brooks

Assistant Referees: Kevin Lock, Matthew Seem

Fourth Official: Johann Pedolzky

Attendance: 6,009

Weather: Mostly Cloudy, 67 ºF

KICKERS SIGN ZACHERY TASHJY

RICHMOND, VA – (Saturday, April 14, 2018) – The Richmond Kickers are pleased to announce the signing of goalkeeper Zachery Tashjy. He will be available for selection this Saturday night on the road against Louisville City FC.

Tashjy spent the last four seasons at Catholic University where he played in 46 matches. The Manasuan, New Jersey native recorded a GAA of 0.94 in his season season that saw him play and start in 17 matches, where he made 60 saves. He was also named to the All-Landmark Conference Second Team in his final season with Catholic University.

The Kickers are in action on the road against Louisville Saturday night for a 7:30 pm. kickoff. The match is available live on the Kickers Official Television partners WTVR CBS 6 via their 6.3 sub channel (Comcast 206, Verizon FiOS 466). This match will also be the first game available streaming online through ESPN+.

HUGHES NAMED FULL-TIME RICHMOND UNITED COACH

Richmond United is proud to announce the hiring of Don Hughes as a full-time Academy coach for the 2018-19 season. Hughes will be responsible for the U15 and U16 age groups. In addition, he will be overseeing the Richmond United Futsal component and expanding it to all age groups.

Hughes holds a USSF A-License. Most recently, he has been the coach of the U16 Richmond United Pre Academy team, as well as the Technical Director for the Powhatan Soccer Association. He has a coaching experience of more than 20 years, coaching previously more than 10 years for the Richmond Kickers Youth Club. Don has extensive Futsal knowledge including a US Youth Futsal National License and the United Soccer Coaches Futsal Diploma. Don has been coaching with FutsalRVA for the past 5 years and has served as their Technical Director of Coaching for the past 3 years.

“I am thrilled to join the Richmond United Coaching Staff on the full-time basis. It’s an exciting time to be a part of the US Soccer Development Academy as they look to take youth soccer in the United States to new levels, and doing it with the support of the Richmond United staff makes it even better. As a coach, you strive to make a difference in the players that you get to work with. At Richmond United, I will get to work with some of the most talented players in the Nation while collaborating and learning with some of the best coaches in the Nation.”

About Richmond United

Established in 2014, Richmond United is a collaborative program between the Richmond Kickers and Richmond Strikers, designed to serve the most talented male and female players in the region. The joint venture joined Central Virginia’s top two girls and boys programs into a developmental powerhouse that complete on the national stage under the philosophy of Inspire, Unite, Achieve. Competing in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, the Richmond United Boys play in the highest conference in the country alongside Major League Soccer teams including Philadelphia Union, New York Red Bulls and D.C. United.

KICKERS TRAVEL TO LOUISVILLE SATURDAY

RICHMOND, VA – (Friday, April 13, 2018) – The Richmond Kickers (1-2-1) hit the road for their second away match of the season this Saturday night, as they travel to the defending USL Cup Champions Louisville City FC (3-0-0) at 7:30 p.m. at Louisville Slugger Field. This match will be available live on the Kickers Official Television partners WTVR CBS 6 via their 6.3 sub channel (Comcast 206, Verizon FiOS 466) as well as the first match of the season streaming on ESPN+.

Richmond will be looking for their first-ever victory over Louisville with an overall record of 0-5-2. Louisville swept the Kickers in both meetings in 2017, starting with a 1-0 win at City Stadium April 8. Former Kickers midfielder George Davis IV converted a penalty kick in the 81st minute in the Louisville road victory. For the last regular season match of the season, the Kickers travelled to Louisville Slugger Field October 14. Tarek Morad opened the scoring in the 33rd minute after scoring his initially saved penalty kick. Just before halftime, Mallan Roberts scored on a volley for his first goal in a Kickers shirt to level the score. After a red card to Luiz Fernando, Louisville capitalized on the man advantage with Cameron Lancaster and Mark-Anthony Kaye scoring within two minutes of each other for the 3-1 win for the home side.

Closing out a three-match home stand, the Kickers took a point against New York Red Bulls II last Saturday night at City Stadium. Brian Shriver scored his first goal of the season and for the Kickers in the 17th minute, scoring on a spectacular free kick about 20 yards from goal. José Aguinaga drew the away side level in the 69th minute, burying chance set up from Cristian Cásseres, Jr. from inside the box.

Louisville comes into Saturday’s match off the heels of a 1-0 road win at heated rivals FC Cincinnati last Saturday night. Cameron Lancaster put Louisville on the scoreboard just after 13 minutes, putting away a ball that was left for him by George Davis IV. Despite being out possessed and out shot, Louisville held on to steal all three points on the road, extending their win streak to three straight matches.

The Kickers do not return to action until Wednesday, April 25 as Toronto FC II comes to City Stadium for a 7:00 p.m. kickoff. The gates open at 5:30 p.m. for Happy Hour, with drink specials on over a dozen craft beers until kickoff, live music by Rear View Mirror and interactive games including CLUBWAKA, Soccer Billiards, Cornhole, Giant Jenga, Giant Pong, and Soccer Darts. The match will be available to stream online on ESPN+. Tickets are on sale now at www.richmondkickers.com.

KICKERS SIGN GREG BOEHME AND BRANDON EATON

RICHMOND, VA – (Tuesday, April 13, 2018) – The Richmond Kickers are pleased to announce the signings of midfielders Greg Boehme and Brandon Eaton. Both midfielders will be available for selection this Saturday night as the Kickers travel to Louisville City FC.

Signing his first professional contract, Boehme joins the Kickers after 47 appearances for VCU over four seasons, starting in 26 matches and scoring one goal his junior season. The Woodbridge, Virginia native was named to the All-State and All-Met teams with Forrest Park High School in both 2011 and 2012.

Eaton returns to the Kickers after making one start in 2017, playing 90 minutes on the road against FC Cincinnati. He made 59 appearances with Virginia Commonwealth University over three seasons, adding two goals his senior year. A native of Chesapeake, Virginia, he spent one year at Virginia Tech before transferring to VCU.

The Kickers return to action Saturday night on the road against Louisville. Catch the match on the Kickers Official Television Parters WTVR CBS 6 via their 6.3 sub channel (Comcast 206, Verizon FiOS 466). This match will also be the first game streamed on the new ESPN+ platform that launched April 12.

A WIN AT LOUISVILLE IS PERSONAL FOR YOMBY

RICHMOND, VA – (Thursday, April 12, 2018) – This Saturday night, the Kickers will be looking for the one result that has alluded them since 2015: a victory over Louisville City FC. The two clubs have met on seven occasions, with the Kickers winless against their Eastern Conference rivals, losing five times and drawing twice.

Kickers captain and long-time veteran player William Yomby has seen much success since he came to Richmond in 2009, with a league title that same year, a historic Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup run to the Semifinals in 2011 and winning the USL regular season title in 2013. The one result that he has not seen in his time with Richmond is a win over Louisville City FC.

“For me, it’s a personal motivation,” stated Yomby about looking for the result, “Winning that will be fantastic for me personally.”

All but two of the seven meetings with Louisville have come on the road at Louisville Slugger Field. The Kickers looked to be in control to get their first point on the road in the final meeting in October of 2017 with Mallan Roberts scoring just before halftime to level the score at 1-1, but a red card to Luiz Fernando allowed the home side to capitalize on the advantage, scoring twice in the 84th and 86th minutes.

“The boys still have that feeling, getting kicked out of the playoffs and the game last year when we were playing well until the red card,” commented Yomby. He thinks that this will be the right time for the team to go there saying that “being able to get a win there, it’s going to give us big boost for the rest of the season.”

Saturday night’s match up will be available on the Kickers Official Television Parters WTVR CBS 6 via their 6.3 sub channel (Comcast 206, Verizon FiOS 466). This match will also be the first game streamed on the new ESPN+ platform that launched April 12.

U.S. SOCCER ANNOUNCES U.S. OPEN CUP SECOND ROUND PAIRINGS

RICHMOND, VA – (Wednesday, April 11, 2018) – U.S. Soccer announced on Wednesday the potential pairings and host scenarios for the Second Round of the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. 22 teams from the United Soccer League (USL) will enter the tournament May 16 to play against Open Division winners (Local Qualifiers, PDL and NPSL) from the First Round of games scheduled May 8-9 across the United States.

The Richmond Kickers are set to face the winner of the Reading United AC and Christos FC match that will take place May 9 at Don Thomas Stadium in Reading, PA. If Reading United AC wins, the Kickers will travel to Reading, PA or if Christos FC claims the victory, the Kickers will host Christos FC at City Stadium. Either match will take place Wednesday, May 16. Last season, the Kickers were upset in the Second Round of the tournament, as Christos FC took a 1-0 victory at City Stadium.

Winners of the 1995 tournament, Richmond has a long-standing history of the tournament. The Kickers made history with their remarkable run to the semifinals in 2011. Becoming the first lower division team to defeat back-to-back MLS teams on the road, the Kickers ejected the Columbus Crew in the third round before handing Sporting Kansas City their first-ever loss at Sporting Park in the quarterfinals. Advancing to the semifinals for the second time in franchise history, the Kickers narrowly missed the Championship berth, conceding a 2:1 loss to the Chicago Fire last August.

The Kickers claimed the U.S. Open Cup title the first year of the Professional Era in 1995 and have since made it to the quarterfinal round five times (1995, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2011) and the semifinal round twice (1995, 2011), ousting five Major League Soccer teams along the way, including Colorado Rapids in 2000, D.C. United in 2004, LA Galaxy in 2007 and Columbus Crew and Sporting Kansas City in 2011.

USL ANNOUNCES 2018 ESPN GAME OF THE WEEK SCHEDULE

TAMPA, FL – (Tuesday, April 10, 2018) – The United Soccer League (USL) and ESPN announced today the full schedule for the USL Game of the Week. Six games will air on national television during the summer, with an additional 14 games to stream digitally on ESPN3. The announcement follows the groundbreaking partnership between the two organizations that brings the thrill and excitement of the USL to the innovative ESPN+ platform alongside other major soccer properties like the UEFA Nations League, the English Football League and Major League Soccer.

The Richmond Kickers will be on display on ESPN3 September 26 when they host FC Cincinnati at City Stadium. Kickoff for that match is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

Nineteen teams from across the league will feature on national broadcasts, including two former league champions, 10 2017 USL Cup Playoff teams, and four of the league’s newest arrivals for the 2018 season.

“The excitement of our league is built around heated regional rivalries fueled by the sport’s most passionate fans. We are thrilled to bring that excitement to the national spotlight this season, including some great primetime matchups that offer a glimpse at potential USL Cup Playoffs matchups later this season,” said USL President Jake Edwards. “The increase in USL matches available to a national audience this year is part of our partnership with ESPN, which includes launching our new home on the innovative ESPN+ platform, a move that will raise the prominence of the USL and its clubs to a higher level alongside great domestic and international competitions. This expanded partnership is a testament to the significant investments into the sport by the league and its clubs, and our collective commitment to delivering the best experience to our fans either at the stadium or at home.”

Related: USL on ESPN+

ESPNews will serve as the home for five of the USL’s six linear broadcasts in 2018, with a clash between newcomers Nashville SC and Indy Eleven at First Tennessee Park on Tuesday, June 26 set to lead off the run of six consecutive games broadcast over the air during the summer months. Other games to feature in that span include a visit to Nippert Stadium when FC Cincinnati hosts the Charlotte Independence on Wednesday, July 18, and a meeting between San Antonio FC and Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC at Toyota Field on Wednesday, July 25.

Indy Eleven will also feature on the Fourth of July as it plays host to Ottawa Fury FC at Lucas Oil Stadium, while the run of six games will conclude with a trip to Al Lang Stadium as the Tampa Bay Rowdies play host to the Charleston Battery on Wednesday, August 8.

The USL Game of the Week package will kick off on ESPN3 later this month as Sacramento Republic FC welcomes Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC to Papa Murphy’s Park on Wednesday, April 18. Three weeks later fans will head slightly south to see newcomer Fresno FC as it takes on Rio Grande Valley FC at Chukchansi Park on Wednesday, May 9, while later in the season we’ll pay a first visit to Real Monarchs SLC’s new home at Zions Bank Stadium when the defending USL Regular Season champions host Saint Louis FC. The season wraps up on Wednesday, October 10 when Las Vegas Lights FC plays host to Phoenix Rising FC in the final week of the 2018 regular season.

In addition to the USL Game of the Week on ESPN3, ESPNews and ESPNU, the league’s regular-season contests will be available in the United States through ESPN+ after its launch on April 12, where the league will reside alongside Major League Soccer, the English Football League and UEFA Nations League on the new direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company Direct-to-Consumer and International group in partnership with ESPN.

Games will be produced by USL Productions, the league’s state-of-the-art broadcast production, broadcast and distribution facilities with VISTA Worldlink in south Florida. Now in its second season, USL Productions produces and distributes more than 500 league matches and more than 1,000 hours of original content to national partners and local affiliates. The USL Match Center will also up-to-the-minute match statistics provided by industry leader Opta.

2018 USL Game of the Week on ESPN Schedule

April 18 – Sacramento Republic FC vs. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (ESPN3)
April 27 – Las Vegas Lights FC vs. San Antonio FC (ESPN3)
May 2 – Indy Eleven vs. FC Cincinnati (ESPN3)
May 9 – Fresno FC vs. Rio Grande Valley FC (ESPN3)
May 30 – Saint Louis FC vs. Phoenix Rising FC (ESPN3)
June 13 – FC Cincinnati vs. Bethlehem Steel FC (ESPN3)
June 26 – Nashville SC vs. Indy Eleven (ESPNews)
July 4 – Indy Eleven vs. Ottawa Fury FC (ESPNews)
July 11 – OKC Energy FC vs. Las Vegas Lights FC (ESPNews)
July 18 – FC Cincinnati vs. Charlotte Independence (ESPNews)
July 25 – San Antonio FC vs. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (ESPNU)
August 8 – Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Charleston Battery (ESPNews)
August 15 – Saint Louis FC vs. Sacramento Republic FC (ESPN3)
August 22 – Phoenix Rising FC vs. San Antonio FC (ESPN3)
August 29 – Rio Grande Valley FC vs. San Antonio FC (ESPN3)
September 5 – Phoenix Rising FC vs. Rio Grande Valley FC (ESPN3)
September 12 – Real Monarchs SLC vs. Saint Louis FC (ESPN3)
September 18 – Nashville SC vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies (ESPN3)
September 26 – Richmond Kickers vs. FC Cincinnati (ESPN3)
October 10 – Las Vegas Lights FC vs. Phoenix Rising FC (ESPN3)

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