Team Announcements

RICHMOND, Va. – (Tuesday, March 19, 2019) – The Richmond Kickers are pleased to announce the signing of Brazilian defender Ivan Magalhães for the 2019 season, pending USSF and USL League One approval.

“Ivan is a player that we have been tracking for a long time,” said David Bulow, Kickers Head Coach. “He is a quality left-footed center back that fits our style of play with some very good experience at the USL Championship level with the Tampa Bay Rowdies.”

Magalhães joins the Kickers after spending the 2018 season with the Tampa Bay Rowdies, making eight appearances for the USL Championship side. Prior to that, Magalhães recorded over 4,800 minutes in 56 matches for Rio Grand Valley FC, scoring two goals in his first two professional seasons. 

Growing up in the Corinthians academy system in São Paulo, Brazil, Magalhães came to the United States to play collegiately at Eastern Florida State College in 2013 and 2014. He then transferred to the University of Maryland, starting all 16 matches in 2015, guiding the Terps to eight shutouts before being drafted by the Houston Dynamo in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft.  

The roster for the 2019 Richmond Kickers is now at 16 players with the signing of Magalhães, including Amass Amankona, Charles Boateng, Matt Bolduc, Dennis Chin, Jannik Eckenrode, Akira Fitzgerald, Josh Hughes, Daniel Jackson, Eli Lockaby, Aboubacar Keita, Mutaya Mwape, Maxi Rodriguez, Conor Shanosky, Scott Thomsen, and Braeden Troyer.

Don’t miss a moment of the inaugural 2019 USL League One season at City Stadium! Order your 2019 Richmond Kickers Season Tickets and receive perks throughout the season including VIP Express Lane at the Craft Beer trucks and merchandise discounts. More details on 2019 Season Tickets can be found at www.richmondkickers.com.

RICHMOND, Va. – (Tuesday, March 19, 2019) – The Richmond Kickers are pleased to announce the signing of Brazilian defender Ivan Magalhães for the 2019 season, pending USSF and USL League One approval.

“Ivan is a player that we have been tracking for a long time,” said David Bulow, Kickers Head Coach. “He is a quality left-footed center back that fits our style of play with some very good experience at the USL Championship level with the Tampa Bay Rowdies.”

Magalhães joins the Kickers after spending the 2018 season with the Tampa Bay Rowdies, making eight appearances for the USL Championship side. Prior to that, Magalhães recorded over 4,800 minutes in 56 matches for Rio Grand Valley FC, scoring two goals in his first two professional seasons. 

Growing up in the Corinthians academy system in São Paulo, Brazil, Magalhães came to the United States to play collegiately at Eastern Florida State College in 2013 and 2014. He then transferred to the University of Maryland, starting all 16 matches in 2015, guiding the Terps to eight shutouts before being drafted by the Houston Dynamo in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft.  

The roster for the 2019 Richmond Kickers is now at 16 players with the signing of Magalhães, including Amass Amankona, Charles Boateng, Matt Bolduc, Dennis Chin, Jannik Eckenrode, Akira Fitzgerald, Josh Hughes, Daniel Jackson, Eli Lockaby, Aboubacar Keita, Mutaya Mwape, Maxi Rodriguez, Conor Shanosky, Scott Thomsen, and Braeden Troyer.

Don’t miss a moment of the inaugural 2019 USL League One season at City Stadium! Order your 2019 Richmond Kickers Season Tickets and receive perks throughout the season including VIP Express Lane at the Craft Beer trucks and merchandise discounts. More details on 2019 Season Tickets can be found at www.richmondkickers.com.

RICHMOND, Va. – (Wednesday, February 20, 2019) – The Richmond Kickers are pleased to announce the re-signing of defender Conor Shanosky for the 2019 season, pending USSF and USL League One approval. 

“I don’t think there’s a more experienced Center Back in USL League One or the USL Championship,” said David Bulow, Kickers Head Coach. “He’s a veteran that knows how important the Kickers are to the city of Richmond off the field and is a perfect fit to our style of play on the field.”

Over the last two seasons, Shanosky has made 42 appearances, starting in 38 matches and scoring one goal and notching an assist. Prior to the 2015 season, Shanosky signed with USL Championship expansion franchise Louisville City FC where he amassed 3,267 minutes over two seasons. Making 26 appearances in 2015, he tallied more goals than any other defender with three on during the club’s inaugural season, helping Louisville to a second place finish in the USL Championship Eastern Conference. He made 15 appearances in 2016 and added one goal before being released to sign with Richmond where he went on to make three 2016 appearances. 

“I am excited to be back in Richmond for another year,” commented Shanosky. “With the staff and new ownership, there is a lot of ambition for this club to really succeed in USL League One and I think with the Red Army there’s no reason why Richmond can’t be the best place in the league to play!”

Signed by D.C. United as a Homegrown player in 2010, Shanosky spent the majority of the 2013 and 2014 seasons on loan in Richmond. Anchoring the Kickers back line to the best defensive record in the league en route to the 2013 Regular Season Championship title, he made 35 appearances in a Kickers uniform over two seasons. Integral on both sides of the ball, the native of Potomac Falls, Virginia added three goals while contributing to 15 shutouts.

“Conor has lots of good qualities including his passing which helps us build out of the back, his height for winning aerial duels and his seasoned professionalism,” added Matt Spear, Kickers President. “I also admire that despite signing as a pro with D.C. United out of high school, Conor has since earned his college degree online.”

The 2019 roster now sits at eleven players with the announcement of Shanosky, including Amass Amankona, Matt Bolduc, Dennis Chin, Akira Fitzgerald, Josh Hughes, Daniel Jackson, Eli Lockaby, Mutaya Mwape, Scott Thomsen, and Braeden Troyer.

Don’t miss a moment of the inaugural 2019 USL League One season at City Stadium! Place your deposit now for 2019 Richmond Kickers Season Tickets and receive perks throughout the season including VIP Express Lane at the Craft Beer trucks and merchandise discounts. More details on 2019 Season Tickets can be found at www.richmondkickers.com.

RICHMOND, Va. – (Monday, March 11, 2019) – The Richmond Kickers are pleased to announce the signing of forward Daniel Jackson for the 2019 season, pending USSF and USL League One approval. 

“Daniel was one of the long shot signings that I am very excited about,” commented David Bulow, Kickers Head Coach. “He is going to be a very exciting player for us, capable of leading the league in scoring. He is the kind of ambitious signing that I hoped we would attract and shows that the Richmond Kickers intend to be contenders this season.”

Splitting time between Finland and Tasmania, Jackson most recently made eight appearances, scoring four goals and adding an assist for Bollklubben-46 in Finland after starting the year with Devonport City. Prior to making the move overseas, Jackson played in 10 matches, starting in nine with Saint Louis FC including one start against the Kickers in 2017. He scored two goals and notched an assist after making a midseason move from Oklahoma City Energy FC where he had made 13 appearances for the USL Championship side. 2015 proved to be a breakout season for Jackson, scoring four goals in 15 matches with the Charlotte Independence. Drafted by Real Salt Lake in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft, Jackson signed his first professional contract with North Carolina FC.

“After speaking with David [Bulow] and hearing his philosophy on the game and how he wants to play coupled with the new and exciting vision for the club, I was more than eager to be a part of this franchise this year,” said Jackson. “I’m looking forward to embracing the city and fans as well as doing my part in bringing success to this historic club.”

Jackson played two seasons with Coker College after transferring from Cumberland University, scoring 14 goals and assisting on two more in 17 matches his senior season. During his collegiate career, Jackson had stints with USL League Two sides Kalamazoo Outrage and FC JAX Destroyers along with the D.C. United U23’s. 

The 2019 roster now sits at ten players with the signing of Jackson, including Amass Amankona, Matt Bolduc, Dennis Chin, Akira Fitzgerald, Josh Hughes, Eli Lockaby, Mutaya Mwape, Scott Thomsen, and Braeden Troyer.

Don’t miss a moment of the inaugural 2019 USL League One season at City Stadium! Place your deposit now for 2019 Richmond Kickers Season Tickets and receive perks throughout the season including VIP Express Lane at the Craft Beer trucks and merchandise discounts. More details on 2019 Season Tickets can be found at www.richmondkickers.com.

RICHMOND, Va. – (Friday, February 1, 2019) – The Richmond Kickers are pleased to announce that Adrian Clewlow and Mika Elovaara will join Head Coach David Bulow for the 2019 USL League One season. 

“The team is coming together well,” said Bulow. “I’m eager to get on the field and start working with this group of players. There’s a lot of excitement about the talent and ambition in the club, both on the field and in the front office. Our home opener against Lansing, March 30th can’t come fast enough!”

Making 127 appearances with the Kickers from 2006-2009 and 2011-2013 and holding a USSF A License, Bulow is the pro team’s seventh head coach in the club’s 27-year history after being appointed on June 27, 2018. Bulow has been coaching within the Richmond Kickers Youth Soccer Club and Richmond United U.S. Soccer Development Academy for eight years, acting as Richmond United U15, U17 and U19 Head Coach.

Over seven seasons as a professional player with the Kickers, Bulow amassed 45 goals and 13 assists en route to three USL Cup appearances. Returning to Richmond in 2011 after a one-year hiatus from the club, he became the U.S. Open Cup all-time leading scorer that season after notching his 14th goal in tournament history against Major League Soccer’s Sporting Kansas City to lead the Kickers to a stunning 2-0 upset and a berth to the U.S. Open Cup Semifinals for the first time since 1995. A native of Denver, Colorado, he resides in fourth place on the club’s all-time career goals list and in fifth place on the all-time career points list.

Retiring from professional soccer in 2013, Bulow acted as a Kickers player/assistant coach that season before serving as assistant coach in 2014.

Originally from Dover, England, Clewlow returns for his fifth season as Goalkeeping Coach and holds a FA Youth Coaching Certification, NSCAA Director of Coaching Diploma, NSCAA Advanced National Diploma, and NSCAA Advanced National Goalkeeping Diploma.  He played in the youth and academy teams for Gillingham F.C. and Chelsea F.C. in England, and also represented England at the U-18 schoolboy level before attending the University of Richmond where he was a four-year starter and two-year captain for the Spiders. The CAA Rookie of the Year was a two-time All-South Regional All-American selection in his final two seasons and led the team to the 1998 CAA Championship. Clewlow’s professional playing career included stints with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, New Orleans Storm, and two seasons with the Richmond Kickers, before coaching college soccer at the NCAA Division I, II, and III levels. 

“I’ve had the the pleasure of working with Adrian the past few seasons with Richmond United and last summer with the Kickers Pro Team,” added Bulow. “He brings an energy to the club that is infectious, and has a team-first attitude in training the goalkeepers and defense.”

Most recently serving as the Commissioner of the Boys Elite Clubs National League (ECNL), Elovaara comes to the Kickers with a wealth of experience both on and off the field. He was a four-year letter winner at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). A four-year starter in college, he is the all-time leader in games started for the NCAA Division I Seahawks while earning his BA in English. Elovaara followed his collegiate career with over 150 professional matches in Finland. Receiving his MA of English Philology from the University of Oulu in Finland in 2002, Elovaara continued his studies, earning his Doctor of Philosophy in Cultural Studies in 2007. Fluent in three languages, Elovaara holds a USSF B License, UEFA B License, and UEFA Football Strength and Conditioning diploma. 

“Mika is one of the most important acquisitions this offseason,” commented Bulow. “His knowledge of the game, work ethic, and passion for the future of the new Richmond Kickers Pro team makes him an important asset. I can’t wait to work with him in bringing success to RVA both on and off the field.”

“David gained a lot of valuable experience last season, and the players appreciated his energy, teaching ability and desire to progress,” noted Kickers President Matt Spear. “He’s had a full offseason to hone his principles, and the valuable preseason with the guys will set the positional qualities, the team shape, and the group tactics. Clewy epitomizes one of our organizational core qualities – joyful. Plus he’s been an incredibly hard-working and loyal soldier for the club. I spoke with several people about Mika and they all confirmed what I see in him – smart, eloquent and tactically sound. And it’s nice to have a PhD professor on the technical side. It’s no surprise to have two coaches on staff in Clewy and Mika with international roots as this is the world’s game. The other quality I like about all three coaches is that they are all family guys like me – married with multiple children. That helps keep us keep perspective.”

Don’t miss a moment of the inaugural 2019 USL League One season at City Stadium! Place your deposit now for 2019 Richmond Kickers Season Tickets and receive perks throughout the season including VIP Express Lane at the Craft Beer trucks and merchandise discounts. More details on 2019 Season Tickets can be found at www.richmondkickers.com.