Kickers Advance to U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 in Dramatic Finish, Claim 1-0 Win over Loudoun United
USL1 Richmond Kickers

Kickers Advance to U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 in Dramatic Finish, Claim 1-0 Win over Loudoun United

Published on April 1, 2026 under United Soccer League One (USL1)
Richmond Kickers News Release


RICHMOND, Va. - The Richmond Kickers (0-2-1) advanced to the Round of 32 with a 1-0 victory over in-state foe Loudoun United FC in U.S. Open Cup play Wednesday at City Stadium. The Round of 32 Draw will be 9:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, April 2, live on CBS Golazo Network during the Morning Footy show.

Richmond found the 96 minute winner, as Lucca Dourado fired home a Tarik Pannholzer assist to secure the victory and send the Kickers through in the U.S. Open Cup.

The Kickers found victory in a tightly contested match that saw Richmond consistently knock on the door in both halves. Goalkeeper Yann Fillion led a Kickers backline that held strong, coming up with key stops to keep the game level through stoppage time. Richmond allowed just two shots on goal, with Fillion coming up with a key save off a set piece to keep the match level in the 91st minute.

Loudoun United was led by Ethan Bandre who recorded one save.

Breaking Down The Action

Loudoun United got their first shot on goal in the 17th minute, but Yann Fillion and the back line secured the stop.

Darwin Espinal played a ball to Josh Kirkland, who carried it upfield and put a shot just outside of the net in the 18th minute.

Loudoun pushed down the right side, but Sam Layton made a strong tackle to stop the attack in the 21st minute.

Loudoun United entered the box, but Yann Fillion came off his line and made a diving stop in the 34th minute.

In the 35th minute Ali Sasankhah found Espinal who fired from outside the box, with the Loudoun keeper making a save at the right post.

The match remained 0-0 at the halftime whistle.

Lucca Dourado came on in the 70th minute for Darwin Espinal.

Austin Amer came on for Owen O'Malley in the 83rd minute.

Loudoun United earned a free kick at the top of the box in the 91st minute that hit the wall, and their follow-up attempt was saved by Fillion.

Landon Johnson came on for Kirkland in the 91st minute.

Hayden Anderson carried the ball up the left side and found Pannholzer, who delivered a ball that Dourado sent in for the late winner in stoppage time.

The final whistle sounded in the 102 minute with the score 1-0 in favor of the Kickers.

Notable Numbers

2: Richmond only allowed two shots on goal during the game.

9: The Kickers totalled nine shots on the night.

23: The backline tallied 23 clearances.

24: Richmond totalled 24 tackles on the night.

31: Richmond earned its 31st win all-time at City Stadium in U.S. Open Cup play.

32: With the win, Richmond advances to the U.S. Open Cup Round of 32.

U.S. Open Cup History

With the result, the Kickers are now 31-9-2 all-time at City Stadium in U.S. Open Cup competition.

Richmond now holds a 1-0-1 record all-time against Loudoun United in U.S. Open Cup play

The two clubs last faced each other on April 17, 2024, with Loudoun advancing to the round of 32 in penalty kicks 0 (5) - 0 (4).

The Kickers are the only active professional soccer club outside of the MLS to have won a U.S. Open Cup, claiming the 1995 title.

This season marks the club's 26th appearance in the U.S. Open Cup overall.

Richmond Chairman and CEO Rob Ukrop starred for the victorious 1995 side, playing striker and winning matchup MVP in the final vs. the El Paso Patriots.

Chief Sporting Officer and Head Coach Darren Sawatzky played in the 1999 Open Cup and was a member of the Seattle Sounders FC coaching staff that won four titles between 2009 and 2014

Up Next

The Kickers make their way to the west coast to face Spokane Velocity FC on Saturday, April 11 at 9:30 p.m. EST. The game will be broadcast on CBS 6.3 and ESPN+ with live updates and links available at richmondkickers.com or @RichmondKickers on X (Twitter).

Check out the Richmond Kickers Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



United Soccer League One Stories from April 1, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central