Kickers Battle Cleveland for Second Place
Published on July 16, 2008 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Richmond Kickers News Release
RICHMOND, VA - (Wednesday, July 16, 2008) - The Richmond Kickers return to the University of Richmond Stadium to host the Cleveland City Stars this Saturday, July 16th at 7:00 pm. The Kickers and the City Stars currently hold a second-place tie in the league standings with Saturday's match-up determining the outright place holder. Fans are encouraged to purchase pet-friendly, VIP tickets in advance and bring their canine friends on Saturday. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the SPCA and the first 500 fans through the gate will receive a pet bowl, courtesy of Petco.
The Kickers meet the City Stars for the second and final time this season and hold a 1-0-3 record against the sophomore club. The two teams last played in Cleveland on June 28th in the midst of Richmond's mid-season road stand, where they battled to a scoreless draw. Clashing for three stalemates against the City Stars over the past two seasons, the Kickers have only defeated Cleveland during Open Cup play. Last season's fixtures resulted in two identical 1-1 draws, including a home tie during which Kickers midfielder Sascha Görres gave the home side an early lead with a 16th minute goal, which was followed closely by a Cleveland equalizer at the 28th minute mark. Earlier that season, the two teams battled to a deadlock by the same scoreline in Cleveland on July 20th. Again, the home team took the lead, this time with the Kickers having to level the score on a last-minute tally. The USL-2 rivals also met during last year's US Open Cup when the Kickers ousted the City Stars in the Second Round by a 2-1 score, boosting Richmond to the Third Round and their eventual home win over the LA Galaxy (MLS).
The Kickers (9-4-2) and the City Stars (8-2-5), each with 29 points are tied for second place in the USL-2 standings and reside five points behind league-leading Charlotte. Richmond currently holds the tiebreaker, outnumbering the City Stars in wins. Six teams qualify for postseason play with the top two teams at the end of the regular season receiving a bye to the semifinals and a guaranteed home game. Teams seeded three through six will play a single-game elimination round midweek. The Semifinal winners advance to the USL-2 Championship match on Saturday, August 23rd.
Both clubs clinched playoff berths last weekend when the Richmond Kickers topped the Pittsburgh Riverhounds 3-1 while the City Stars edged Crystal Palace Baltimore 1-0. Görres netted the first goal for the Kickers, connecting on a 25 yard shot into the upper 90. After the Hounds leveled the score to start the second half, midfielder Mike Burke converted a game-winning penalty kick while Stanley Nyazamba sealed the victory with a late tally. Meanwhile, the Cleveland/Baltimore match seemed destined to end scoreless until forward Sallieu Bundu put the City Stars on the board, seven minutes from time.
United Soccer League Championship Stories from July 16, 2008
- Islanders Host Western Mass - Penn FC
- Kickers Battle Cleveland for Second Place - Richmond Kickers
- Cleveland City Stars Announce Grand Prize Promotionc - Cleveland City Stars
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