USL Richmond Kickers

Kickers Host Charlotte Saturday

August 5, 2014 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Richmond Kickers News Release


RICHMOND, VA - (Tuesday, August 5, 2014) - The Richmond Kickers (12-1-9, 45 points) return to City Stadium this Saturday, August 9 to the Charlotte Eagles (7-12-3, 24 points) at 7:00 p.m. Ladies Night tickets are available for $20 at RichmondKickers.com and include exclusive VIP tent access, appetizers from Taziki's Mediterranean Café, two glasses of wine from a selection of eight wines on offer and live music from Celtic Panda.

The Richmond Kickers enter Saturday's match following a 3-1 road win against the Wilmington Hammerheads last week. Forward Matthew Delicâte and midfielder Shay Spitz gave the Kickers a first half lead and Samuel Asante added a third tally after the break before Wilmington pulled a goal back to avoid the shutout.

Meanwhile, Charlotte travel to Richmond looking to rebound from a 4-1 loss in Orlando. Conceding two goals within minutes on either side of the half, Charlotte were reduced to 10 men following a red card ejection to midfielder Juan Guzman. With the man advantage, Orlando responded with another two goals before a 75th minute Wells Thompson tally spoiled Orlando's clean sheet.

Closing out a three-game regular season series, the Kickers take on the Eagles after swapping home and home victories in their first two matches this season. Charlotte handed the Kickers their lone regular season loss on April 12 when they rallied for a second half equalizer before Jorge Herrera's last minute game winner stole three points for the home side.

Unbeaten since then, the Kickers avenged the early season defeat in May when midfielder George Davis IV converted a pair of free kicks to lift Richmond to a 2-0 win over Charlotte at City Stadium. With an extensive rivalry spanning two decades, dating back to the clubs' inception in 1993, the Kickers hold an all-time series record of 23-13-10 over the Eagles.

Players to Watch

Kickers: Shay Spitz (#27) burst onto the scoring scene last week, posting a goal and two assists to lift the Kickers to a 3-1 win in Wilmington. The New Zealand/American midfielder signed with the Kickers prior to the 2014 campaign after spending two seasons with the Orange County Blues. Rookie Hugh Roberts (#8) has become a versatile player, splitting time between the back line and the midfield during his debut season. Impressing at the Kickers January 2014 pro combine, the native of Olney, MD signed his first professional contract this year after making 69 appearances at George Mason University. Midfielder Samuel Asante (#28) has contributed two assists this season and added a goal during this year's U.S. Open Cup run before notching his first regular season tally in a Kickers uniform last week in Wilmington. The native of Sunyani, Ghana spent the 2013 season with the Charlotte Eagles, making 21 appearances en route to the USL PRO championship match.

Eagles: In his eighth season in Charlotte, veteran Jorge Herrera (#10) has made over 100 appearances in an Eagles uniform. The Colombian midfielder leads the team with 15 points, including a last-minute game winning tally against the Kickers in Charlotte in April. Forward Wells Thompson signed with the Eagles prior to the 2014 season following a seven-year career in Major League Soccer with the New England Revolution, Colorado Rapids and Chicago Fire. The North Carolina native and Wake Forest University product has contributed three goals and two assists this season including a late goal against Orlando to avoid the shutout last weekend. Defender Ben Newnam (#5) signed with the Eagles in 2013 out of Wake Forest University, making an immediate impact with the starting lineup. In his sophomore season, he has played nearly every minute of every game, recoding a pair of goals while also contributing to five shutouts on the season.

Check out the Richmond Kickers Statistics



United Soccer League Championship Stories from August 5, 2014


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