Sports stats



USL Richmond Kickers

Kickers Host Dayton Saturday

August 14, 2014 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Richmond Kickers News Release


RICHMOND, VA - (Thursday, August 14, 2014) - The Richmond Kickers (13-1-9, 48 points) return to City Stadium this Saturday, August 16 to host the Dayton Dutch Lions (6-15-3, 21 points) and FAMILY FEST, presented by Union Bank. With a one-of-a-kind fun zone, presented by Bounce 2 The Moon, the fun begins when the gates open at 5:30 p.m. with inflatable games, live music, RVA food trucks, craft beer and fun for the whole family. Admission is just $10 for the whole family before 6:30 p.m.

Saturday's match will be critical in shaping the final USL PRO standings as the Kickers reside just one point behind league-leading Orlando City. Clinching a berth to the playoffs, the Kickers extended their unbeaten streak to 20 games last week when a pair of first half goals from former Dutch Lions midfielder George Davis IV and Luke Vercollone lifted the home side to a 2-1 win over the Charlotte Eagles.

Meanwhile, under the guidance of newly appointed head coach Matt Weston, the Dutch Lions snapped a five game winless streak and gained four points on the road to climb out of last place in the USL PRO standings. A back and forth affair in Charleston saw the Dutch Lions rally twice behind Brock Granger and David Clemens goals to earn a hard fought 2-2 draw against the Battery. Twenty four hours later, Dayton edged the Wilmington Hammerheads when newcomer Jenneh Karamba converted a last gasp game-winning goal in the 90th minute to keep the club's playoff hopes alive.

Closing out the two-game regular season series, the Kickers face the Dutch Lions Saturday after earning a 5-1 win in Dayton in April. The Kickers conceded a 4th minute goal to Eli Garner but Davis sparked the comeback four minutes later. Kickers forward Matthew Delicate answered with a pair of goals with Shay Spitz and Vercollone rounding out the scoreline in the second half to extend the Kickers' all-time series advantage to 9-0-1

Players to Watch

Kickers: Stalwart defender Sascha Gorres (#23) earned USL PRO Team of the Week honors for the second time this season after leading the Kickers to a 2-1 win over Charlotte. In his 10th season with the Kickers, the player/assistant coach ranks second on the all-time career assists list with 47 and holds the club record for most consecutive games played, appearing in 107 successive matches. In his sophomore season, homegrown goalkeeper Ryan Taylor (#1) has made his way onto the starting lineup, posting four saves in back to back wins against Wilmington and Charlotte this month. In five appearances this season, the Midlothian High School graduate and former FC Richmond player has backstopped the Kickers to a 3-1-1 record. Midfielder Nate Robinson (#10) re-signed with Richmond in June and has since made seven appearances this season. The 2013 USL PRO Rookie of the Year led the team in assists with nine en route to the 2013 Regular Season Championship before being sidelined through injury during the offseason.

Dutch Lions : Signing just 24 hours before the Dutch Lions' back-to-back swing through the Carolinas, Janneh Karamba (#10) made an immediate impact with his new club, posting a 90th minute game winning goal in Wilmington last week. The Gambian forward returned to USL PRO after spending the 2014 season with Premier Development League side Ocala Stampede, where he tallied three goals in 11 games to earn All-Southern Conference Team honors. Featuring for nearly every minute of every game played during the 2014 campaign, defender Brock Granger (#16) has anchored the Dayton defense, leading the team in minutes played, while also contributing three goals on the season. Prior to signing with the Dutch Lions in 2013, Granger was drafted by Real Salt Lake in the third round of the 2013 MLS Supplemental Draft. Forward Joseph Broekhuizen (#23) recorded his second professional goal to give the Dutch Lions an early lead in the 2-1 win over Wilmington. Signing his first professional contract out of Calvin College in 2013, the Michigan native has made 32 appearances in a Dayton Uniform over the past two seasons.

Check out the Richmond Kickers Statistics

• Discuss this story on the United Soccer League Championship message board...

United Soccer League Championship Stories from August 14, 2014


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