USL Richmond Kickers

Kickers Host Rochester Saturday

September 3, 2015 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Richmond Kickers News Release


RICHMOND, VA - (Thursday, September 3, 2015) - The Richmond Kickers return to City Stadium this Saturday, September 5 to host the Rochester Rhinos and Bike RVA Night, presented by 3Sports. Fans are encouraged to wear black when the pre-game party starts at 5:30 p.m. with live music from the Acoustic Roots, 3Sports pop up shop, merchandise discounts, game-worn jersey auction, RVA food trucks and a dozen craft beers on tap. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. and Black Out tickets, which include a limited edition adidas t-shirt, are on sale now for $15 at RichmondKickers.com.

This Saturday, the Kickers and the Rhinos meet for the 26th time since 1999 with Rochester holding the all-time series record advantage of 9-7-10. Last month, the two clubs battled to a 1-1 draw in Rochester when the Kickers escaped the second leg of a grueling two-games-in-less-than-24-hours gauntlet with a point on the road. Rhinos forward Kenardo Forbes gave the league leaders a second half lead that was quickly annulled by an own goal to salvage the point for Richmond.

Most recently, the Kickers suffered a 2-0 loss to the Charleston Battery at City Stadium in front of a record regular season crowd of 5,957. In a match marred by missed chances, the Kickers outshot their longtime rivals 13-5 but could not recover from a pair of first half goals to drop the Kickers to fifth place in the neck and neck Eastern Conference Standings race that has six points separating six teams jockeying for the final four remaining playoff spots.

Meanwhile, the league-leading Rhinos clinched the first postseason berth last week following a 2-0 victory over Saint Louis FC. Forbes contributed a pair of assists on Colin Rolfe and Tony Walls first half goals as the Rhinos top ranked defense held Saint Louis FC to four shots in the match to post the team's 15th shutout of the season.

Players To Watch

Kickers: Forward Jason Yeisley (#17) leads the team in goals and points through the 2015 regular season and U.S. Open Cup campaigns, recently notching his 14th goal of the season in the Kickers 2-0 win over Saint Louis FC last month. Signing with the Kickers in 2012, the former FC Dallas forward has amassed more than 6,000 minutes over four seasons. Returning from injury, midfielder George Davis IV (#11) ranks third on the team with six goals an assist, adding a seventh goal and a second assist during the club's U.S. Open Cup run. Now in his second season with the Kickers, the USL veteran led the team in scoring in 2014 with 14 goals and six assists through all competitions last year. Making six appearances and recording one goal and three assists on loan from D.C. United in 2014, Collin Martin (#27) returned to the Kickers starting lineup last month after being sidelined through injury. United's sixth Homegrown signing joined the First Team in 2013, making 13 appearances over three seasons.

Rhinos: Jamaican National Team midfielder Kenardo Forbes (#21) leads the Rhinos with five assists, most recently adding two against in the club's 2-0 victory over Saint Louis FC last week. Also contributing three goals this season, the Rochester newcomer ranks third on the team in scoring with 11 points. Defender Tony Walls (#20) anchors the Rhinos back line that has surrendered the fewest goals in the league, allowing just 12 goals in 24 matches. In his second season in Rochester, the former Chicago Fire defender has played nearly every minute of every game over the 2015 campaign, contributing to a league-best 15 shutouts. Goalkeeper Brandon Miller (#33) earned his league record tying 11th shutout and lowered his top ranked goals against average to 0.51 after blanking Saint Louis FC last week. Signing with the Rhinos in 2012 as a backup goalkeeper, the UNC Wilmington product currently boasts the best goalkeeper record in the USL of 11-1-6 in his breakout season.

Check out the Richmond Kickers Statistics



United Soccer League Championship Stories from September 3, 2015


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