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Richmond Kickers

Kickers Host Saint Louis FC Saturday

August 20, 2015 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Richmond Kickers News Release


RICHMOND, VA - (Thursday, August 20, 2015) - The Richmond Kickers return to City Stadium this Saturday, August 22 to host Saint Louis FC and Family Fest, presented by Bon Secours Movin' Mania and Bounce 2 The Moon. The pre-game party starts at 5:30 p.m. with live music by Kurt Stemhagen, human foosball and inflatable games, RVA food trucks and craft beer on tap. Kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. and admission is just $20 for the whole family before 6:30 p.m.

The Richmond Kickers return to City Stadium after concluding a grueling three-game road stand with a 2-1 loss to Toronto FC II. The Kickers claimed a second half lead when Yudai Imura notched his first professional goal but the visitors squandered their advantage when they conceded the equalizer with 15 minutes remaining before Toronto stole all three points with a last-gasp stoppage time goal.

Meanwhile, Saint Louis FC enters Saturday's match following a 1-1 draw in Charleston last week. Scoreless through the first half, STL FC capitalized on their second shot of the night when Jamiel Hardware recovered a poor clearance inside the box, beat the goalkeeper and buried his third goal of the season. Later, a second caution to Oskar Gasecki left the visiting side short-handed and Charleston leveled the score with less than 10 minutes remaining before Kingsley Bryce was issued a red card ejection as Saint Louis finished the match with just nine men.

Saint Louis will host Charleston on Thursday, August 20 before trekking to Richmond on Saturday where the two clubs will swap home field advantage to close out the two-game series after the Kickers came away with a 3-1 win in July. Conceding an early goal when Brian Gaul converted a penalty kick, the Kickers rallied behind George Davis' equalizer just before the break and added two more in the second half when Jason Yeisley and Michael Callahan earned the visitors a valuable three points on the road.

Players To Watch

Kickers: Recently returning to the starting lineup after being sidelined through injury, midfielder Yudai Imura (#14) scored his first professional goal last week in the Kickers 2-1 loss in Toronto. Discovered at the Kickers 2015 Pro Tryouts, the Japanese midfielder earned a contract after the three-day event and has since made 13 appearances in a Kickers uniform. Newcomer Anthony Grant (#9) signed his first professional contract this week after finishing a pair of standout seasons with the Seacoast United Phantoms of the USL Premier Development League. He recently added the PDL Most Valuable Player award to his Golden Boot after the 2015 season that saw him lead the league with 12 regular season goals to earn the Phantoms a second consecutive playoff berth. Goalkeeper Travis Worra (#48) backstopped the Kickers to a 1-1 draw against the league-leading Rochester Rhinos and made his ninth appearance on loan from D.C. United in Toronto last week. The University of New Hampshire product made his MLS debut off the bench in Vancouver in April and has since split time between D.C. and Richmond.

STL FC: Midfielder Jamiel Hardware (#7) notched his third goal of the season to give Saint Louis FC a second half advantage against the Charleston Battery last week. Prior to signing with the expansion franchise, the USL veteran made 44 appearances with USL rival Harrisburg over two seasons where he scored four goals. Saint Louis native Mike Ambersley (#15) ranks third on the team with two goals and an assist, amassing nearly 1,500 minutes this season. The forward made history as the expansion club's first-ever signing after stints with NASL sides Indy Eleven and Tampa Bay Rowdies, which included leading the Rowdies to the 2012 NASL Championship. Wake Forest University product Sam Fink (#3) has anchored the Saint Louis backline in nearly every minute of all 22 USL matches this season. Contributing to five shutouts, the defender doubles as an offensive threat as he also notched a pair of goals.

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