Kickers, Rhinos Look to Bridge Gap to Frontrunners
May 2, 2014 - United Soccer League Championship (USL) News Release
TAMPA, Fla. - The Richmond Kickers and Rochester Rhinos will try to claim an important three points on Friday night as both sides aim to bridge the gap to USL PRO league-leaders Orlando City and the LA Galaxy II in a key contest on this weekend's schedule.
Both the Kickers and Rhinos are coming off wins in their last outings. Richmond took an emphatic 5-1 victory against the Dayton Dutch Lions as the club's all-time leading scorer Matt Delicâte scored twice, while the Rhinos defeated Charleston 1-0 on JC Banks' third goal in four games this season.
Entering the weekend the Kickers sit six points behind both the Lions and Galaxy II, but have games in hand on both. The Rhinos, meanwhile, sit a point further back but would have the chance to make up ground with positive results both in Richmond and against the Wilmington Hammerheads on Saturday night.
Also on Friday night, the Harrisburg City Islanders host the Charleston Battery at Skyline Sports Complex at 7 p.m. ET. The City Islanders will hope to build on their 2-1 victory against Sacramento last Saturday night, but face a Battery side that is back to full fitness and focused on earning its first win of the season.
Saturday's schedule is highlighted by a pair of west-coast contests as Sacramento Republic FC is set to host another five-digit crowd at Hughes Stadium for the visit of the Orange County Blues FC at 10:30 p.m. ET. Elsewhere, Arizona United SC completes its four-game home stand to start the season at the Peoria Sports Complex with the visit of the Charlotte Eagles at 10 p.m. ET.
Sunday night sees the completion of a home-and-home series between Orlando City and OKC Energy FC at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Lions took a 2-1 victory against the Energy last Saturday to extend their winning streak in the league to four games, and then took a 3-0 victory in a midweek exhibition against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The Energy will hope to find a way to break Orlando's undefeated start as the two Sporting Kansas City affiliates meet for a second time this season.
Every game of the 2014 USL PRO season can be seen live on YouTube, with live updates also available via Twitter (@USLPRO), Facebook and Google+. Stay up to date with news, previews and match reports from throughout the league via USLPROSoccer.com.
SCHEDULE
Friday, May 2
Richmond vs. Rochester, 7 p.m. ET
Harrisburg vs. Charleston, 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, May 3
Wilmington vs. Rochester, 7:30 p.m. ET
Arizona vs. Charlotte, 10 p.m. ET
Sacramento vs. Orange County, 10:30 p.m. ET
Sunday, May 4
Dayton vs. Charleston, 7 p.m. ET
Orlando vs. Oklahoma City, 7:30 p.m. ET
United Soccer League Championship Stories from May 2, 2014
- Battery Beats Harrisburg 4-0 - Charleston Battery
- Kickers Battle Rochester to 1-1 Draw - Richmond Kickers
- Match Preview: Sacramento Republic FC V Orange County Blues FC - Sacramento Republic FC
- Okc Energy FC Travels to Orlando City SC - OKC Energy FC
- Dayton Dutch Lions FC seeks first home win - Dayton Dutch Lions
- Kickers, Rhinos Look to Bridge Gap to Frontrunners - USL
- Sacramento Republic FC Offers Alternative Transportation to Match - Sacramento Republic FC
- Battery Teams up with the Lowcountry Affiliate of Susan G. Komen - Charleston Battery
- Hammerheads Welcome Rhinos Saturday - Wilmington Hammerheads FC
- Match Preview- Orlando City to Face OKC Energy FC at Home on Sunday - Orlando City SC
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