Kickers Suffer 2-0 Loss in Pittsburgh
Published on July 15, 2010 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Richmond Kickers News Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - The Richmond Kickers dropped a 2-0 decision and a valuable three points to the Pittsburgh Riverhounds Thursday night. A pair of second half goals by Chad Severs gave the Riverhounds the firepower they needed to lay the Kickers to rest. The two teams close out the four-game series in Richmond on Saturday, July 24th.
The Kickers dominated possession in the early going, with several dangerous chances to score in the first 20 minutes. First, in the fourth minute, a goal kick was flicked on to an onrushing Edson Elcock. Through to goal, his right-footed strike from 14 yards was pushed wide by Riverhounds goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap.
Less than 10 minutes later, the Kickers acquired the ball at midfield. A combination ended with the ball at the feet of Mike Burke who slotted it through to Elcock speeding down the left wing but his left-footed volley from 16 yards out was denied once again by Gilstrap.
Then, in the 18th minute, Burke lined up a corner and delivered an inswinger to an awaiting Luke Vercollone, wide open six yards out. His forceful header struck the ground and took an unfortunate bounce over the crossbar.
Meanwhile, the Riverhounds struggled to make their way into Kickers territory until late in the half when forward Jeremy Deighton took advantage of a miscommunication between the Kickers back line. Intercepting a bad clearance, he found himself face-to-face with Ronnie Pascale. The veteran goalkeeper was on guard and blocked the initial shot, only to find himself under fire again as the rebound fell dangerously back to Deighton, but Pascale was able to stifle the attack.
A tale of two halves, the Riverhounds capitalized on a lucky strike in the 57th minute when a through ball sliced open the midfield, positioning Deighton 14 yards out. Pascale courageously saved his strike, but this time, he could not stop the rebound. Falling to Tommy Gray, his shot hit the left post and ricocheted back into the mix, allowing Chad Severs to poke it over the line.
The Kickers fate was sealed in the 72nd minute when a punt from Gilstrap sprung over 6'4" defender William Yomby and found Severs alone in front of the goal where he buried a right-footed shot from point blank range into the far corner.
Desperate to avoid the shutout in the final seconds of regulation, Elcock curled a cross from the right side to the six yard box, finding Delicâte who shook his marker and fired to the near post but Gilstrap's reflex save preserved his clean sheet.
The Richmond Kickers return home to host the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and SPCA's Paws at the Pitch Night on Saturday, July 24th at 7:00 p.m. Fans are encouraged to bring their dogs to City Stadium to show their support of the Richmond SPCA and enjoy a night of professional soccer with their four-legged companions. Order tickets in advance at RichmondKickers.com and save big on admission.
United Soccer League Championship Stories from July 15, 2010
- Kickers Suffer 2-0 Loss in Pittsburgh - Richmond Kickers
- Monarchs Head South for the Weekend - Real Maryland Monarchs
- Richmond Kickers Announce Paws On The Pitch SPCA Night July 24th - Richmond Kickers
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