USL Richmond Kickers

Kickers Travel to Vancouver Tuesday

July 22, 2013 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Richmond Kickers News Release


RICHMOND, VA - The Richmond Kickers wrap up their month-long road stand when they travel to Thunderbird Stadium on Tuesday, July 23 to conclude a two-game series with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Reserves of Major League Soccer. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET and updates will be available at Twitter.com/WhitecapsMatch. As a component of the groundbreaking affiliation between USL PRO and MLS, the inter-league home and away series between the Kickers and the Whitecaps will count in both the official USL PRO and MLS Reserve League standings.

The Kickers enter Tuesday's match on the back of a three-game west coast gauntlet, having picked up four points in Phoenix and Los Angeles over the weekend. Kicking off the road trip in dramatic fashion, the Kickers rallied from a two-goal halftime deficit to battle the Phoenix FC Wolves to a 2-2 draw at Sun Devil Stadium Friday. With two goals disallowed and two players sent to the hospital with concussions, the Kickers overcame insurmountable odds as second half goals by defenders William Yomby and Shane Johnson, in stoppage time, salvaged the point.

Less than 48 hours later, the Kickers posted a come-from-behind victory over the Los Angeles Blues, notching a pair of goals in the final 15 minutes. Brian Ownby leveled the score before David Bulow converted a late game penalty kick to extend the club's undefeated streak to 19 regular season games, 21 games overall, and put them within one point of Orlando City at the top of the USL PRO table with a game in hand.

Meanwhile, the Whitecaps Reserves are 3-1-3 on the season, most recently conceding their first loss of the 2013 MLS Reserve League campaign on July 16 with a 3-2 scoreline to the Real Salt Lake Reserves. The Whitecaps jumped out to an early lead on Kevin Cobby and MLS rookie Kekutah Manneh tallies before giving up three unanswered goals in the final 30 minutes.

The Kickers and the Whitecaps met last month for the first time since 2005 when they battled to a 1-1 draw at City Stadium. Giving up an early goal by Manneh, the Kickers rallied from the deficit when Joseph Ngwenya buried the equalizer in the second half. Outshooting the MLS Reserves team 10-3, the home side was denied twice by the woodwork after the 90th minute, settling for a point in their first-ever USL PRO/MLS interleague match-up.

Rivals when the two clubs played in the USL First Division, the Kickers and the Whitecaps meet for the first time since 2005. Conceding a 0-2 loss and 1-1 tie against Vancouver during the 2005 regular season, the Kickers went on to battle the Whitecaps to a pair of scoreless draws in the postseason, ousting their west coast opponent 5-4 on penalties to advance to the USL First Division Semifinals.

Notably, Whitecaps FC midfielder Matt Watson played two seasons with the Kickers, including capturing the USL Second Division regular season and playoff title in 2006 while former Godwin High School and Richmond Strikers goalkeeper Brad Knighton, also has ties to Richmond. Additionally, current Kickers midfielder Philippe Davies, a product of the 'Caps Residency program, spent three years with Vancouver's first team, from 2008 through to the club's debut MLS season in 2011.

After eight consecutive games on the road, the Kickers return to City Stadium for the first time since June 22 to host VSI Tampa Bay FC on Sunday, July 28. Kickoff is set for 5:00 p.m. and tickets are on sale now at RichmondKickers.com.

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from July 22, 2013


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