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Richmond Kickers

Preview: Richmond Hosts Tucson Saturday

August 14, 2020 - United Soccer League One (USL1)
Richmond Kickers News Release


RICHMOND, Va. - The Richmond Kickers (1-1-1) will look to build off last Saturday's win over Madison as they host FC Tucson (1-2-0) this Saturday night at City Stadium at 6:30 p.m. A limited number of single match tickets are available now at RichmondKickers.com/Tickets. The match will air live on WTVR CBS 6.3 (Comcast 206, Verizon FiOS 466) and streaming on ESPN+.

Richmond picked up one win and two draws in 2019 over FC Tucson in the first three meetings between the two clubs. The lone victory in the series came May 11 at City Stadium. Joe Gallardo put the Kickers ahead in the 83rd minute. Mutaya Mwape doubled the Richmond lead in second half stoppage time to seal the three points. Both matches at Kino North Stadium June 8 and September 21 saw scoreless draws.

The Kickers earned their first victory of the 2020 campaign last Saturday night, with a 1-0 win over Forward Madison FC. After having the home opener delayed by a week, Richmond was itching to get onto the City Stadium pitch, which showed after an early goal just nine minutes into the match. Kyle Venter sprayed the ball out wide on the right wing for Ian Antley. He quickly slipped the ball through for Emiliano Terzaghi waiting at the top of the Madison box. Twisting around, Terzaghi put his shot across the face of goal and into the side netting for the eventual game winner. Scott Thomsen helped to preserve the club's second straight shutout with a goal line clearance deep into second half stoppage.

Tucson comes into Saturday's match on the heels of a deflating 1-2 loss in their home opener to league newcomers Union Omaha. After coming out of halftime scoreless, Omaha jumped ahead after three minutes when former FC Tucson man Lucas Hauswirth broke the deadlock against his former club. Ten minutes later, it was 2-0 for Omaha after Ethan Vanacore-Decker scored, adding to his assist on Hauswirth's goal. A late consolation goal came for Tucson three minutes into stoppage time, as Erik Virgen picked up his first goal of the 2020 season.

The Kickers are back on the road next Thursday night, August 20 as they take the trip up to Gillette Stadium to face New England Revolution II. Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. and will air live on WTVR CBS 6.3 and on ESPN+.

Stay up to date with the latest news from the Kickers at RichmondKickers.com and on the official team app.

WTVR CBS 6 Players to Watch

Richmond: Defender Scott Thomsen (#3) came to the rescue for Richmond Saturday night against Madison. Deep into stoppage time, the UVA product was in the right place at the right time to clear the ball off the line to preserve the clean sheet and first win of the season for the Kickers. Defender Ian Antley (#2) notched his first professional assist on Emailiano Terzaghi's game winner over Madison, earning him a spot in the USL League One Team of the Week. Antley has played every minute of the first three matches for Richmond this season after signing his first pro deal in the off season. Midfielder Ryley Kraft (#98) has also played every minute this season, completing 77.8 percent of his passes in Saturday's win. The U.S. youth international is in his first full season with Richmond after joining the club in the midst of the 2019 season.

Tucson: Midfielder Erik Virgen (#23) scored the only goal for Tucson in their loss to Omaha last Saturday. He is in his second season with Tucson after a goal and an assist in 16 matches last year. Defender Niall Logue (#20) completed the most passes (65) for Tucson in their last match, with a successful pass percentage of 85.5. The Northern Irishman joined Tucson after a stint with Finn Harps of the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. Forward Azaad Liadi (#9) has a goal and an assist through the first three matches for the Arizona based club. Liadi is in his first professional season after finishing off his collegiate career at Georgia Southern University, scoring three goals in 16 matches for the Eagles.

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