Richmond Welcome Old Rival to City Stadium
Published on May 21, 2021 under United Soccer League One (USL1)
Richmond Kickers News Release
RICHMOND, Va. - The Richmond Kickers (2-2-0) are back at City Stadium to take on North Carolina FC (0-2-0), Saturday night, May 22 at City Stadium. Kickoff for this match is set for 6:30 p.m. ET.
Richmond is coming off a return to form after a 2-0 win against Tormenta which saw Emiliano Terzaghi score two goals in the last 10 minutes of the match. Richmond is now rested after having a week off and ready to see Terzaghi and the squad firing on all cylinders again. Richmond registered 11 shots and six on target against Tormenta. Victor Falck was a rock in the midfield with an 89.7% passing accuracy and three interceptions.
North Carolina most recently played Forward Madison to what seemed like it would be a scoreless draw until the stoppage-time winner from Madison's Derek Gebhard in the 92nd minute. North Carolina's defense put in a solid shift for the better part of the game with 26 clearances, 20 interceptions, and five blocks across the whole team. Pecka, Malick Mbaye, and Max Flick all had significant passing accuracies with 88.6%, 83.7%, and 86.5%, respectively.
Despite beginning the season winless in its first two matches, North Carolina has shown real resolve with the near result in Madison as well as a vigorous performance against the defending league champions Greenville Triumph SC. Its match against Triumph was a 2-1 loss which had Selmir Miscic open North Carolina's scoring account for the season with a 15th-minute equalizer before Greenville's Lachlan McLean found the go-ahead goal in the 65th minute.
Richmond and North Carolina are two of the few USL League One clubs that have a history outside of the league's three-year existence. North Carolina, previously known as the Carolina Railhawks, was founded in 2006. The two teams have played against each other many times in the USL1, the USL Championship, and the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup since the Carolina franchise's inaugural 2007 season. Since 2018, the two clubs have matched up five times with Richmond winning three of those ties.
Richmond will look to make it two straight wins at home this weekend before they head out on the road for their next match to take on the Chattanooga Red Wolves on May 29th at 7:00 p.m. ET. Chattanooga currently sits two points below Richmond in the table but has only played three games this season resulting in one win over North Texas and a draw against New England Revolution.
Don't miss a moment of the 2021 season at City Stadium with your Kickers+ subscription. Kickers+ is a brand new subscription service for the 2021 season that provides fans tons of value, flexibility, and sweet perks! Sign up today for only $59.99 - Kickers+ benefits include 50% off tickets to any regular season home match, 15% off merchandise at shop.richmondkickers.com, exclusive digital content, member events, and more! Click here for more info and to join today!
RichmondKickers.com and on social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Download the Richmond Kickers mobile app for news, contests, and more!
Match Information:
Richmond Kickers vs North Carolina FC
City Stadium, Richmond, Va.
Saturday, May 22 at 6:30 p.m.
Broadcast Information:
Internet: ESPN+
TV (Local): WTVR CBS 6
WTVR CBS 6 Players to Watch
Richmond Kickers
Nil Vinyals (#10) continues to impress and make his mark on this Kickers squad. He registered three shots, two on target and one blocked. Vinyals also had a passing accuracy of 80.8% and made 18 good passes and crosses.
Victor Falck (#23) was a standout performer in the midfield. He made 20 passes into the opposition half with a 90% passing accuracy. He made 35 successful passes or crosses and had two shots. Falck also put in a significant defensive performance with three interceptions and one block.
Emiliano Terzaghi (#32) scored twice in a matter of 10 minutes last time out with a goal in the box off an assist by Oalex Anderson then a second from the penalty spot. Terzaghi matched Viinyals for three shots, two on target and one blocked as well.
North Carolina FC
Max Flick (#4) played a crucial role in holding down the North Carolina defense for the better part of the match against Forward Madison. He made 52 passes and 86.5% passing accuracy coupled with two clearances and one interception.
Malick Mbaye (#5) was a solid central defender and distributor in his matches against Greenville and with an 86.1% passing accuracy, and 83.7% against Forward Madison and also made 10 clearances and two blocks.
Luis Arriaga (#8) managed to create one chance and take one shot in the match against Forward Madison with a 79.3% passing accuracy. In the previous match against Greenville he managed 27 passes into the opposition's half and four interceptions.
United Soccer League One Stories from May 21, 2021
- Match Forecast: Tormenta FC vs. Greenville Triumph - South Georgia Tormenta FC
- Central Valley Fuego FC Announces Capelli Sport as Official Apparel Partner - Central Valley Fuego FC
- FC Tucson Sign Three Local Talents to USL Academy Contracts - FC Tucson
- Tormenta FC Bolsters Roster with Veteran Midfielder Vincenzo Candela - South Georgia Tormenta FC
- Match Preview: Greenville Triumph at South Georgia Tormenta - Greenville Triumph SC
- Richmond Welcome Old Rival to City Stadium - Richmond Kickers
- Fort Lauderdale CF to Visit Chattanooga Red Wolves SC on Saturday - Fort Lauderdale CF
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
