Richmond, VA – (Wednesday, April 22, 2009) – The Richmond Kickers are pleased to host the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and Scout Night this Saturday, April 25th at the University of Richmond Stadium at 7:00 p.m. Scouts can purchase discounted tickets in advance by calling 804-644-KICK the first 500 fans through the gate will receive a coupon for free go-karting and laser tag, courtesy of G-Force Karts. Regular admission is $12/adult and $7/youth.
Kickers Versus Riverhounds
Long-time rivals with the Kickers in the USL First Division, the Riverhounds made their come-back in the USL-2 last season following a one-year hiatus. After five seasons in the top flight, the Riverhounds realigned with the USL-2 in 2004, two years ahead of the Kickers. Overall, the Kickers hold a 9-4-1 record against Pittsburgh, sweeping the series last year with a pair of 3-1 wins over the Riverhounds.
The two teams last met in Richmond on July 12, 2008 where defender Sascha Görres and midfielder Mike Burke each added a goal to the 3-1 scoreline. The Kickers went on to conclude the 2008 campaign with a regular season record of 14-4-2 and 44 points, good for a first-place tie in the USL Second Division, alongside the Charlotte Eagles (13-2-5, 44 points). Despite finishing with the most wins in the league, the Kickers narrowly missed claiming the Regular Season Champion title for the third consecutive year as the Eagles took the tiebreaker based on head-to-head games played. Meanwhile, the Riverhounds 2008 season got off to a slow start, going winless during the first nine matches, before finishing the season 4-10-6. Despite the late season comeback, the Riverhounds just missed playoff contention.
Last Time Out
Both the Kickers and the Riverhounds opened the 2009 season with draws. Pittsburgh battled Crystal Palace Baltimore to a scoreless stalemate last Friday on the road while the Kickers drew even with the Harrisburg City Islanders, 2-2, one day later. Riverhounds goalkeeper Zach Varga earned a clean sheet, keeping Palace off the board with three saves.
Just a few hours south on I-95, the Kickers opened scoring early against the City Islanders when Burke and forward Matthew Delicâte connected in the 16th minute. Harrisburg answered back with a pair of goals before the end of the first half but an off-the-ball foul against the home team brought the teams even when Kickers forward David Bulow calmly converted the resulting penalty kick early in the second half.
Players to Watch
Kickers: Richmond scoring sensation Matthew “Deli” Delicate (#7) continued his scoring trend last weekend, opening the match with an early tally against the Harrisburg City Islanders. The 6’3” forward reached seventh place on the Kickers all-time career goals list (20) in just two seasons with the Kickers, returning to Richmond this year after spending three seasons with the Rochester Rhinos of USL-1. The Kickers 2008 leading scorer, David Bulow (#10), rounded out the score last weekend after converting a second half penalty kick. A native of Denver, Colorado, Bulow is in his fourth season with the Kickers and is tied for seventh place with Deli on the all-time career goals list with 20. Adding strength to the midfield is Joey Worthen (#8) who returns to Richmond this season after stints with Real Salt Lake (MLS) and Carolina RailHawks (USL-1). Over two seasons with the Kickers (2004-05), Worthen made 46 appearances, accumulating 3,342 minutes. Fresh off of a National Indoor Soccer League Championship with the Baltimore Blast, Adrian Bumbut (#9) is back in town for his sophomore season with the Kickers. In 20 games played last season, the Romanian midfielder recorded two goals and four assists. Entering his fifth season, defender Sascha Görres now ranks fifth on the all-time career assists list with 20. He added an assist on the 90th minute game-winning goal during the Kickers home opener exhibition against the Carolina RailHawks (USL-1) earlier this month. Goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale (#22) earned his first clean sheet of the season, posting four heroic saves over the RailHawks on April 4th. Entering his 10th season with the Kickers, the veteran netminder earned back-to-back USL-2 Goalkeeper of the Year honors in 2006 and 2007.
Riverhounds: Former Kickers defender Ed Hayden (#8) joined the Riverhounds squad prior to the 2008 season after taking the USL-2 Championship title with Richmond in 2006. A native of Silver Spring, MD, Hayden made 17 appearances with the Riverhounds in 2008, amassing over 1,700 minutes with the Pittsburgh defensive unit. Joining Hayden on the backline, Tenywa “T-Bone” Bonseu (#22) returns to Pittsburgh after a two-year stint with the team in 1999 and 2000. The youngest player ever selected to appear for the Uganda National Team, Bonseu spent five seasons in Major League Soccer and four seasons with the Rochester Rhinos of USL-1 before making his way back to the Riverhounds. Former Charleston Battery midfielder Jason Kutney (#19) leads the Riverhounds on and off the field. After making 17 appearances and notching three goals in 2008, Kutney returned as part of the new ownership group leading pro soccer into the future in Pittsburgh. Goalkeeper Zach Varga (#0) protects the nets once again for the Riverhounds in 2008 after leading the team to a 3-5-4 record and two shutouts last season. He posted a clean sheet last weekend during Pittsburgh’s home opening 0-0 draw in Baltimore. Newcomer Randolph Jerome (#18) joins the Riverhounds after an extensive playing career in Lebanon, Trinidad and Tobago and with several Guyanese National Teams. Most recently, Jerome played for the Cleveland City Stars and has impressed Riverhounds fans during pre-season, having scored twice during exhibition games.
Pro Pass Buddy Night
All Pro Pass holders are invited to bring a buddy (ages 3-17) for FREE to the Kickers game this Saturday, April 25th when they host the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Present your Pro Pass at the gate to receive complementary admission for a friend, sibling or relative ages 3-17. It’s not too late to activate. Click HERE to activate your Pro Pass to be eligible to win great prizes all season long.
Post-Game Party
After the game, meet and mingle with the Kickers pro players at the Post-Game Party at Home Team Grill in the Fan. Located at 1630 W. Main Street at Vine Street in the Fan, Home Team Grill will offer exclusive dinner and drink specials to Kickers fans after the game. Click HERE for directions.
Richmond Kickers 17th Season
The Richmond Kickers enter into their 17th season as a member of the United Soccer Leagues family since 1993. Over the past 16 seasons, Richmond has qualified for post-season play 13 times, including six Championship appearances. The Kickers last reached the title match in 2007, the fourth time in the past six seasons, narrowly missing their second consecutive league title after nine rounds of penalties. Richmond’s five previous league Championship appearances (1995, 1996, 2002, 2005, 2006) include winning the Premier League title in 1995, a shoot-out loss to Seattle in the USL First Division final in 2005 and taking the USL Second Division crown in 2006. In 2008, the Kickers fell short of another Championship berth after falling 1-0 in overtime to the eventual champions, Cleveland City Stars.
