The tournament returns after a two-year absence
RICHMOND, Va. — Fresh off a confident 4-0 performance at City Stadium to open the USL League One season, the Kickers head up to Leesburg, Va. for their first match in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup since the 2019 season when they face USL League Two side NoVa Fc, Wednesday night.
NoVa FC hosts the Roos after earning a 3-1 victory at Lynchburg FC on Wednesday, March 30, during a replay of the Open Cup’s first round. NoVa’s Luke Campbell opened the scoring in the 13th minute before the hosts leveled it 12 minutes later. However, NoVa would take the match in the second half following a go-ahead strike by Jean-Philippe Ayolmbong in the 48th minute.
Jhonny De Souza put away the match in the 85th minute with a converted penalty. However, late in stoppage time, De Souza would see a red card and will not be eligible for the second round following a skirmish with a Lynchburg player that also saw the Lynchburg player sent off.
NoVa and Lynchburg were forced into a replay following inclement weather conditions that forced the original match on Wednesday, March 23, to be canceled late in the second half, knotted up 1-1.
Chief Sporting Officer and Head Coach Darren Sawatzky prepares for his first Open Cup match at the helm of a USL League One side. The Kickers’ boss took over the Roos right before the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the tournament for the most recent two iterations, and FC Tucson could not compete when Sawatzky coached the team in 2019 because of their previous affiliation to Phoenix Rising FC.
A coach with his own history as a player in the Open Cup, Sawatzky aims to take the Kickers, who have a cup in their trophy cabinet, on a deep run as the club celebrates its historic 30th consecutive season of operation.
Since winning the Cup in 1995, the Kickers have made it to the semifinals in 2011 alongside three quarterfinal appearances in 2001, 2004, and 2007. Outside of the 2011 semifinal appearance, the club’s best finish during the 2010s was a round of 16 finish in 2010 and a trio of fourth-round appearances in 2014, 2015, and 2018.
The Kickers’ most recent appearance in the Open Cup was during the 2019 season with the late David Bulow at the helm of the Reds. The Kickers earned an eye-watering 6-2 victory over Virginia United at City Stadium during the second round. However, their run would end in the third round in Cary, N.C. after falling to then USL Championship side, North Carolina FC, 4-1.
Goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald, forward Luke Pavone, and midfielder, Matt Bolduc are the only current Kickers that played for the club during the 2019 season.
Newcomers to the tournament like Emiliano Terzaghi, Jonathan Bolanos, Zaca Moran, and Matthew Bentley will look to make a major impact in their debut, while a player like Nil Vinyals, who has cup appearances with South Georgia Tormenta FC, will aim to add on his previous experience.
Of course, the Kickers are not only looking to make a run in the cup but to also continue the momentum generated from their league opener this past Saturday. But, despite having a third match inside a seven-day period when the Kickers host Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC on Saturday, April 9, the Roos are focused on taking things one game at a time.
Fans interested in seeing the Kickers back at City Stadium can purchase their tickets for the Saturday, April 9 match against host Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC who will play their inaugural match in Richmond. The first 500 fans through the gates will receive a 90s-inspired throwback tee presented by RVAccess. Tickets for the match are available for purchase here.
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