Richmond Kickers 1, Charlotte FC 5
| RICHMOND KICKERS | 1 | 52′ Moran |
| CHARLOTTE FC | 5 | 34′ Rios (Reyna), 54′ Reyna (Ortiz), 58′ Gaines (Reyna), 61′ Gaines (Reyna), 86′ Shinyashiki |
RICHMOND, Va. — (Wednesday, May 11, 2022) — The Richmond Kickers set a new attendance record post-COVID as 4,612 fans filled the stands during the 2022 Open Cup Round of 32 against MLS side, Charlotte FC which ended with the visitors earning a 5-1 result.
The Kickers nearly drew first blood with a header from Matthew Bentley in the 29th minute. Emiliano Terzaghi played the role of creator on the left wing as he lifted a cross to the Brit. Bentley deftly flicked the shot on target with his head, forcing a diving save from the Charlotte keeper.
Despite momentum favoring the Kickers, the visitors broke the stalemate in the 33rd minute. Charlotte forward Daniel Rios fired a shot from inside the box that was saved by Akira Fitzgerald with a deflection. However, the deflection fell to teammate Yordy Reyna who passed the ball back into the box and Rios guided it into the net.
By halftime, Richmond had totaled six shots with two shots on goal but Charlotte held serve in the scoreline.
The Kickers came out of the dressing room firing to start the second half. Soon after, Zaca Moran scored his first goal in front of the City Stadium crowd with an equalizer in the 52nd minute. Leonardo Baima combined with Vincenzo Candela on a one-two, deep on the left wing, before Baima crossed the ball to the back post to Stephen Payne. Payne squared the ball back towards the middle of the box as Moran charged in and fired a shot that beat the keeper and hit the net.
The magic of a possible cupset started to dissipate as Charlotte responded quickly with a goal in transition that involved a controversial restart of play in the 54th minute. Charlotte found two more goals by the 61st minute as the Kickers opened up in an attempt to chase the game.
Owayne Gordon made his debut tonight for the Kickers, coming in as a substitute in the 63rd minute and had a breakaway in the 80th minute, taking the ball from midfield and dribbling past three defenders before taking the shot, which was saved by George Marks. The new Roo flashed his tenacity and agility by tracking back across the field to shut down another attacking chance from Charlotte.
The Kickers had one last great chance in front of goal as Nil Vinyals took a free kick in the 89th minute. The final shot by a Kicker curled dangerously over the Charlotte wall and beat the keeper, but the shot had too much English and hit the wrong side of the woodwork.
In total, the Kickers were unlucky not to score more as they outshot Charlotte 17 to 13 while placing six shots on goal. The Kickers finished with a 1.59 xG only just behind Charlotte’s 1.96.
The Kickers stay at home for one final match of their three-match homestand. The Roos host defending USL League One Champions, Union Omaha, on Saturday, May 14th on First Responders Night. Kickoff for the match is set for 6:30 p.m.
Stay up to date with the latest news from the Kickers at RichmondKickers.com and on the official team app.
