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TUCSON, Ariz.  — The Richmond Kickers’ (11-10-7) first playoff run since the 2016 season ended on the road at FC Tucson (11-10-7) in the quarterfinals of the USL League One playoffs after an 87th-minute goal and only shot on target for the hosts broke the stalemate.

Richmond’s first playoff match since 2016 was underway with the Reds making one change from the last several weeks with Nathan Aune starting in the match. The Kickers were solid in the back as they absorbed pressure from the hosts while flashing danger on the wings on the counter.

Both sides were unable to exploit each other’s defenses as the match went into the half in a stalemate just one week after the same match between the two sides saw three combined goals in the first 45. 

When the two sides emerged for the second half, Richmond pressed for a go-ahead. Jonathan Bolanos was running through the middle of the FC Tucson defense after beating his marker but was brought down shortly after earning a free kick in a decent spot for Richmond.

Nil Vinyals sent a cross into the far end of the Tucson box to Aune who squared it back across the face of the goal for Jalen Crisler who tried side-footing the ball but the Tucson defense and Wallis Lapsley were able to get pressure on the attempt and quell the attack.

In the 75th minute, Bolanos was surging up the left wing, beating his marker turning him inside, then cutting into the box he let a low-driven shot into the near post which Lapsley was able to get behind, and collect.

With the clock winding down, in the final 10 minutes of regular time, FC Tucson was able to find a go-ahead goal off of a Derri Corfe shot into the far post, bringing Tucson to 1-0 in the 87th minute. Despite having three additional minutes of stoppage time, the Kickers were unable to find an equalizer.

The Kickers were unlucky not to earn a result in the desert as the attack produced twice as many shots as the hosts including five shots on target while holding Tucson to only one shot on target. Ultimately, the Kickers were built to withstand a siege and were dangerous off the ball.

While Richmond’s season ends in Tucson, the Reds under Darren Sawatzky have their first playoff appearance under their belt exactly two years to the day that Sawatzky was named the man to rebuild the club and after a truncated 2020 season that saw the Reds 90 minutes away from making the 2020 USL League One Final.

The Roos will look to continue building on the progress made over the last two years as they head into the 2022 USL League One Season.

BOX SCORE

LINEUPS

Richmond: Akira Fitzgerald, Chris Cole, Ivan Magalhães, Nathan Aune (59’ – Victor Falck), Jalen Crisler, Esteban Calvo, Zaca Moran, Ethan Bryant (89’ – Oalex Anderson), Nil Vinyals (88’ – Luke Pavone ), Emiliano Terzaghi, Jonathan Bolanos (80’ – Matt Bolduc)

Unused Substitutes: Austin Causey, Juan Pablo Monticelli, Hernan Gonzalez

FC Tucson: Wallis Lapsley, Maximiliano Schenfeld, Noah Franke, Luca Mastrantonio, Kaelon Fox, Charlie Dennis, Mohamed Kone, Joao Delgado (23’ – Daniel Bedoya)(89’ – Dakota Barnathan), Shak Adams (89’ – Alex Knox)​​, Deri Corfe, Kevin Rodríguez  (82’ – Giovanni Calixtro)

STATISTICS

SCORING SUMMARY

CAUTIONS SUMMARY
 

EJECTIONS SUMMARY

None.

TUCSON, Ariz. — The Richmond Kickers (11-10-7) fell on the road at FC Tucson(11-10-7) 4-2, Saturday night as the Reds finished their 2021 regular-season campaign as the fifth seed in the USL League One playoffs presented by TwinSpires.

The sounding of the referee’s whistle marked the start of Richmond’s final regular-season match of 2021. In the 4th minute, Kevin Rodriguez took a shot on goal. Akira Fitzgerald quickly blocked the shot but another Tucson attacker gathered the rebound and took a shot at the open goal. Jalen Crisler made an emphatic goalline save and clearance to deny the early attempts at goal. 

Shortly after, Matt Bolduc sent a cross into the box towards the far post and Jonathan Bolanos side-footed it at the goal. Wallis Lapsley got a hand to it but the shot had too much pace on it and bounced up into the goal netting, bringing the Reds an early go-ahead goal in the 22nd minute. 

A few minutes later, FC Tucson came back with an attack of their own, and the fullback, Max Schenfeld, drilled a shot from the left side of the box that curled just out of Fitzgerald’s reach, leveling the scoreline in the 24th minute, 1-1.

FC Tucson came back with their own attack just before halftime. Deri Corfe received the ball outside of the box, dribbled towards the Richmond box, and found space to shoot. The attempt took a bounce near the goal and threw Fitzgerald off bouncing into the net, bringing FC Tucson to 2-1.

The second half was underway and the Reds pushed for an equalizer right out of the gate. Terzaghi pressed an awkward bounce deep in Tucson territory and was free on goal, Terzaghi beating his mark, was attacked by Lapsley, but Terzaghi pushed the ball to the side, beating Lapsley and having an open goal, but Lapsley took Terzaghi down and Richmond earned a penalty. Terzaghi placed the ball on the spot and drilled the penalty into the net, equalizing for the Reds, 2-2.

FC Tucson earned a corner kick in the 51st minute which Charlie Dennis delivered into the center of the box for Luca Mastrantonio to head into the goal, giving FC Tucson the lead again, 3-2. 

Several minutes later, FC Tucson sent a long ball across the field to Shak Adams on the right-wing whose burst of pace took him into the Richmond box.  Adams feigned left, went wide, and managed to salvage a foot of space to get a shot off into the near post, beating Fitzgerald and adding another to the scoreline, 4-2.

The Kickers have the week to rest and recuperate before they head back to the desert to face fourth-seeded Tucson in a rematch in the quarterfinals of the USL League One playoffs presented by TwinSpires. The kickoff for the match will be announced at a later date.

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

BOX SCORE

LINEUPS

Richmond: Akira Fitzgerald, Chris Cole, Ivan Magalhães, Jalen Crisler (64’ – Nathan Aune), Esteban Calvo, Zaca Moran, Ethan Bryant (64’ – Victor Falck), Nil Vinyals, Matt Bolduc (64’ – Oalex Anderson), Emiliano Terzaghi, Jonathan Bolanos

Unused Substitutes: Austin Causey, Juan Pablo Monticelli, Luke Pavone, Hernan Gonzalez

FC Tucson: Wallis Lapsley, Maximiliano Schenfeld (86’ – Alioune Diakhate), Noah Franke, Luca Mastrantonio, Kaelon Fox, Charlie Dennis (86’ – Daniel Bedoya), Mohamed Kone, Joao Delgado (86’ – Dakota Barnathan), Shak Adams (80’ – Giovanni Calixtro), Deri Corfe, Kevin Rodríguez (80’ – Alex Knox)

STATISTICS

SCORING SUMMARY

CAUTIONS SUMMARY
 

EJECTIONS SUMMARY

None.

MATCH INFORMATION