Team Announcements

KICKERS SIGN RUSSELL AND PASCALE

RICHMOND, Va. – (Friday, September 14, 2018) – The Richmond Kickers are pleased to announce the signings of defender Shaun Russell and goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale for the remainder of the 2018 USL season. Both players will be available for selection this Saturday night as the Kickers host Ottawa Fury FC at City Stadium.

Russell comes to the Kickers after spending the 2016 season at the New York Cosmos B in the NPSL, where he made ten appearances and scoring one goal. He spent four seasons at Saint Francis University, where he would play in 71 matches and recorded three assists throughout his collegiate career.

A long-time veteran of the Kickers, Pascale returns to the club where he made a club-record 304 appearances over 13 seasons in Richmond between 2000-12. The North Salem, N.Y. native also leads the club with 97 shutouts.

The Kickers are back in action Saturday night to host Ottawa Fury FC at 7:00 p.m. at City Stadium. The party starts at 5:30 p.m. when the gates open for Oktoberfest, with authentic German oompah music by The Sauerkrauts, a stein-hoisting competition and seasonal craft beers on tap. This match will be available to stream online through ESPN+. Tickets for this match are on sale now at www.richmondkickers.com.

KICKERS SIGN AGYEMANG AND BARNES

RICHMOND, Va. – (Friday, August 3, 2018) – The Richmond Kickers are pleased to announce the signings of midfielder Prince Agyemang and goalkeeper Brandon Barnes for the remainder of the 2018 season. Both players will be available for selection this Saturday night as the Kickers host Bethlehem Steel FC at City Stadium.

Agyemang joins the Kickers after spending last season at Ontinyent CF in the Spanish Segunda División B. The Right to Dream Academy product signed his first contract with Limerick FC in Ireland, through a partnership the club established with the Academy, where he went on to make 31 appearances over two stints with the club. After making just six appearances with New Edubiase United in Ghana, Agyemang joined Sporting Covilhã, playing in 19 matches with the Portuguese side during the 2016/17 campaign.

Barnes signs his first professional contract with the Kickers following a season with Laredo Heat SC in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), helping the club to an undefeated season with 10 wins. The Illinois Fox Valley Conference, All-Conference goalkeeper in high school went on to play at Seton Hall University. Limited to just eight games, Barnes posted 28 saves in 672 minutes of action in his redshirt sophomore season in 2015. He continued his collegiate career at Bradley University as a graduate student, which saw him named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference Second Team in his only season, along with four MVC Defensive Player of the Week honors and ranked third in the nation in total saves with 103.

The Kickers return home to City Stadium to face Bethlehem Steel FC at 7 p.m. The party starts at 5:30pm for artVA Fest with live music by The Hit List, a collaborative art zone including lessons, performances and installations by Art on Wheels, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Studio Two Three and Wine & Design, plus RVA food trucks and over a dozen craft beers on tap. Tickets are available now at www.richmondkickers.com.

KICKERS APPOINT DAVID BULOW AS HEAD COACH

RICHMOND, Va. – (Wednesday, June 27, 2018) – The Richmond Kickers announced today that former professional player David Bulow has been appointed head coach for the remainder of the 2018 season. Making 127 appearances with the Kickers from 2006-2009 and 2011-2013 and holding a USSF A License, Bulow will serve as the first team’s seventh head coach in the club’s 26-year history.

“We are pleased to announce David Bulow as our new head coach,” commented Rob Ukrop, Richmond Kickers President, Board of Directors. “We have been impressed with David’s work within our Academy environment over the last several years, and we are excited for David to introduce his fresh soccer perspective into our first team squad. We know David to be an incredibly hard-working teammate, a tremendous competitor, and wonderful family man who values teamwork and camaraderie.”

“I am excited to be named the new head coach of the Richmond Kickers,” said Bulow. “It’s an honor to be added to the list of head coaches of one of the most historic and storied clubs in US soccer. I am very much looking forward to the challenges ahead.”

Bulow has been coaching within the Richmond Kickers Youth Soccer Club and Richmond United U.S. Soccer Development Academy for eight years, most recently acting as Richmond United U15, U17 and U19 Head Coach.

“We are proud to continue our strong tradition of hiring from within the club,” added Leigh Cowlishaw, Richmond Kickers Director of Soccer. “This is a wonderful opportunity for David and as a former pro player and assistant coach, I know his passion for the club and city will resonate with both players and fans.”

Over seven seasons as a professional player with the Kickers, Bulow amassed 45 goals and 13 assists en route to three USL Championship appearances. Returning to Richmond in 2011 after a one-year hiatus from the club, he became the U.S. Open Cup all-time leading scorer that season after notching his 14th goal in tournament history against Major League Soccer’s Sporting Kansas City to lead the Kickers to a stunning 2-0 upset and a berth to the U.S. Open Cup Semifinals for the first time since 1995. A native of Denver, Colorado, he resides in fourth place on the club’s all-time career goals list and in fifth place on the all-time career points list.

Retiring from professional soccer in 2013, Bulow acted as a Kickers player/assistant coach that season before serving as assistant coach in 2014.

Bulow’s appointment follows the decision of long-time head coach Leigh Cowlishaw to step aside after 19 seasons at the helm to focus full-time on his duties as Director of Soccer.

COWLISHAW STEPS ASIDE AFTER 19 SEASONS

RICHMOND, Va. – (Tuesday, June 26, 2018) – The Richmond Kickers announced today that head coach, Leigh Cowlishaw, has stepped down from his coaching role after 19 seasons at the helm. The longest tenured coach in the USL, Cowlishaw coached his 560th and final match on June 23, 2018 with a 1-1 draw against the Charlotte Independence at City Stadium and reached his 276th win as head coach with a 2-0 victory over long-time rivals Charleston Battery two weeks prior. Cowlishaw will remain an integral member of the Kickers staff, shifting his full-time focus towards his role as Director of Soccer.

“I am sincerely grateful to the Richmond Kickers Board of Directors for affording me the opportunity to step away from my coaching duties and focus solely on my Director of Soccer position,” commented Cowlishaw. “In recent years, the Kickers have experienced unprecedented growth and it has been my desire for some time to shift my attention to areas where I can have the biggest impact on the organization. I am looking forward to new challenges as we continue to strive to make the Kickers the number one sports experience in Richmond.”

Having previously joined the Kickers as a player during the club’s inaugural season in 1993, Cowlishaw assumed the role of head coach in 2000. He has amassed an overall record of 276 wins,156 losses,128 draws, leading the Kickers to 13 consecutive playoff berths (2004-2016). Under his guidance, the Kickers have qualified for postseason play 15 times, reaching the title match in 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010, while earning the Regular Season Championship title on four occasions (2001, 2006, 2007 and 2013) and claiming the league crown twice (2006 and 2009).

“Leigh has been a wonderful ambassador for our club both on the field and in the community,” added Rob Ukrop, Richmond Kickers President, Board of Directors. “Since 1993, his vision and leadership have helped shape the Richmond Kickers into the model for soccer in the United States. Leigh has had an incredible run as our First Team coach, and we look forward to honoring him later this season where our amazing fans can recognize Leigh’s coaching achievements.”

Having also achieved significant success in the U.S. Open Cup, he won the tournament title as a player in 1995 and has since led the team to four quarterfinal appearances (2001, 2004, 2007, 2011) and a remarkable semifinal finish in 2011, ousting five Major League Soccer teams along the way. A member of the USL Hall of Fame and 2013 USL Coach of the Year, Cowlishaw’s success on the field is matched by numerous awards off the field, helping to guide the club to five USL Organization of the Year awards (1995, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2009).

As Director of Soccer, Cowlishaw is responsible for guiding the strategic direction of the club while managing the technical staff, overseeing branding and marketing initiatives and delegating responsibilities in a continuously evolving sport marketplace. He will continue to provide leadership throughout all levels of the Richmond Kickers 8,000-member youth soccer club, while serving on the Richmond United Executive Committee.

KICKERS HOST LALIGA SIDE ESPANYOL JULY 25

RICHMOND, VA – (Monday, June 18, 2018) – The Richmond Kickers are proud to host RCD Espanyol of the world famous LaLiga in an international exhibition, presented by Big Apple Neighborhood Market, at City Stadium on Wednesday, July 25 at 7:00 p.m. The historic match marks the first time a team from Spain’s top flight will appear in Virginia. City Stadium will serve as Espanyol’s base camp during their seven-day U.S. preseason tour, which will include training sessions open to the public to be announced at a later date.

Following a 48-hour private presale, general admission tickets will go on sale at noon on Wednesday, June 20 at www.richmondkickers.com.

“We look forward to hosting Espanyol in Richmond and attracting even more fans to City Stadium for what has become a Richmond tradition and our biggest attended game of the season,” commented Leigh Cowlishaw, Richmond Kickers Director of Soccer. Espanyol are a world-class club with a long tradition of excellence. We anticipate July 25th to be a fantastic night of entertainment for fans of the beautiful game.”

Espanyol finished the 2017-18 campaign in 11th place in LaLiga with season highlights including a 1-0 win against 2018 UEFA Champions League winners Real Madrid, a 1-0 win against Europa League Champions Atlético Madrid and a 1-1 draw with crosstown rivals FC Barcelona.

The Barcelona-based club established in 1900 claimed the Spanish national cup title, Copa del Rey, on four occasions, most recently in 2006, and reached the UEFA Cup Final in 1988 and 2007. Top players on Espanyol’s roster include 2018 FIFA World Cup players such as Costa Rica’s Oscar Duarte and Colombia’s Carlos Sanchez. The club also features multiple players who have played for Spain’s National Team and who have represented Spain at FIFA’s youth competitions, and many who currently play for the Catalonia National Team.

July’s match in Richmond continues the tradition of high profile exhibitions at City Stadium. Previously, the Richmond Kickers hosted English Premier League sides Crystal Palace (2014), West Bromwich Albion (2015), and Swansea City AFC (2016, 2017), in front nearly 30,000 combined fans at City Stadium.

CORDOVS NAMED TO USL TEAM OF THE WEEK

TAMPA, Fla. – (Tuesday, June 12, 2018) – The United Soccer League (USL) announced Tuesday that Richmond Kickers forward Heviel Cordovés has been named to the USL Team of the Week for Week 13. Cordovés scored his second goal of the season in the 62nd minute of Saturday night’s 2-0 win over the Charleston Battery at City Stadium.

The Cuban forward signed with Richmond prior to the 2018 season after spending five seasons with Kickers USL rivals Charleston Battery. Over five seasons in Charleston, he made 86 appearances and contributed 21 goals in a Battery uniform. Cordovés has also been capped by the Cuban National Team nine times between 2008-12, scoring one goal.

The Kickers are back in action Tuesday night, as they make the trek up to face Penn FC at FNB Field at 7:00 p.m. Väsen Brewing is the Official Watch Party spot for this match, with ten different beers on tap. This match will be available to stream online through ESPN+. Following Tuesday night’s match, the Kickers are back on the road to face FC Cincinnati at Nippert Stadium this Saturday night for a 7:00 p.m. kickoff. Saturday night’s match will be shown live on the Kickers Official Television Partners WTVR CBS 6 via their 6.3 sub channel (Comcast 206, Verizon FiOS 466) and streaming online through ESPN+.

USL Team of the Week

GK – Kyle Reynish, Fresno FC: Reynish recorded nine saves – tying the single-game high in the 2018 USL regular season – to earn the Foxes a 1-1 draw on the road with Reno 1868 FC.

D – Ken Tribbett, Penn FC: Tribbett scored a pair of goals, recorded five interceptions and won 14 of 21 duels as Penn claimed a 3-2 victory against Toronto FC II on Saturday night.

D – Forrest Lasso, FC Cincinnati: Lasso won 14 of 15 duels and recorded 11 clearances as Cincinnati claimed a 2-0 victory on the road against North Carolina FC.

D – Josh Phillips, Portland Timbers 2: Phillips scored the only goal of the game, won all nine of his duels and recorded three interceptions and eight clearances in a 1-0 victory against Rio Grande Valley FC.

M – Richie Ledezma, Real Monarchs SLC: Ledezma scored the opening goal, his first as a professional, and helped set up the Monarchs’ second in a 2-0 victory against Rio Grande Valley FC on June 4.

M – Joey Calistri, Saint Louis FC: Calistri had two goals and one assist, including a highlight-reel finish, as he led Saint Louis to a 3-0 victory against Tulsa Roughnecks FC on Saturday night.

M – Matt Watson, Indy Eleven: Watson scored an opportunistic opening goal as part of a strong two-way performance that saw him record four tackles, four interceptions and four key passes.

M – Chase Minter, Swope Park Rangers: Minter put in a standout display winning 18 of 23 duels and recording three key passes and six tackles as the Rangers took a 1-0 win on the road against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC.

F – David Estrada, Seattle Sounders FC 2: Estrada scored twice in the final seven minutes as S2 rallied for a 2-1 victory against OKC Energy FC on Sunday afternoon.

F – Heviel Cordovés, Richmond Kickers: Cordoves scored the game-winning goal and recorded four key passes as the Kickers took a 2-0 victory against the Charleston Battery on Saturday night.

F – Leon Taylor, Tampa Bay Rowdies: Taylor scored a late equalizer on his debut for the Rowdies to preserve Tampa Bay’s undefeated home record in a 1-1 draw against Nashville SC.

Bench: Andre Rawls (OC), Carlos Rodriguez (SAC), Sakari Carter (SEA), Jared Stroud (NY), Matthew Real (BST), Brian Brown (RNO), Ropapa Mensah (NSH)

CORDOVS NAMED TO USL TEAM OF THE WEEK