Richmond Kickers News Release -- www.richmondkickers.com
Friday, June 7, 2013
RICHMOND, Va. – The Richmond Kickers will attempt to keep their undefeated USL PRO record when they host the Wilmington Hammerheads and Food Truck Fest at City Stadium on Saturday night at 7 p.m. Richmond’s iconic food trucks will headline the event with local favorites such as Curbside Creations, Paris Creperie, King of Pops, Mr. Softee, Arco Iris Latino Market and La Milpa scheduled to attend, serving delicious sandwiches, legendary tacos and all-natural frozen desserts. The Kickers outdoor bar and live music begin at 5:30 p.m. and admission is just $5 before 6:30 p.m.
Richmond and Wilmington conclude their two-game home and away regular season series on Saturday, having met previously at Wilmington’s Legion Stadium on May 3. Claiming three points from their first and only road contest so far this season, veteran midfielder Luke Vercollone converted a second-half penalty to give the visitors the lead before 17-year-old forward Michael Seaton notched the decisive goal in stoppage time in his professional debut.
The Kickers enter Saturday’s game following a 1-0 win over USL PRO expansion franchise Phoenix FC Wolves last week. Keeping their unbeaten streak alive on the back of Nate Robinson’s 30th minute lone goal, the Kickers posted their fourth shutout of the season with goalkeeper Ryan Jones recording a clean sheet in his home debut to solidify the club’s 6-0-3 record and third-place position in the USL PRO standings.
Wilmington battled Phoenix 24 hours later and also collected a valuable three points in their rematch against the Wolves. The Hammerheads raced out to an early lead when former Kickers defender Jamel Wallace connected with Uriah Bentick in the sixth minute. After Phoenix leveled the score just before the break, the Hammerheads capped off the first half minute later with a Daniel Roberts game-winner.
Players to Watch
Kickers: Forward Casey Townsend has been a spark for the Kickers this year in all four games played. With two goals and six shots on target, the loanee from D.C. United has put his stamp on games and, after being sent back to Richmond, will look to get back to his scoring ways.
Appearing in all 11 of the Kickers regular season and U.S. Open Cup matches this season, veteran defender William Yomby has anchored the defensive unit to five shutouts. The Cameroonian earned USL PRO Team of the Week honors this week following another solid defensive effort blanking the Wolves last week.
Versatile midfielder/defender Juan Arbelaez earned his fourth start of the season against Phoenix, recording his first professional assist on the game-winning goal. Selected by the Montreal Impact in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft, the native of Pereira, Colombia signed with the Kickers following two seasons at VCU where he made 38 appearances, tallying one goal and five assists.
Hammerheads: Defender Jamel Wallace has played all but one game this season and has proven to be a force to reckoned with on both sides of the ball, sharing the scoring lead with three goals. The former Kickers defender made 21 appearances in Richmond during the 2011 season.
Midfielder Paul Nicholson is the other scoring leader for the Hammerheads, also notching three goals. In his third season with the Hammerheads, the Englishman has made eight appearances registering a total of 658 minutes.