Kickers 15th Annual Player Combine, March 22-24

RICHMOND, VA - (Wednesday, March 20, 2013) – Nearly 100 players will attend the Richmond Kickers 15th annual player combine this weekend, March 22-24, at the Kickers state-of-the-art sports complex, Ukrop Park.  Players representing 25 countries from around the world, including Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Egypt, El Salvador, England, France, The Gambia, Ghana, Israel, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Malawi, Nigeria, Poland, Senegal, Spain, Trinidad & Tobago and the United States will participate in three days of intense training, including small-sided games, speed testing and full-sided matches.

"We are searching for one or two additional players to add to the team,” commented Leigh Cowlishaw, Richmond Kickers Director of Soccer.  “We have a very talented group in place and are hopeful we can find a couple of strong players from this weekend's event to add depth to the squad."

Attendance at the player combine is one of the best ways to ensure that a player’s complete soccer resume and professional evaluation is in front of key decision makers for the Richmond Kickers. Training sessions will take place in front of professional coaching staff, led by Kickers Director of Soccer, Leigh Cowlishaw, who will be joined by an array of experienced technical staff and former professional players.

Past Kickers trials have produced such prominent players as Clyde Simms (New England Revolution, D.C. United and U.S. Men’s National Team), Ronnie Pascale (Three-time USL-2 Goalkeeper of the Year), Tim Brown (New Zealand National Team) and Robert Ssejjemba (2006 USL-2 MVP and Ugandan National Team).

Simms is one of 18 D.C. United players who played with the Kickers over the past two decades, with the roster of former Kickers players also including 2011 Major League Soccer MVP Dwayne De Rosario, Mike Burke, Jeff Causey, Ben Crawler, Brian Kamler, Mike McGinty, Richie Williams, Mark Simpson and Robert Ssejjemba. Players who have featured with the Kickers on loan include Brian Carroll, John DiRaimondo, Justin Mapp, Andy Metcalf, Bryan Namoff, Anthony Peters, Long Tan and Ethan White. In franchise history, 22 players have progressed from the Richmond Kickers into Major League Soccer.