Kickers Forward Delicate named USL PRO Player of the Week

TAMPA, Fla. – USL PRO announced its Team of the Week for week 16 of the 2012 season today, honoring Richmond Kickers forward Matt Delicâte as Player of the Week after he broke the club’s all-time goal-scoring record with a late finish in the Kickers’ 2-0 win against the Dayton Dutch Lions on Saturday night.

A stalwart with the Kickers, and now in his second spell with the club, the 30-year-old broke the record held by former Kickers player and current President of the club’s Board of Governors Rob Ukrop with his 64^th goal for the club. The goal came in the final minute after Delicâte himself had been brought down in the Dutch Lions penalty area to earn a penalty kick, which he dispatched into the back of the net.



Matthew Delicate, Richmond Kickers

 The goal was Delicâte’s fourth of this season, and helped the Kickers take sole possession of the sixth and final playoff place in the USL PRO standings. The 2011 All-League selection told the Richmond Times-Dispatch’s Vic Dorr Jr. that helping the side reach the postseason was at the front of his mind, even having broken the record.

"It's the kind of thing I'll look back on in the offseason, or after I've retired," he said. "But right now, it's not about [personal] records. Right now, it's about winning soccer matches and getting our team into the playoffs."

Delicâte was joined on the Team of the Week by Kickers teammate William Yomby, who marshaled a defense that helped goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale earn a shutout with just one save. Yomby was joined in defense by Rochester’s Lucas Fernandez, who had an outstanding game in the Rhinos’ 2-0 win against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, and Orlando’s Luke Boden, who had both assists as City clinched a place in the playoffs with a dramatic 2-1 win against Charleston.

Orlando’s Ian Fuller, who had the game-winning goal in the Lions’ win against the Battery, was also selected, and the forward line was completed by Wilmington’s Cody Arnoux, who scored a spectacular goal from 50 yards out in the Hammerheads’ 2-0 win against Dayton on Friday night. Arnoux was joined by teammate Alex Horwath, who made five saves to earn his seventh shutout of the season.

Leading the quartet of midfielders is Harrisburg’s Tom Mellor, who scored in both of the City Islanders’ games this past week. He is joined by Rochester’s Tyler Rosenlund, who played a key role in the Rhinos’ victory against Pittsburgh, and Dayton’s Kyle Knotek, whose clever back-heel set up the Dutch Lions’ game-winning goal against Harrisburg. Rounding out the group is Charleston’s Jose Cuevas, who had a fine finish in the Battery’s contest with Orlando.

USL PRO Team of the Week

Pos	Player	Team	Highlights
GK	Alex Horwath	Wilmington	Recorded five saves for seventh shutout of season.
D	Lucas Fernandez	Rochester	Had an assist, and helped set up opener, in Rhinos’ victory
D	William Yomby	Richmond	Helped limit Dayton to one shot on goal with stout performance
D	Luke Boden	Orlando	Pair of assists keyed Lions’ dramatic victory in Charleston
M	Jose Cuevas	Charleston	Had seventh goal of season as Battery almost defeated Lions
M	Tyler Rosenlund	Rochester	Controlled the midfield as Rhinos regained second place
M	Kyle Knotek	Dayton	Fine assist allowed Dayton to take victory against Harrisburg
M	Tom Mellor	Harrisburg	Had two goals, including game-winner against Pittsburgh
F	Cody Arnoux	Wilmington	Spectacular finish helped Hammerheads maintain home record
F	Matt Delicâte	Richmond	Late goal clinched victory, broke club’s all-time scoring record
F	Ian Fuller	Orlando	Dramatic game-winner clinched playoff berth for Lions

Honorable Mention –Charleston: Tony Donatelli; Dayton: Gerrit-Jan Bartels, Matt Williams; Harrisburg: Lucky Mkosana; Orlando: Matt Luzunaris, Jamie Watson; Pittsburgh: Matt Kassel; Richmond: Ryan Heins, Sascha Goerres; Rochester: Andrew Hoxie, JC Banks; Wilmington: Dylan Riley, Corey Hertzog.

All-Time Leading Scorer Delicate Leads Kickers Past Dayton

RICHMOND, VA – Matthew Delicate became Richmond’s all-time leading scorer with a stoppage time penalty kick as the Kickers secured a hard-fought 2-0 victory over the Dayton Dutch Lions. 

Entering the match as a 65th minute substitute, Delicate had a number of close calls before scoring his 64th goal in a Richmond uniform.  Soon after entering, a failed clearance from a Dayton defender left the Kickers forward through on goal, but his low shot veered just left of the frame.  Delicate had another golden opportunity in the 86th minute only to have his point blank header pushed wide by Dayton keeper Matt Williams.

Delicate again threatened in the 90th but was fouled in the box by Dayton defender Jeff DeGroot.  After several minutes of protest by Dayton players culminated in a straight red card to the Dutch Lions' Gibson Bardsley, Delicate sent his spot kick past Williams to move past Rob Ukrop as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer.

The match was very much in the balance until Delicate’s goal.  Richmond took the lead in the 11th minute when Ryan Heins knocked in the rebound from a saved Sascha Gorres shot.  Running with the ball down the left, Gorres juked two Dayton defenders before unleashing a low shot from the top of the penalty box which a diving Williams could only push aside.  Arriving unmarked down the right, Heins had an easy tap-in for his first goal of the season.

Dayton picked up the pace in the minutes after the goal, twice having dangerous runs into Richmond’s penalty box deflected away by Kickers defenders.  In the 16th, Dutch Lions’ forward Eli Garner looked through on goal, only to lose the ball to a last second tackle by Yomby William. Just minutes later, Bardsley was similarly dispossessed in the box by a lunging Jason Yeisley.

The match settled down for the remainder of the first half as an open midfield left each side with plenty of possession, but few actual attempts on goal.  The likeliest scorer was Kickers forward Chris Agorsor, who had a number of promising runs called back for offside.

Both teams came out with plenty of energy in the second half and Richmond thought they had gone two up in the 47th minute after Agorsor teed up Gorres at the top of the area.  Gorres settled the ball and checked left before sending a shot in past Williams, but the goal was called back after an offside Agorsor was ruled to have blocked the Dayton keeper’s view of the shot.

Dayton maintained plenty of possession during the second half and had a number of dangerous runs, but they failed to trouble Richmond goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale who tallied his fifth clean sheet of the season.

After traveling to Charlotte for a match on Friday evening, the Richmond Kickers return to City Stadium to host the Charlotte Eagles next Saturday, July 28 at 7:00 p.m.  Gates open at 5:30 for Food Truck Fest, where some of Richmond’s best food trucks will provide fans with a chance to sample unique and gourmet foods.  Scheduled to headline the event are local favorites including Habanero’s, Cupcakes & Tacos, Kona Ice, Dress and Press, La Milpa, Curbside, King of Pops and Richmond legend Boka Truck.  Tickets are just $5.00 per person before 6:30 p.m. and are available in advance from RichmondKickers.com with promotional code FOODTRUCK.  




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Box Score             First Half         Second Half             Final
Richmond                     1                      1                      2
Dayton                         0                      0                      0

Scoring Summary
11th minute: Richmond: Ryan Heins (Sascha Gorres)
90th minute: Richmond: Matthew Delicate (PK)

Lineups
Kickers: GK Ronnie Pascale, William Yomby, Shane Johnson, Henry Kalungi, Jason Yeisley, Luke Vercollone, Gerson Dos Santos (Nozomi Hiroyama – 65’), Sascha Gorres, Ryan Heins (Mike Burke – 65’), Philippe Davies (Edson Elcock – 45’), Christopher Agorsor (Matthew Delicate – 65’)

Riverhounds: GK Matt Williams, Taylor Lord (Michael Earman – 83’), Gregory Preciado, Mettin Copier, Shane Smith (Jeff DeGroot – 45’), Joel DeLass, Kyle Knotek (Toric Robinson – 59’), Mikael McNamara (Daniel Holowaty – 65’), Eric Kissinger (Gerrit-Jan Bartels – 76’), Gibson Bardsley, Eli Garner

Shots                           Saves                           Fouls                             Corners
Dutch Lions:      5          Dutch Lions:      5          Dutch Lions:      11         Dutch Lions:      2
Kickers:           10         Kickers:            1           Kickers:             5          Kickers:            3

Cautions:
32nd minute: Davies (Richmond)
48th minute: Williams (Dayton)
85th minute: DeLass (Dayton)
90th minute: DeGroot (Dayton)

Ejections:
90th minute: Bardsley (Dayton)

Referee:                                                Jim Sadowski
Assistant Referees:                               Kai Goodrich, James Walker
Fourth Official:                                     Moo Hackett
Attendance:                                          1510

Weather:                                               Overcast, Rain 75º

Yomby and Delicâte named USL PRO All-League First Team

Two members of the Richmond Kickers where selected to the 2011 USL PRO All-League First Team today. Defender William Yomby and Forward Matt Delicâte where recognised for their outstanding play this season.

USL PRO honored the top performers from an exciting and successful 2011 regular season today, naming the All-League First and Second Teams as chosen through a vote of team management.

USL PRO regular season champion Orlando City leads the way with four players selected to the First Team and a total of six players honored. The Lions, who will host Saturday’s USL PRO Championship against the Harrisburg City Islanders (7 p.m. ET, FOX Soccer), are represented at every position on the First Team after the selections of striker Maxwell Griffin, midfielder Yordany Alvarez, defender Rob Valentino and goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo.

Wilmington Hammerheads defender Gareth Evans is making his second consecutive appearance on the First Team, while Richmond Kickers defensive leader William Yomby and Richmond striker Matt Delicâte are honored for the third consecutive season. Remarkably, Charlotte Eagles set-up man Jorge Herrera is on the First Team for the fourth consecutive season after finishing second in the league in assists.

League scoring leader Jhonny Arteaga of F.C. New York was a natural choice for one of the three forward spots after tallying 13 goals and 27 points in 21 games. Rounding out the USL PRO All-League First Team is former MLS defender Nelson Akwari of the Los Angeles Blues and rookie midfield standout Luke Mulholland of Wilmington, who finished tied for second in points.

The finalists for Coach of the Year, Defender of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player will be announced on Wednesday, August 31, with the awards being presented at the USL PRO Championship Media Luncheon on Friday, September 2 in Orlando.


2011 USL PRO All-League First Team
GK – Miguel Gallardo, Orlando City
D – Nelson Akwari, Los Angeles Blues
D – Gareth Evans, Wilmington Hammerheads
D – Rob Valentino, Orlando City
D – William Yomby, Richmond KickersMF – Yordany Alvarez, Orlando City
MF – Jorge Herrera, Charlotte Eagles
MF – Luke Mulholland, Wilmington Hammerheads
F – Jhonny Arteaga, F.C. New York
F – Matt Delicâte, Richmond KickersF – Maxwell Griffin, Orlando City

2011 USL PRO All-League Second Team
GK – Neal Kitson, Rochester Rhinos
D – George Dublin, Antigua Barracuda
D – Colin Falvey, Charleston Battery
D – Kyle Hoffer, F.C. New York
D – Troy Roberts, Rochester Rhinos
MF – Lewis Neal, Orlando City
MF – Lawson Robinson, Antigua Barracuda
MF – Jamie Watson, Orlando City
F – Jose Angulo, Harrisburg City Islanders
F – George Davis IV, Dayton Dutch Lions
F – Jason Yeisley, Pittsburgh Riverhounds

Kickers Face Wilmington Hammerheads in USL Pro Quarterfinals

Playoff soccer is finally here in Virginia as the Richmond Kickers concluded the 2011 USL PRO regular season as the third seed in the American Division with a 12-7-5 record and 41 points and will travel to Wilmington, NC this Friday, August 19 to face the #2 seed Wilmington Hammerheads (14-7-3, 45 points) in the first round of the playoffs.  Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. on USLLive.com from Legion Stadium.  The winner of Friday’s match-up will advance to the USL PRO Semifinals to face the winner of the #1 seed Orlando City versus #4 seed Charleston Battery match on Saturday, August 27.  

Should both the Kickers and the Battery advance to the Semifinal Round, the Kickers will host the match at Richmond City Stadium on Saturday, August 27.  If they are successful in the Semifinals, the Kickers will host the winner of the National Division in the Championship match, as the league’s third seed overall, on Saturday, September 3. Kickers versus HammerheadsWith a rivalry dating back to the 2006 season, the Kickers hold an all-time series record of 9-3-3 over the Hammerheads. 

The two clubs face off this weekend for the third time in 2011, having most recently met on August 10 in Wilmington when the Kickers handed the Hammerheads a 2-0 decision on their home turf.  Kickers midfielder Ryan Heins notched the eventual game-winner in the 18th minute before forward Matthew Delicâte added an insurance goal 16 minutes from regulation. 

The Kickers staunch defense, led by goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale, posted their second of four shutouts that week to conclude the 2011 regular season schedule. Earlier this season, the American Division rivals met at Richmond City Stadium when the Kickers narrowly edged the Hammerheads 2-1 on May 7. 

Wilmington opened the scoreline in the 3rd minute and held the advantage until Kickers midfielder Gerson dos Santos unleashed an unstoppable low drive past goalkeeper Brock Duckworth to tie the score at one apiece in the 65th minute. 

With the momentum shifting in favor of the home side, it was the Kickers inexhaustible goal-scorer, Delicâte, who pulled through with an 80th minute game-winner. Over the past 19 seasons, Richmond has qualified for postseason play 17 times, and reached the title match in 2010 for the sixth time in the past nine campaigns, falling just short of the Championship title following a 2-1 loss to the Charleston Battery. 

Richmond's seven previous league Championship appearances (1995, 1996, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009) include winning the Premier League title in 1995, a shoot-out loss to Seattle in the USL First Division final in 2005 and taking the USL Second Division crown twice against Charlotte in 2006 and 2009.  

USL PRO PlayoffsThis weekend, the USL PRO playoffs will see eight teams compete in the postseason’s opening round, with the top four teams from each the American Division and National Division squaring off in four single-game Division Semifinals.  

The postseason begins on Friday, August 19, with the National Division champion Rochester Rhinos hosting the #4 seed Pittsburgh Riverhounds at 7:30 p.m. at Sahlen’s Stadium. The Rhinos completed a season sweep of the Riverhounds last Saturday with a 1-0 victory, and have yet to concede a goal against Pittsburgh in 2011, having earned a pair of 3-0 victories earlier in the season.

The other National Division Semifinal will also take place on Friday night as the Harrisburg City Islanders host the #3 seed Los Angeles Blues at the Skyline Sports Complex at 7:30 p.m. The #2 seed City Islanders went undefeated against the Blues during the regular season, taking a win and two draws in their three meetings. 

USL PRO regular season champion Orlando City closes out the divisional semifinals on Saturday night as it hosts the Charleston Battery at the Florida Citrus Bowl at 7:30 p.m. The Lions have won three of the teams’ four meetings this season against the Battery, including a win in the U.S. Open Cup. 

Charleston earned its place in the playoffs last weekend with a 4-3 win against the Charlotte Eagles, and will be hopeful of springing an upset as it tries to earn back-to-back championships. The single-game Division Finals will be played August 26-28, with the 2011 USL PRO Championship, hosted by the highest remaining seed, to be played Saturday, September 3, live on Fox Soccer Channel.

Kickers Treat Home Crowd to Final Win of Season

It is hard to believe but the Kickers have finished up the 2011 season home schedule. The home fans where treated to one last win at home as Richmond beath Dayton 3-0.

The Richmond Kickers closed out their final home game of the season with a 3-0 win over the Dayton Dutch Lions on Saturday night, thanks to goals by William Yomby and Matthew Delicâte.

The Kickers held the majority of possession in a game where Dayton seemed content to sit back and play for a scoreless draw. The Dutch Lions couldn’t hold the Kickers’ attacks for too long, though, and Richmond was able to capitalize on their pressure in the 24^th minute following a corner kick. Nozomi Hiroyama played the ball short to Sascha Goerres, who returned the ball to the Japanese midfielder. Hiroyama played a ball across the face of goal where Yomby William was waiting to sidefoot the ball into the top of the net.

Richmond quickly added a second through Matthew Delicâte in the 30^th minute after some nifty footwork by Stanley Nyazamba earned him the space to play a cross into the box. Delicâte flicked his diving header into the far corner of the net beyond Dayton keeper Jesper Leerdam.

The second half followed a similar trajectory to the first, with Richmond on the front foot early on. Jamel Wallace drove into the Dayton penalty area in the 53^rd minute, but was dragged down by Dutch Lions defender Bret Jones. The referee awarded the penalty kick, which Delicâte calmly slotted into the lower right corner of the net to give the Kickers a three-goal lead.

However, the scoreline could have been much more drastic for the Kickers. Edson Elcock’s strike hit the post in the 66^th minute, and substitute striker David Bulow had two golden scoring opportunities denied by Leerdam.

“We should have done a lot better,” Richmond coach Leigh Cowlishaw said. “We’ll see where it takes us for the away trips, because we’re going to have to perform a lot better to pick up any points.”

The Kickers close out their 2011 regular season with a three-game stint on the road that will determine their playoff status. For more information, visit http://www.richmondkickers.com/.

Delicate Scores his third to propel Kickers to 3-0

RICHMOND, VA – (Friday, April 15, 2011) – Matthew Delicâte scored his third goal of the season to give the Richmond Kickers their third win of the season over the Rochester Rhinos in a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Richmond City Stadium Friday night.

Richmond’s Delicâte Named USL PRO Player of the Week

TAMPA, Fla. – United Soccer Leagues announced the USL PRO Team of the Week of the 2011 season today, honoring Richmond Kickers forward Matthew Delicâte as Player of the Week after he scored the game-winning goal in the Kickers’ 2-1 victory against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Saturday, April 9.