Watch Kickers Matches Live on UNATION

Richmond Kickers fans unable to make it to Richmond City Stadium for some of the upcoming 2012 USL Pro season can still watch some Kickers games live.

United Soccer Leagues announce today that more than 80 live games from the 2012 USL PRO season will be available online through USL Live, the popular online video destination launched in 2007 to make USL matches more accessible to its fans.

Click Here for USL Schedule on UNATION

Cruz, McDonald Disciplined by MLS

D.C. United players Danny Cruz and Brandon McDonald have been disciplined by MLS following Saturday's FC Dallas match at RFK.

MLS released the details in an official league announcement yesterday afternoon. 

From MLSSoccer.com News Release:

NEW YORK (April 3, 2012) – The Major League Soccer Disciplinary Committee issued the following actions based on games in Week 4 of the MLS Regular Season:

• Danny Cruz (D.C. United) is fined for his act of embellishment which brought the game into disrepute. Mr. Cruz’s action occurred in the 71^st minute of the match between FC Dallas and D.C. United on Saturday, March 31^st. For video CLICK HERE.

• Brandon McDonald (D.C. United) is suspended for one (1) game and fined for his reckless challenge that endangered the safety of his opponent. Mr. McDonald’s action occurred in the 20^th minute of the match between FC Dallas and D.C. United on Saturday, March 31^st. For video CLICK HERE.

Fines collected will be donated to the charitable partners of MLS W.O.R.K.S. and the MLS Players Union.

Kickers Open Season at Home vs Battery

KICKERS HOST CHARLESTON IN HOME OPENER SATURDAY

Kick Off 20^th Anniversary Against Oldest Rivals, 5 pm at City Stadium

RICHMOND, VA – (Tuesday, April 3, 2012) – The Richmond Kickers are primed to battle longtime rivals Charleston Battery this Saturday, April 7 in their 20^th Anniversary Season home opener.  The historic game pits two of the three longest continuously operated professional soccer clubs in the United States against each other as the Kickers and the Battery face off in the first leg of a two-game home and away series at 5:00 p.m. at Richmond City Stadium.

Showcasing retro 1993 uniforms, the Kickers will wear a custom green and blue strip while the Battery will wear their black and white striped vintage kit, inspired by the clubs’ first seasons.  Kickers $20 Anniversary Golden Tickets are available for purchase at RichmondKickers.com through Wednesday, April 4 and can be exchanged at the stadium for an unlimited number of tickets.  Groups of friends, family members, neighbors, co-workers and acquaintances are invited to celebrate the Kickers 20th anniversary with a one-time $20 purchase.

“I can still recall our first game against the Battery in 1993 and after countless challenges and obstacles, it is a testament to both clubs that twenty years later these two organizations are experiencing unprecedented success on and off the field,” commented Leigh Cowlishaw, Richmond Kickers former professional player and current Head Coach and Director of Soccer. 

“We are looking forward to kicking off our 2012 season against the Battery,” added Cowlishaw.  “There is no better feeling than beating them and I know their fans feel same way about beating the Kickers.  We are proud to have shared twenty memorable years with the Battery and expect a fiercely competitive set of matches to entertain the fans.”

 

Rivals since 1993, Richmond and Charleston, alongside fellow USL PRO side Charlotte Eagles are the longest, continuously operating professional soccer clubs in the country.  The Kickers first-ever league match against the Battery was on May 1, 1993 at Stoney Field in downtown Charleston.  The Battery claimed the 2-1 victory behind goals from Mario Lone and Nigel James, with Cowlishaw notching the lone goal for the Kickers. 

Since their inception, the Kickers and the Battery have met 43 times over the past 19 seasons, with Charleston narrowly leading the all-time series record with 20 wins, 19 losses and four draws.  Most recently, both teams were successful on their home turf in 2011, as the clubs exchanged a 2-1 scoreline early in the season.  Despite combining for six league Championship titles (Charleston 1996, 2003, 2010; Richmond 1995, 2006, 2009), the two sides have only met in one high-stakes match, with the Battery stripping the Kickers of the USL Second Division crown in a heated 2-1 affair on August 28, 2010.  

Sharing more than just records and tradition, the Kickers and the Battery have seen several players on both sides of the pitch including Marco Ferruzzi, Mike Burke, Scott Cannon, Mac Cozier, Kevin Scott, Mario Lone, Greg Simmonds, Josh Henderson, Kelvin Jones, Luke Vercollone and Anthony Catalano.

The Kickers celebrate a landmark season in American professional soccer in 2012, tallying 903 goals in 303 victories over the past 20 years.  Making nine Championship appearances, the Kickers have claimed four national titles including the U.S. Open Cup crown in 1995.  In addition to celebrating success on the field, the Kickers have also developed a youth club with over 8,000 member players participating in programs for all ages and abilities, fulfilling their mission of becoming the model for soccer in the U.S.

Players to Watch

Kickers: Returning for his 13^th and final professional season, three-time USL Goalkeeper of the Year Ronnie Pascale (#22) posted a career-high 11 shutouts in 2011 en route to league and U.S. Open Cup semifinals.  Leading the Kickers with 280 career appearances, he has amassed an overall record of 149-72-55.  Rookie defender Shane Johnson (#3) joins Pascale’s veteran defensive line out of Longwood University.  A native of Ashburn, Virginia, Johnson notched three goals and six assists, while contributing to 17 shutouts in 71 appearances throughout his collegiate career.  Former New England Revolution midfielder Luke Vercollone (#4) returns for his fifth season in Richmond.  The notorious workhorse spent two seasons with the Charleston Battery prior to playing 100 games with the Kickers over the last four campaigns.   Newcomer Jason Yeisley (#17) adds firepower to the Kickers attack, signing with Richmond after leading the Pittsburgh Riverhounds with five goals and two assists for 12 points last season.

Battery: Defender Colin Falvey (#32) returns for his third season with the Battery.  A member of the 2010 USL Championship squad, the Cork, Ireland native has made 46 appearances in Charleston.  Tony Donatelli (#14) anchors the midfield, signing with the Battery after a successful career with the Vancouver Whitecaps and Montreal Impact.  The veteran midfielder made 23 appearances with the Rochester Rhinos in 2011, notching three goals and four assists.  Recent signing Salieu Bundu (#11) scored the game winning goal in the 2008 USL Championship with the Cleveland City Stars before joining the Carolina RailHawks (NASL).  On loan to the Charlotte Eagles last season, the forward from Sierra Leone led the USL PRO side with seven goals and one assist for 15 points.

Chesterfield United Name Pat McStay Technical Director; Re-structure Staff

Congratulations to frequent guest contributor Pat McStay who has been named the new Technical Director at Chesterfield United FC (Richmond, VA).

Read posts by Pat McStay

Official United FC Press Release:

Chesterfield United is excited to announce the re-structuring in the club’s already successful chain of command effective June 1, 2012. The  changes coincide with the well received changes in player development and the new European Academy model released last week.

The club’s new structure will see Pat McStay take over as the clubs Technical Director, who hopes to continue the clubs ever increasing rise in the city of Richmond and surrounding areas. Pat will oversee the clubs technical staff and the daily operations of the club.

“Everyone’s hard work over the last 18 months has gotten the club to this point. I feel that the next step isn’t to relax but work harder and that’s what we plan on doing. I am excited about taking over as Technical Director and cannot wait to work with our players and coaches.”

The Ultimate Cup will now be run by Matt Lacey who will continue to serve as the club’s Director of Player Development and UDP.

“I am very excited to be involved with The Ultimate Cup. I think that Chesterfield United and Richmond Kickers have created a great product and service to the soccer community and I look forward to being part of something very special and unique” commented Matt Lacey, Director of Player Development.

Dale Parker will be promoted to Girls Director of Coaching and will now oversee the development of all Girls teams in the club while combining his role as Camp Director.

“I hope to increase participation on the girl’s side as well as add quality. I feel that this is a great opportunity for me, and I am looking forward to the challenge.”

Joe Farrell will continue his role as the clubs Boys Director of Coaching, ASL Academy Director, and Recreational Director.

“I have been here almost 10 years and cannot remember the last time the staff was this excited about the future. We have put the time and effort into building the club into what it is today, and we will continue to grow. I am anxious to see what 2012 has in store for us!”

Today we officially announce that we will sadly be losing a great member of the club. Heather Pedersen has decided to take a step away from Soccer and begin a new profession as a full time mother to her wonderful daughter Anna Jane starting June 1 st.

"I will miss this club tremendously, and wish nothing but the best for Chesterfield United. The past few years I have watched this club grow, players develop, old programs get better, new programs added, and I am proud to have been a part of it. I am looking forward to spending more quality time with my family, and hope to have Anna Jane be a part the UDP program in a few years!"-Heather Pedersen

Heather has played a pivotal role in the clubs recent success in her role as both Technical Director and Tournament Director. Her hard work and dedication to improve the club has helped shape a very bright future for Chesterfield United. Heather began working for Chesterfield United as the Girls Director of Coaching in 2008 and was promoted to Technical Director in January 2011.

In her time she has improved the standard of coaching education, player development, and communication to the club’s membership. She also played a massive role in the success of 2011 Icebreaker and the new 2012 tournament Ultimate Cup which brought in a record number of teams compared to previous years.

“We are all very sad to be losing Heather but at the same time we all know how important it is for her to be at home with Anna Jane. We have all seen how much effort she has put into this job, and we know it must have been a very hard decision for her. We will all miss her but wish her the very best in the future.”-Chesterfield United Staff

Heather will continue her role at the club until June 1, 2012.

USWNT Host China at PPL Park in May

D.C., Maryland, and Virginia fans of the U.S. Women's National Team will have a chance to catch the team in action at the somewhat nearby PPL Park in Pennsylvania. The two and a half hour drive from D.C.is well worth the trip to see the USWNT. The women are returning from Japan where a goal from Alex Morgan gave them a 1-1 draw against the defending Women's World Cup Champions.

USWNT players Tobin Heath, Alex Morgan, Yael Averbuch

From the U.S. Soccer Communications Center:

U.S. WOMEN WILL FACE CHINA AT PPL PARK IN CHESTER, PA., ON MAY 27

Match Will Serve as Valuable Preparation on the Road to the 2012 London Olympics

 

CHICAGO (March 30, 2012) - The next domestic match for the U.S. Women's National Team has been confirmed and the USA will take on China on May 27 at PPL Park in Chester, Pa.








Fans can follow the match on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker and via Twitter @ussoccer_wnt.

• Ticket Information for U.S. WNT vs. China (Tickets Page)

Tickets starting at $22 go on sale to the public Friday, April 6, at 10 a.m. ET through ussoccer.com, by phone at 1-800-298-4200 and at the PPL Park ticket office (open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Groups of 20 or more can obtain an order form at ussoccer.com or call 312-528-1290.








As a sponsor of U.S. Soccer, Visa® is pleased to offer all Visa cardholders access to an advance ticket sale for this match before the sale to the general public. This advance sale starts Thursday, April 5, at 10 a.m. ET and runs until Friday, April 6, at 8 a.m. at ussoccer.com. Visa will be the only payment method accepted through the Visa presale and is the preferred card of U.S. Soccer. Terms and conditions apply.








The U.S. WNT is currently in Japan for the Women's Kirin Challenge Cup and will play the first of two matches when it faces the hosts on April 1 at Yurtec Stadium in Sendai at 7:30 p.m. local time (6:30 a.m. ET). Two days later, the U.S. will take on Brazil in Chiba at 8 p.m. local time (7 a.m. ET). After these two matches, the next full international will be against China on May 27.








Both Kirin Challenge Cup matches will be televised live on ESPN2 and ESPN3, and fans can also follow the matches on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker and via Twitter @ussoccer_wnt.








The U.S. Women have a long history in Pennsylvania, having played 12 matches in the state, including a 5-0 victory against Nigeria in Philadelphia during the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, but this will be just the second match at PPL Park. The first was in October of 2010, also against China, and ended in a 1-1 draw as Alex Morgan scored her first career WNT goal with a late equalizer.








PPL Park is a part of the new wave of stadium construction for Major League Soccer. The stadium opened during the summer of 2010 and is the home of the Philadelphia Union.








The USA, which currently sits atop the FIFA Women's World Rankings, will be playing China for the first time since January of 2011 when it won 2-0 to take the title at the Four Nations Tournament in Chongqing, China, on goals from Carli Lloyd and Amy Rodriguez.