Richmond Kickers draw Real Maryland in season finale, advance to playoffs

The Richmond Kickers (9-5-6, 33 points) battled the Real Maryland Monarchs (3-8-9, 18 points) to a 1-1 draw Saturday night, in front of a season-high FAMILY FEST crowd of 3,044.  Finishing second in the standings, the Kickers will play host to third place Pittsburgh in the USL-2 Semifinals on Saturday, August 21st.  Kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. at City Stadium.
 
With a combined 35 fouls, the physical contest began when the Kickers tested the Maryland defense in the 24th minute.  In an effort to catch goalkeeper Brian Visser off guard, newcomer Jeremy Barlow fired a low determined strike from 30 yards out but his attempt sailed just wide left of the target.
 
Ten minutes later, defender David Hertel beat his mark down the right side and served a dangerous ball to a wide-open Edson Elcock 13 yards out.  With an outstretched leg, he controlled the ball around his defender but Visser was on his game and stole the ball off his foot.
 
The Kickers maintained their up close and personal relationship with the goal, but were denied by the woodwork in the 38th minute.  Leading scorer Matthew Delicâte watched helplessly as his attempt ricocheted off the near post, after receiving a well-placed Barlow cross.
 
Visser was the Maryland hero yet again, bearing the brunt of Barlow’s attack in the 43rd minute.  The midfielder cracked a curling right-footed shot from outside the penalty area, but the keeper was not to be fooled and smothered the ball for the save.
 
Despite weathering the Kickers offensive storm in the first half, it was Maryland who netted the first goal of the night.
 
Within one minute of the second half restart, the Monarchs left the Kickers in the locker room when a defender beat a pair of Kickers players on the left side and delivered a cross to substitute Alan Sanchez eight yards out.  Kickers menacing defender William Yomby was able to block the first attempt, but the rebound fell directly to Sanchez who made no mistake on a close-range volley to the right corner.
 
The home side retaliated with a quick restart from the right side, in an effort to shake Maryland’s new-found confidence.  Defender Sascha Görres served up a determined cross, finding Yomby at the far post but his nod glanced inches past the upright.
 
Soon after, Delicâte combined with rookie midfielder Jonathan Villanueva to give the Maryland defense something to talk about.  The big forward crossed the ball from the left side to Villanueva at the near post as he beat his defender to the ball.  The frame once again stifled the Kickers’ chances to equalize as his strike met the belly of the crossbar before bouncing down on the Maryland-favored side of the line.
 
Without losing sight of the prize, Villanueva redeemed his earlier misfire in the 72nd minute.  Finding himself with time and space 25 yards out, he received the ball from Neil Barlow, turned and fired a textbook curling shot just inside the left post to bring the score level at one apiece.
 
Three minutes later, the Kickers nearly took the lead when Barlow drew a foul inside the penalty box.  Delicâte stepped up to the plate to knock home the free kick, but Visser made a gallant kick save to keep him off the scoresheet and to keep the game in a heated deadlock.
 
With the crossbar proving to be the Kickers’ true nemesis of the night, the Kickers were deprived of another goal-scoring opportunity because of the crossbar, as regulation neared completion.  This time, an unmarked Charlie Reiter fired a left-footed screamer from 30 yards that struck the woodwork so hard it nearly broke the familiar foe in half.
 
Maryland nearly finished the half the way they started with a very close call in stoppage time.  A long ball was played over the Kickers defense and was flicked on to former Kickers midfielder David Bulow in firing range.  Trapping the ball with his chest, he turned his defender and unleashed a left-footed strike from the top of the box, but a leaping Ronnie Pascale pushed his attempt over the bar.
 
The Richmond Kickers return to Richmond City Stadium to host the biggest game of the season next Saturday, August 21 when they face off against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the USL-2 Semifinals at 7:00 p.m.
 
 
Box Score             First Half         Second Half                Final
Richmond                      0                      1                            1                                            
Maryland                       0                      1                            1
 
Scoring Summary
46th minute: Maryland – Alan Sanchez
72nd minute: Richmond – Jonathan Villanueva (Neil Barlow)
 
Starting Lineups
Kickers:  GK Ronnie Pascale, William Yomby, Henry Kalungi, David Hertel, Sascha Görres, Luke Vercollone (Stephen Nsereko – 73’), Mike Burke (Jonathan Villanueva – 62’), Gerson dos Santos (Bobby Foglesong – 62’), Jeremy Barlow (Neil Barlow – 62’), Edson Elcock (Charlie Reiter – 62’), Matthew Delicâte
 
Monarchs:  GK Brian Visser, Nate Baker, Gareth Evans, Mason Trafford, Matt Williams, Nicki Paterson, Joel Senior, Israel Sesay (John Raus – 68’), Rod Dyachenko (David Bulow – 61’), Jyler Noviello (Alan Sanchez – 32’), Ben Hunter (Mike Pertz – 86’)
 
Shots                           Saves                           Fouls                            Corners
Monarchs:         7          Monarchs:        4          Monarchs:         22         Monarchs:         4
Kickers:            14         Kickers:            4          Kickers:            13         Kickers:            4
 
Cautions:
67th minute: Ben Hunter (Maryland)
68th minute: Israel Sesay (Maryland)
74th minute: William Yomby (Richmond)
78th minute: Brian Visser (Maryland)
86th minute: Gareth Evans (Maryland)
 
Ejections:
None
 
Referee:                       Shaun Papperman
Assistant Referees:      Robert Velbis, Nicholas Gauck
Fourth Official:             Roberto Furnish
Attendance:                 3,044
Weather:                      82°, sunny, breezy  
Stadium:                      Richmond City Stadium
Union First Market Man of the Match:  Jonny Villanueva