Blog Posts

We sit here a few days after North Carolina FC gained “promotion” to the USL Championship by winning the league title in penalty kicks vs Charlotte Independence.  We turn our attention to the offseason and the feeling of “we g…

With the season coming to an end and playoffs out of sight, we got a chance to sit down with Head Coach Darren Sawatzky about team focus on youth, roster building, and how he views this season.  EB- Of course, the season hasn’t l…

The 2022-2023 Richmond are starting to hit their groove and a large part of that is the role Justin Sukow is playing in the midfield. With the departure of Ethan Bryant to Sporting Kansas City, a lot of Richmond Kickers supporters were wondering &ld…

On April 6th, the latest round of the US Open Cup will take place. The Richmond Kickers will take on Cleveland SC. Cleveland SC plays in the Rust Belt Conference of the NPSL where they finished 1st in their division and made it to the Regional Final…

15- Tony WilliamsThere’s something about one club players. As a fan, you can start to convince yourself that, no matter what, they’re really there for the town and it’s not just that’s where their first job happened to be. …

16- Peter LuzakWe’ve been on a bit of a defense streak in the countdown, and that continues with our next entry.  A standout for six seasons at the start of the new millennium, Peter Luzak provided a physical presence on the backline fo…

With the 2023 Season getting ready to kick off here in the Rivercity in less than 2 months, the Kickers are getting ready to move things into high gear. And of course, with the offseason starting to come to end and preseason starting to ramp up, the…

 With the Richmond Kickers season getting ready to start, we wanted to take some time and talk with the man in charge Darren Sawatzky. Darren lays out what are some of the goals and expectations ahead of this team and how they will attempt to…

17- Henry KalungiIt’s easy to fall into the simple traps when talking about defenders: big, tough, good in the air, physical.  In many cases, each of those traits are true; stereotypes do exist for a reason.  In the case of Henry K…

With the USL League One offseason kicking off, Richmond made their attention known on how they will be approaching the 2023 season. While Emiliano Terzaghi, Akira Fitzgerald, Chandler O’Dwyer, and O’Wayne Gordon are returning, one re-sig…

18- Richie WilliamsIn the lower leagues of US soccer, it’s not uncommon to see players who reach the international level at the very beginning of their career or at the very end of their career.  What is rare is seeing both at the same …

19- Akira FitzgeraldNote: The rankings were voted upon prior to the 2022 USL League One seasonEstablishing stability amid a rebuild is an inherent challenge.  Over the last four years since Richmond joined League One, there has been one con…

Before our semifinal match against the Chattanooga Red Wolves, we got the chance to sit down with the "rock" in the midfield Zaca Moran about his experience in USL League 1 and in Argentina. What is your earliest soccer memory? "…

Yogi’s Big 3 Points  Ahead of Saturday's match up with Greenville Triumph, Yogi gives his 3 biggest points for this game:  Saturday will be a party That is right folks, the Richmond Kickers are the overall #1 seed goin…

20- Chris FoxOne of the hallmarks of the Richmond Kickers over the years has been a reliable and at times impenetrable defense.  A key contributor to that for portions of 9 seasons was Chris Fox.  An outside back who played on both sides…

21- Hugh RobertsOh baby Hugh, you got what we need! But they say he just defends, oh they say he just defends…One of the undoubted fan favorites of the mid-2010’s for his play on the field and his personality off of it, Hugh Roberts…

22- Josh McKayLeft backs have long been the white whales of American soccer.  They are so difficult to find, and when a good one does come your way, latch on for dear life.  That’s what the Kickers were fortunate to be able to do i…

23- Mike McGintyIf there’s one area that has been a consistent strength for the majority of the Richmond Kickers 30 year history, it is in goal.  We’ve already seen one goalkeeper appear on this list, and Mike McGinty is the next.…

24- George Davis IVSometimes journeymen get a bad name.  In soccer especially, it’s not unusual for players to move from club to club as they work their way up the ladder, finding success at each step along the way. George Davis IV did …

#25- Ihor DotsenkoSome players are destined to be coaches. Usually when you hear that, you immediately think of a grinder, a guy who might lack in talent but makes up for it in effort.  Ihor Dotsenko does not fit that profile. A smooth attack…

#26- Jeff CauseyThe 1995 Richmond Kickers squad is rated by many as the strongest in club history.  The team won both the USISL Premier League (the equivalent of today’s USL League Two) and the US Open Cup that year. Backstopping that e…

#27- Scott CannonThe late 90s and early 2000s can be a bit of a forgotten period in Kickers history, sandwiched around glory from the 1995 team and the strength of the sides from 2002 forward.  This doesn’t mean that there weren’t…

#28- Michael CallahanIt’s probably one of the least appreciated positions on the field by fans due to the nature of what is asked of players in that role, but the defensive midfielder can make a massive difference in the effectiveness of a t…

#29- Brian OwnbyOur first hometown star on the list is none other than Brian Ownby. The Henrico native featured for the Kickers 58 times in league play, contributing 14 goals and 12 assists in that time. Ownby was a consistent presence for Leigh C…