If the Richmond Kickers felt like they had been here before, you couldn’t blame them. The USISL Premier League’s Kickers defeated Washington D.C.-area amateur club Spartans SC, 6-1, in a replay of the June 11 game the Kickers won 5-2. A replay was ordered because Spartans S.C. filed a protest claiming that they were not given enough notification of a change in the kickoff time.
This game was played at Striker Park in Glen Allen, Va. instead of the Kickers usual home at the University of Richmond’s City Stadium.
Despite having more notice of the kickoff, the Spartans were only able to travel with 10 players. Considering those circumstances, Spartans head coach Jorge Alvial had to make a difficult decision. Rather than play with 9 field players, he moved goalkeeper John Paul DeWeer to defense, and the 36-year-old Alvial suited up as the goalkeeper, a position he hadn’t played professionally since 1990 with the Washington Stars (American Professional Soccer League).
In a change from the first game, it was the Spartans who struck first, scoring on a Leonel Suazo goal in the 15th minute. According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Suazo took advantage of a “breakdown on the right side of the Richmond defense.” Suazo is a goalscorer who led the Washington Diplomats to the American Soccer League title in 1988. The Honduras native came to the Spartans after playing the year before with the Washington Mustangs of the USISL.
That would be the last threat the Spartans would pose for a while.
The former national player of the year from Davidson College, Rob Ukrop brought the Kickers level in the 37th minute, heading in a throw in from Brian Kamler.
Three minutes later, Kickers captain Richie Williams scored the eventual game-winner. The two-time NCAA national champion with the University of Virginia scored when Spartans head coach turned goalkeeper Jorge Avial was unable to hold on to a shot from Ukrop.
THECUP.US RESEARCH NOTE
If you know anyone who was connected to the Spartans SC in 1995 or if you have any photos or video from this match, email us here. (We’re missing the starting lineup, the booking summary (there were 5 bookings, 1 was a red card), game stats and referees who worked the game. Among the players we would love to get in touch with include Cecil Sutherland, Luis Troncoso, Adonis Maxwell, and Leonel Suazo.
Just like in the first half Richmond struck in rapid succession in the second half, scoring three times in a twelve-minute span to push the score to 5-1.
In the 56th minute, Leigh Cowlishaw starting in place of an injured Scott Snyder, headed home a cross from Khary Stockton to give them a two-goal lead. Then, Brian Kamler, a former All-American at Creighton University, sent the ball past Alvial from 22 yards out just two minutes later.
In the 68th minute, former Watford FC academy player Jon Hall fired a free kick from distance to give the hosts a 5-1 lead. Hall, who played at American University, had been playing with Millwall FC back home in England before returning stateside to play with the Kickers.
To finish off the scoring, Corey Turnage added the final goal on a pass from Cowlishaw in the 86th minute.
The Spartans had a chance to pull back a consolation goal, but Kickers goalkeeper Jeff Causey was successful in stopping a late penalty kick. Causey, the Kickers regular starter, was another part of the University of Virginia college soccer dynasty, along with Kickers teammates Richie Williams and Ben Crawley.
1995 US Open Cup Preview: The state of American soccer in 1995
1995 USOC Round 1 POTR: Carlos Llamosa
1995 USOC Q-Finals POTR: Ben Crawley
1995 USOC Semis POTR: Jake Arrambide
1995 USOC Final POTR: Jeff Causey
1995 USOC Player of Tourney: Rob Ukrop
1995 US Open Cup Results (click on the score of the game for a match report)
When news of the replay broke, Kickers co-owner/general manager Bobby Lennon left it up to the players to decide. He gave them the option to forfeit the replay and concentrate on their USISL schedule which will get more difficult as the regular season winds down, or to continue on in the US Open Cup. The players obviously chose to stay in the competition.
“The guys want to play an A-League team and see how we stack up against them,” Richmond’s Rob Ukrop told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. “Everybody is telling us … we should play better competition. This is the way we’re going to get a better game. You do what you have to do.”
Incredibly, the Spartans reportedly filed another protest before the game. This time it concerned the eligibility of six Kickers players, five of whom were injured and didn’t dress for the game anyway. The only player who did play was Brian Kamler.
“They’ve got a great team and a great coach, (but) if we’re going to have these competitions, then everybody’s got to follow the rules,” Spartans SC general manager Dennis Lee told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. “Richmond deserves to go on. Period. End of story.
“The guy (Dennis Lee) must either enjoy being embarrassed, or he must like the journey from Washington to Richmond,” said Kickers coach Dennis Viollet.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch would later report that Dennis Lee was ordered to protest the match, but he ultimately refused to do it, so the protest was never officially submitted.
The Kickers, once again, advance to the Quarterfinals in mid-July to face the A-League’s Atlanta Ruckus.