Greg Wolfe

2018 US Open Cup Round 3: Late goal gives Richmond Kickers 3-2 win over Penn FC

May 24, 2018 by Greg Wolfe

Richmond Kickers celebrate with their fans during a Third Round match in the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Jessica Stone Hendricks Photography

The Richmond Kickers rode an offensive surge from Luiz Fernando and the late heroics of Heviel Cordovés on Wednesday night in a 3-2 victory against Penn FC in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Fernando and Jorge Rivera traded two goals apiece for Richmond and Penn respectively before Cordovés ultimately sealed the match for the Kickers with a late winner.

Though there were only two yellow cards administered, it proved to be a physical affair on both sides. Weathering the early pressure by Penn FC, Fernando latched onto the end of a long ball sent in by Conor Shanoksy and finished with a volley in the 13th minute to put the USL side up, 1-0.

Fernando would go on to double his joy and Richmond’s advantage in the 22nd minute. The forward collected a centering pass from Yudai Imura in the middle of the box before slotting it home for his second of the match.

Despite a raucous crowd enjoying an early two-goal lead, Rivera provided a lifeline for Penn FC heading into halftime after scoring his first of the match in the 36th minute. Following a corner given up by Richmond goalkeeper Trevor Spagenberg, Rivera linked up with Saalih Muhammad to pull one back for the visitors.

With a one-goal deficit coming out of the break, Penn FC picked up where they left off with an aggressive push forward. Penn finally managed to level the affair in the 60th minute after Fabio De Sousa unlocked the Richmond defense and sent Rivera on with only Spagenberg to beat. Rivera did well to dodge the on-rushing Richmond keeper before tapping in the equalizer.

“We were playing to avoid extra time there at the end,” commented Kickers coach Leigh Cowlishaw after the game. “We were excited to try and get that chance at a home game that’s so exciting for the city later in the tournament.”

With just seven minutes remaining in the match, Heviel Cordovés found the winner for the home side. Cordovés did well to float in to space behind the defense, and Austin Yearwood sent in a low cross that the forward finished, unmarked, with a left-footed volley.

.@Cordoves16 with the third goal of the night to get the Kickers back in the lead#USOC2018 pic.twitter.com/XNLCVuaURP

— Richmond Kickers (@RichmondKickers) May 24, 2018

Despite a few solid chances for Penn FC in the dying embers of the match, Richmond’s defense proved sturdy enough to weather the storm and earn advancement to the Fourth Round.
For the first time since 2015, the Kickers have won two matches in their Open Cup campaign. It was also the club’s 30th all-time US Open Cup which moves them into a tie for seventh on the all-time list. Richmond now awaits the announcement of their next opponent, which will be determined through a draw on Thursday morning at 11 a.m. EST.

2017 US Open Cup Round 2: Caltabiano’s late heroics propel Christos FC to upset of Richmond Kickers

May 20, 2017 by Greg Wolfe

Christos FC (yellow) played a strong defensive game in a 1-0 upset road win over the Richmond Kickers (USL) in the Second Round of the 2017 US Open Cup. Photo: Jessica Stone Hendricks Photography

Amateur side Christos FC and the USL’s Richmond Kickers played a stress-heavy game on both sides Wednesday night, as both teams had many opportunities to find the net in a scoreless stalemate for much of the game.

But it was Greaton Caltabiano who provided the late drama, scoring the winner in the 79th minute to lift Christos to a 1-0 win in the Second Round of the 2017 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Wednesday at City Stadium in Richmond.

The hero of the match was Christos’ goalkeeper Phil Saunders, who defended his goal to the point where it was practically impenetrable. He was in control all night, with seven saves to record his second straight shutout of the tournament.

“We’re from Baltimore, we’ve got that chip on our shoulder going into these games,” Saunders said. “This group of guys coming together is so great; I’ve been playing with them for 10-12 years. We’re a group, it’s a team effort.”

In the first half, Christos came out of the gate with some great speed and had some early shots on goal to catch Richmond slightly off guard. The Kickers turned it around quickly however, as Mikey Minutillo started to heat up and make some great attempts at the goal. Saunders was there every time, though, keeping his team in the game.

The entire half was a continuous trade of ball possession, as neither team necessarily dominated the other. Christos’ Pete Caringi, who had a hat trick last week, never even got a shot on goal in the first half as Richmond held him completely silent.

The stalemate continued through most of the second half as well, as the feeling of overtime started to wash over the stadium. Richmond looked to be the team to break the tie with multiple shots on goal in less than 30 seconds at the 70th minute, really testing the Christos’ defense that ultimately stood tall. In the 79th minute, it was Caltabiano who played hero with the game deciding goal assisted by Brian Graham.

Both Caltabiano and Graham were recent subs into the game, as Christos’ coach Andrew Dicea tried to inject some new life into his offense with some fresh legs. The plan worked resoundingly, to say the least.

After the game, Caltabiano was proud of his team’s effort to put them in a winning position at the end.

“Our team battled defensively all night, they worked their butts off,” he said. “My job coming in there at the end was to try and create some offense. We rallied to get that goal.”

Richmond had more than its fair share of opportunities throughout the game. Missed opportunities were what plagued the USL team, as they were never quite able to convert any clean shots when they needed it the most.

They put up a heart-filled effort in the final minutes of play, charging down the field after Christos’ goal in a desperate attempt to save the night. After Caringi had to go to the sideline to get checked for a head injury, the Kickers tried to capitalize on Christos playing down a man. But it was Saunders there again playing like a wall, which sealed Richmond’s fate.

Richmond, the 1995 US Open Cup champions, has a rich history in the tournament. They entered the game tied with the Charleston Battery for the fifth-most wins in the tournament’s Modern Era (1995-present). Exiting the tournament early is rare for the Kickers as this marked just the third time that they have been eliminated in the club’s opening round (2006 vs. Carolina Dynamo of PDL, 2009 vs. Carolina RailHawks of USL-1).

This win is huge for Christos, an amateur side making its Open Cup debut has beaten two powerful home teams to start the season, both in upset fashion. They will try to continue to work off that magic as they will play Chicago FC United of the PDL later this month.

2017 US Open Cup Round 1: Peter Caringi’s hat trick delivers Christos FC its first US Open Cup victory

May 10, 2017 by Greg Wolfe

Christo FC had an early goal by Peter Caringi and the striker added two more in a 3-0 victory over Fredericksburg FC on their own turf to open the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

“I feel like we were prepared,” Caringi said. “We don’t practice as much as some of these other pro teams but we have guys who have played together so we’ve got that chemistry. When we’re together I feel like we can beat any team no matter who it is.”

Both teams were fast moving at the start of the game, with Christo not missing a step in their first contest of the tournament. An early mistake by Fredericksburg’s defense in the third minute proved costly, as Caringi took advantage and found the net while Daniel Baxter recorded an assist.

Fredericksburg seemingly settled down at this point of the match, controlling a quick-striking Christo offense. Baxter was a huge part of that offense and was all over the field, contributing with great speed to set up scoring opportunities while slipping through defenders throughout the game.

Fredericksburg got their first shot on goal in the ninth minute, as the offense started to pull together. Christo’s defense held strong, and forced Fredericksburg to go scoreless for the entirety of the first half.

Fredericksburg had many chances to knock in goals, as Juanra Farjado had multiple impressive passes down the field to put his team in a good position to score. One of those passes seemingly went 60 yards to perfectly settle in the opponent’s corner and give Fredericksburg a chance. Much like what would transpire for the rest of the game however, Fredericksburg just couldn’t cash in.

Christos started the second half the same way they had started the first. Fredericksburg seemed to have a lot of momentum and some new fire in the offense, but Christo silenced that when Caringi connected with his second goal. Mamadou Kansaye had an assist on the goal with a picture perfect pass. The pass went right in front of Fredericksburg’s goal, set up so that Caringi had a perfect angle for a header into the net.

Down two goals, Fredericksburg faced some adversity as the offense slowed down, and shots on goal for both teams became a rarity as ball possession was traded back and forth.

In the 65th minute, Fredericksburg made all three of its substitutions. Some fresh faces helped spark a struggling offense and it showed in the 68th minute. Fredericksburg managed three shots on goal all within three minutes, desperately trying to find their way back into the game. Fredericksburg would come up empty all three times, despite multiple great looks that were foiled by good defense and some outstanding plays by Christo’s goalkeeper.

In the 87th minute, Christo pulled away as Caringi was alone with the net, and completed his hat trick to put the game away.

That chemistry will be a major key to the game next Wednesday, when Christo will face the Richmond Kickers who are an affiliate of D.C. United. Christo will be in enemy territory again, as the game is being played at City Stadium in Richmond.