The 2018 Richmond Kickers season was the club's 26th season of existence. It was also the club's 11th season playing in the second tier of American soccer, and their seventh straight season in the United Soccer League, since renamed the USL Championship.
The Kickers failed to improve on their 2017 campaign, and saw the team failed to qualify for the playoffs for consecutive seasons for the first time in club history. It was the fourth season in the club's history where they failed to qualify for the postseason. The Kickers finished with six wins, their fewest since 1994, and 24 losses, their most ever. During the season, the Kickers saw their long-time head coach, Leigh Cowlishaw step down from the post, and David Bulow take up coaching duties for the second half of the 2018 season.
On September 11, 2018, the Kickers announced that due to financial issues associated with competing in the main USL, they would self-relegate themselves and become a founding member of USL League One, a new third-tier professional league operated by USL's parent company, United Soccer League (not to be confused with the former name of its top league).
Background
The club is looking to improve off of a historically poor season. During the 2017 campaign, the Kickers finished with an 8–16–8 record, causing them to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2003. The Kickers amassed a club low 25 goals in the 32-match season. The club finished 14th out of 15 teams in the USL's Eastern Conference, and finished 26th in the 30-team league. The Kickers also suffered a second round exit in the U.S. Open Cup, losing to amateur outfit, Christos FC. It was the Kickers' shortest spell in the Open Cup since 2009.
Roster
As of March 16, 2018.
Name Nat Position Since Date of birth (age) Signed from Goalkeepers 1 Trevor Spangenberg GK 2018 Puerto Rico FC 0 0 45 Kent Dickey GK 2018 Richmond Strikers 0 0 48 Travis Worra GK 2018 D.C. United (loan) 23 0 50 Zachery Tashjy GK 2018 Catholic University Cardinals 0 0 Defenders 2 William Yomby CB 2009 Puerto Rico Islanders 216 9 3 Austin Yearwood LB 2018 Charlotte Independence 0 0 5 Conor Shanosky CB 2016 Louisville City 52 4 10 Scott Thomsen LB 2018 Orlando City B 0 0 15 Mallan Roberts CB 2017 FC Edmonton 30 1 18 Alex Lee RB 2013 FC Dallas 103 2 31 Braeden Troyer LB 2015 South Carolina Gamecocks 83 0 55 Mekeil Williams RB 2018 Colorado Rapids 0 0 Midfielders 4 Fred Sekyere LM 2015 Charlotte Eagles 79 3 7 Neil Hlavaty AM 2018 Myrtle Beach Mutiny 0 0 8 Finnlay Wyatt LM 2017 Longwood Lancers 11 0 11 Matt Bolduc RM 2017 Harrisburg City Islanders 14 2 12 Evan Lee DM 2017 Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops 14 0 14 Yudai Imura AM 2015 Tokyo Musashino City 67 13 17 Oscar Umar CM 2017 West Chester United 14 0 24 Koby Osei-Wusu CM 2018 George Washington Colonials 0 0 25 Brandon Eaton CM 2017 VCU Rams 1 0 27 Raul Gonzalez RM 2017 Memphis Tigers 24 2 42 Sam Bacon CM 2018 Richmond Strikers 0 0 Forwards 16 Heviel Cordovés ST 2018 Charleston Battery 0 0 21 Brian Shriver ST 2018 Jacksonville Armada 0 0 29 Dane Kelly ST 2018 D.C. United (loan) 0 0 32 Bruno Miranda ST 2018 D.C. United (loan) 0 0 71 Luiz Fernando RW 2016 Flamengo 50 3 92 Giuseppe Gentile ST 2018 Puerto Rico FC 0 0
Transfers In
No.Pos.PlayerTransferred fromFeeDateSource 16 FW Heviel Cordovés Charleston Battery Free December 4, 2017 3 DF Austin Yearwood Charlotte Independence Free December 15, 2017 21 FW Brian Shriver Jacksonville Armada Free January 11, 2018 92 FW Giuseppe Gentile Puerto Rico FC Feee January 23, 2018 42 MF Sam Bacon Richmond Strikers Academy signee February 7, 2018 45 GK Kent Dickey Richmond Strikers Academy signee February 7, 2018 55 DF Mekeil Williams Colorado Rapids Free February 16, 2018 1 GK Trevor Spangenberg Puerto Rico FC Free February 28, 2018 7 MF Neil Hlavaty Myrtle Beach Mutiny Free March 12, 2018 10 DF Scott Thomsen Orlando City B Free March 12, 2018 24 MF Koby Osei-Wusu George Washington Colonials Free March 12, 2018 28 MF Greg Boehme VCU Rams Free April 13, 2018 GK Eric Klenofsky D.C. United Free June 1, 2018
Out
No.Pos.PlayerTransferred toFeeDateSource 42 MF Simon Fitch George Washington Colonials Free August 1, 2017 1 GK Marcel DeBellis Free October 31, 2017 7 MF Oliver South Melbourne Free October 31, 2017 10 FW Sunny Jane Phnom Penh Crown Free October 31, 2017 16 MF Patrick McCann Free October 31, 2017 20 FW Mikey Minutillo Free October 31, 2017 22 GK Alex Wimmer Free October 31, 2017 24 MF Jackson Eskay Free October 31, 2017 28 MF Samuel Asante Free October 31, 2017 35 MF Brandon Eaton Free October 31, 2017 70 FW Franck Tayou FC Wichita Free October 31, 2017
Loan in
No.Pos.PlayerLoaned fromStartEndSource 29 FW Dane Kelly D.C. United March 15, 2018 October 31, 2018 32 FW Bruno Miranda Universidad de Chile March 15, 2018 October 31, 2018 48 GK Travis Worra D.C. United March 15, 2018 October 31, 2018
Non-competitive Preseason friendlies
Midseason friendlies
Competitive USL
Table
Results
U.S. Open Cup
Statistics
Appearances and goals
Top scorers
No.Pos.PlayerUSLUSL CupU.S. Open CupTOTAL71 MF Luiz Fernando Nascimento 2 0 2421 FW Brian Shriver 3 0 0 316 FW Heviel Cordovés 2 0 1314 MF Yudai Imura 2 0 0217 MF Oscar Umar 1 0 0 1 24 MF Koby Osei-Wusu 0 0 1 127 MF Raul Gonzalez 1 0 0 1 29 FW Dane Kelly 1 0 01Own Goals 1 0 01Totals10 0 4 14
Awards USL Team of the Week
Week Player Pos. Ref. 3 Brian Shriver MF
See also Richmond Kickers 2018 in American soccer 2018 USL season
References
External links Richmond Kickers Official Website