March 25, 2023 – United Soccer League One (USL1) – Richmond Kickers News Release
Richmond Kickers and Greenville Triumph SC on the field
(Richmond Kickers)
GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Richmond Kickers (1-0-1, 4 pts) took their first three points of the season after besting regional rivals, Greenville Triumph SC (0-1-0, 0 pts), at their home opener in Greenville, S.C., Saturday night.
Kharlton Belmar bagged the first goal of the season for the Kickers while Will Palmquist earned a clean sheet in his first start between the pipes for the club.
The match was 90 minutes of typical football between Greenville and Richmond: physical and tightly fought.
Entering the 11th iteration of this rivalry, only one match was ever decided by more than one goal. Tonight’s match followed form after Belmar’s curling effort in the 12th minute proved to be the game-winner.
Nil Vinyals played a short corner to Belmar who was just inside of the penalty area. With a defender closing him down, Belmar shimmied the ball away from the challenge, set up his shot, and bent the ball through the chaos in the box and around the keeper for the go-ahead goal.
Like the season opener at Charlotte last weekend, Richmond’s defensive efforts limited Greenville from attempting high-quality chances. Greenville only placed 2 of its 14 shots on target while Richmond amassed 14 interceptions and won 13 of 16 tackles.
The Kickers evened the overall series with Greenville, holding a 5-5-1 record with an even goal differential. The win also marked the Kickers’ first win over Greenville since the 2021 season.
Jake Mecham made his first professional appearance when he took over Matthew Bentley’s shift in the 71st minute. Luke Pavone and Chandler O’Dwyer made their first appearances of the 2023 season with Pavone coming on in the 80th minute and O’Dwyer coming on in the 86th minute.
The Roos now prepare for their home opener at City Stadium on April 1 at 6 p.m. when they will host Charlotte Independence for a rematch of the season opener. It will be during the match against Independence that the Kickers will debut their 2023 primary jersey: The Red Night Kit.
Tickets for the match are still available but are selling fast. For a cost as low as $10 per match, Kickers fans can save the most with Season Tickets while unlocking exclusive perks and experiences. With one additional regular season match and two new opponents joining USL League One in 2023, City Stadium will be the place to be! Additional information can…