Kickers vs. Battery and Round Four of the Kickers Prediction Game of Awesome

Prior to every home game a panel of so-called experts will predict the outcome of the Richmond Kickers game. Each expert receives one point for each correct prediction. At the end of the season the winner gets a trophy and pack of gum.

May 1, 2015; 2:14 PM • by Richard Hayes

Richmond Kickers (4-0-2) play this Saturday, May 2nd, 7:00 PM at City Stadium against the Charleston Battery (4-0-1). Battle of the Eastern Conference undefeated takes place between two teams with a long history. These two teams have met a total of 52 times with 148 goals scored and the dreaded 0-0 draw only once. In theory, this means goals aplenty.

Goals, however, might be hard to come by for Charleston as four of Richmond’s six games have been shut-outs and at the gloves of three keepers: returning Kickers goalkeeper Ryan Taylor, D.C. United loaned goalkeeper Travis Worra, and New England Revolution emergency loaner Trevor Spangenberg. Worra is most likely up in D.C. covering for injured D.C. United backup goalkeeper Dykstra. Expect to Taylor in goal but the way this season is going it could end up being someone pulled from the stands and he or she will post another clean sheet. On the offensive side of things Kickers have scored 11 goals with 6 different players, but the two to watch are George Davis IV (#11) and as always Matthew Delicâte (#7). Both have three goals so far.

Charleston also has a strong keeper in Odisnel Cooper (#0). Cooper defected from the Cuban National Team before a World Cup Qualifier in 2012 and posted nine shutouts during 2014 campaign. Charleston has scored 11 goals with eight different players. Dane Kelly (#9) who has three goals so far and Maikel Chang (#12) with four assists are most likely the engine driving the Battery offense.

Official game preview here, what the opponent has to say here, and get your tickets here.

	Prediction	Reasoning	Score
RVANews Soccer Guru		Kickers are on a roll and it’s a tasty, tasty cinnamon roll of shut-out goodness. Little known soccer fact: in England they often train goalkeepers by throwing fresh out of the oven rolls at the keepers face. I’m thinking that secret training is occurring here and I predict yet another shut out.	1
Red Army		Now, you might hear this a few times later this summer, but this is THE BIGGEST GAME OF THE YEAR! Really though, a game against our oldest and hated rivals, AND we’re both still undefeated? It’s a good thing Deli stole their souls last September and never gave them back. 2-1 Kickers	2
Richmond Kickers		Well, since the last time we saw the Battery at City Stadium, they ran out of juice as we had a recharged Deli scoring a game-winning goal in the playoffs. Why not keep this going for another Kickers victory?!	2
Total Soccer Show		Both teams are proudly unbeaten and the Kickers Facebook page is all but guaranteeing goals in this one, so I’m predicting a lively 2-2 draw at City Stadium.	2

Last week’s predictions.

RVANews Soccer Guru (Richard Hayes): All of Richard’s soccer knowledge comes from playing FIFA on the original Playstation and standing in bars, drinking, and yelling at the television. He also helps run RVA DCU and is a member of American Outlaws Richmond Chapter, which mainly involves drinking and yelling at televisions.

Red Army (Matt Myers) — Reigning Champion: Matt was sent off by Leigh Cowlishaw in a summer camp scrimmage as a pre-teen but has not held that against the team. He’s coming to grips with being a relatively old man now after seeing the youngsters in the Red Army and on the Kickers roster. He’s also attended way more matches than he should admit to, especially for having lived in Richmond a total of one out of the last 13 years.

Richmond Kickers (Kickeroo): The Kicker from down under. He doesn’t really like anyone who isn’t a fan of the Kickers. A daredevil who will pretty much try anything and everything but would rather not talk (on the advice from lawyers) about the incident with the scooter and the Flaming Hoop of Death, he’s also a sensitive marsupial who enjoys long walks on a dew-covered soccer field and watching the sun set behind the goal post. He also shares something with the new Kickers beer, Kick It Hunny hops.

Total Soccer Show (Daryl Grove): Daryl is English, so every thing he says about footsoccerball naturally carries more weight because he says it a British accent. He is also part of the excellent local radio show and podcast Total Soccer Show that keeps track of all soccer related things in an intelligent and fun way. If you’re not listening to the Total Soccer Show, you need to change that posthaste.

May 1, 2015 2:14 PM · in Fan of the Fan, Hills and Heights, and more 2