Kickers Prediction Game of Awesome Round 9

Prior to every home game a panel of so called experts will predict the outcome of the Richmond Kickers game. Each expert receives 1 point for each correct prediction. At the end of the season the winner gets a trophy and pack of gum.

June 13, 2014; 12:09 PM • by Richard Hayes

I’ll admit that for soccer fans there might be a little bit of distraction with that soccer tournament in Brazil and not 100% attention will be paid to the Richmond Kickers this weekend. That’s a shame because live soccer is even more magical than ESPN soccer. That being said if  you happen to be a fan of that little soccer tournament sometimes referred to as the World Cup you should break out the calendar and mark down the date June 22nd. There is going to be an outdoor viewing event, the first of it’s kind in Richmond that will allow you to watch US vs. Portugal with 3,000 of your closest friends. More details to come but for now go here.

The Richmond Kickers are at 7-1-5 on the season while Wilmington are at 5-1-3. Again kudos to USL for scheduling brilliance as we have a team that has played 14 games (not counting Open Cup) up against a team that has played 9 games. I could understand one or two game difference but five seems a bit extreme. Match Preview is online.

	Prediction	Reasoning	Score
RVANews Soccer Guru		You have been so tired that you put something other than toothpaste on your brush? I think the Kickers are facing that sort of tired as the number of games they’ve had to play piles up. They won last Saturday but it wasn’t pretty and Leigh has to be thinking of facing a fearsome New England Revolution on the 18th. A Revolution who now sits in 2nd place due to DC United rising out of the ashes and to the top of the Eastern Conference table like a mighty phoenix crushing all those that dare gaze upon its’ glory.	6
Red Army		In the main event of the day, our very own Richmond Kickers face old rival Wilmington.  Since this is basically the only game with good teams on Saturday (ok, maybe Japan/Ivory Coast could match, but that’s after this one anyway), everyone should show up!  The unbeaten streak carries on, but sadly not the winning streak.  I’m seeing a 1-1 draw against a quietly good Hammerheads team.	6
Richmond Kickers		Does anyone like sharks?! I didn’t think so. Maybe when it is Shark Week we might actually care about sharks, but now is not that time. Kickers take this one once again because they do have the best mascot in USL PRO, if I say so myself.	6
Total Soccer Show		Kickers win. Why? Because England will beat Italy in Manaus on Saturday and the feelgood factor will emanate out to Englishmen everywhere, even those who can’t watch the game because they’re coaching a pro soccer team. This will inspire Coach Cowlishaw to make so many genius-level tactical decisions that Wilmington will be unable to cope.	5

RVA News 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 American Outlaws Richmond Chapter, which mainly involves drinking and yelling at televisions.

Red Army (Matt Myers): 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 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 post haste.

June 13, 2014 12:09 PM · in Fan of the Fan, Hills and Heights, and more 0