Kangaroo versus Hammerhead who will win?

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.

June 19, 2015; 9:40 AM • by Richard Hayes

The Kickers will be wrapping up a three games in eight days run, when the Wilmington Hammerheads show up in City Stadium on Saturday. Last time Wilmington came to town they lost 3-0. They’ll be facing a much different Richmond team this time around.

Rookie and University of Richmond alum Houston Oldham (#40) has been filling in up top for a tired offense. The past two games the Kickers have only managed one goal and have not been very threatening in the offensive third. William Yomby (#2) continues to be a bright spot in an increasingly patchy defense. Unfortunately USL and the Kickers don’t publish a list of players that are injured so we can’t provide the details but just know that in the Richmond Kickers official round-up of “players to watch” there was not mention of Delicate, Ownby, or Imuri.

Wilmington will be without goal keeper Larry Jackson who earned himself a 90th minute red card ejection last week. Fans of D.C. United may recognize midfielder Justin Moose (#10) who was drafted by the MLS side in 2006 before moving to USL. The Hammerheads may also unveil 19 year old Nigerian Qudus Lawal who was picked up form Seattle Sounders 2 recently.

This will be your last chance to catch the Kickers in person for a month as they hit the road. The next home game is July 19th against West Bromwich Albion. Kickoff is at 7:00 PM on Saturday, June 20th  gates open at 5:30 PM with live music by What’s On Tap, a 20-foot water slide, slip ‘n slide, Human Foosball, RVA food trucks and craft beer on tap. Get your tickets here.

 

	Prediction	Reasoning	Score
RVANews Soccer Guru		Imagine two elderly gentlemen running at each other with their walkers and oxygen tanks in tow. It would be a rather slow affair resulting with two octogenarians in heap of Ben-Gay, bermuda shorts, and sock garters. If you can imagine the above, you’ve got a good idea what to expect on Saturday. Kickers are too beat up, Wilmington are just straight up bad, and the continued heat equal poor soccer.	5
Red Army		“Now we can focus on the league”, that’s the line that teams always give after they go out of a cup. I expect that to come true against a team that has won one game all year, and that was only with a lineup that was basically bussed in for a single game. Kickers are still the walking wounded, but even Steven Hawking FC should be able to beat the Hammerheads at this point.	6
Richmond Kickers		I am pretty much done with this aquatics theme we have had this season, from sharks to beaches to armadas (can I throw crew in there since they don’t really specify which crew they are?). I am going to kick back in my lounge chair and sip on a drink (with an umbrella in it) and say that Richmond takes the win. Again, would you expect me to chose any different?	6
Total Soccer Show		I’ve backed the Kickers to win for the last two games and I’ve been wrong for the last two games. Third time’s a charm? It is against Wilmington, a team we’ve already beaten at City Stadium this season—3-0 in April. Here’s to a repeat.	6

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 advice from the 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 everything he says about footsoccerball naturally carries more weight because he says it in 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.

June 19, 2015 9:40 AM · in Fan of the Fan, Hills and Heights, and more 0