Richmond Kickers 0, Louisville City FC 6

All of a sudden, John Hackworth has a problem. A big problem … perhaps a dilemma, even …. How to share out the morsels of playing time to his ever-increasing starving hordes, as players return from their rest or rehab breaks?

Of course, it’s a dilemma coaches dearly wish for, and amazing to consider since only days ago the deep concern around the club was how bereft of warm bodies the troop seemed to have become.

A mere tick of the timepiece, and a couple of young recruits later, and Hack’s heroes are rotating reflexively and demolishing opponents – on this occasion a 6-0 road drubbing of the Richmond Kickers.

“Give me liberty, or give me death!”

So implored Patrick Henry from St John’s Church, Richmond, VA, on the other side of the Proclamation Line, just 12 score and 3 years ago.

For the hopeful soldiers of the River City Red Army, on this night there would be no Revolution – save for a marauding Louisville City unit turning their Richmond Kickers inside out – and no liberation, only painful de-liberation and a dreadful demise.

In the early minutes of the Kickers’ last home match, a 3-2 win over Penn FC that broke a drought of 6 winless contests (including a stretch of 529 minutes without scoring), a burst of lightning nearby caused a 40 minute suspension in play. Bizarrely, not 3 minutes into this match a pair of sprinklers in the middle of the field suddenly burst into action. It was a brief moment of mirthful amusement, but the last such fun for the home faithful as little did they know it would be but a portend for the hosing, nay inundation they were about to endure.

It seemed apparent from the opening whistle that City were in the mood to continue to ride the momentum generated from the previous game at the Independence. Any issues concerning the 300 miles and mere 70 hours – not to mention 4 changes to the starting eleven – between stations seemed inconsequential as they quickly seized control of the game.

In fact, the transition was so seamless it was as if the team in sideways gold and white stripes = TM by Mr B. Estes = had stepped straight out of Charlotte Sportsplex and onto the field at City Stadium.

The Kickers looked as if they had, also.

“The Kid” James Sands? He’s old hat already … Jose Carranza is the NKotB – and a pretty alright new kid he is, too.

As soon as the 9th minute he was finding room on the right and sending a delightful chip over the defense to Paulo who had only to time his leap to knock it in for the opener. But he somehow mistimed the arrival of the ball and managed to head over from a handy position.

In the 15th, Cameron, put his shot wide from a nice delivery by Paco.

The Kickers seemed to have learned nothing from the Independence’s tactical follies on Wednesday – or perhaps they learned too much – and were applying no upfield pressure whatsoever. This in turn encouraged City’s midfield and wing defenders Shaun and Pat (deputizing for the rested Oscar and Kyle) forward.

There was a lot of room to build from the back and Alexis, in for Sean in the kingpin role for the first time since his red card in Ottawa, was having an untroubled time cleaning up the Kickers’ clearances and initiating new attacks.

James had been nearly flawless in his debut game and he would be again for the greater part of this one, however he was caught once, on a misstep that caused him to have to foul Brian Shriver in a central area a few yards outside the area.

Back in Week 4, Shriver had scored the first goal of the season against City, a cracker from open play in his side’s 2-1 defeat at Slugger. He is also a dead ball specialist and he hit a searching free kick over the wall which Greg saved, catching acrobatically inside his left-hand post.

It wouldn’t get much better than that the rest of the night for Richmond’s “Red Army”.

Jose, making his City debut and 1st USL match in over 2 months, had started a little uncertainly. A knock on his play at previous clubs has been that he has trouble coming to grips with his role in the team – he’d been moved around a lot in his last stop at A T L U T D 2 – also that he plays with his back to goal and finds it difficult driving play forward, often losing the creative flow by dropping the ball backward. But as his touches on the ball mounted up and the confidence grew, he started utilizing well the free-ranging role that Hack seemed to have bestowed on him. Slowly he was looking the creative player that had been bottled up before.

The midfield in general was prospering from the space being offered by the Kickers, and freedom going forward encouraged by their coach.

George lV, exploiting the right side channel, was especially effective, crossing dangerously and winning useful free kicks and corners and most of the incisive wing play was happening on his side of the park.

In the 32nd minute, City’s hard work and Jose’s persistence paid off as he won a free kick 27 yards from goal. There was only one man to take it and Cameron set the ball and struck another of his world-class up-and-down type benders into the top right corner past a horrified Trevor Spangenberg in the Richmond goal.

It was a relief to finally get on the board, though no more than City had deserved.

The Kickers attempted to push back and were getting some service up their left wing, but were not able to overcome the center of the Purple defense, ably marshaled all night by A S A Y.

5 minutes after Cameron’s goal Shaun, advanced up the City left. His left-footed corners and crosses hadn’t been of the quality we always expect from Oscar, but this time he placed a pinpoint chip in to his center forward. Cameron flicked it across the 6 yard area to George lV who took three tidy touches to give himself an angle and fire it around Austin Yearwood and past Spangenberg for the the 2-0 lead.

Richmond were beginning to unravel and the remainder of the half belonged to the visitors, with Jose causing more trouble for the defense, missing narrowly as his shot deflected off Braeden Troyer and shaved the foot of the right post.

The 2nd half resumed with the hosts predictably trying to press more, but the Boys in Purple were stroking the ball around, creating space and continuing to dictate the play.

Paolo had an effort saved high by Spangenberg after good build up work from Niall and Shaun.

Now under constant pressure, the Kickers were racking up the fouls and the cautions and in the 57th Cameron skied a free kick from 25 out.

But then came another brace of goals for City in quick succession.

Captain PDP swept to Niall on the left who played it through the legs of Raul Gonzalez to find Shaun with room in the box. The overlapping defender squared across to Jose who turned it one-time and in for a well earned debut goal. The Manassas, VA native may have had people in the crowd as he ran toward the corner to celebrate.

Minutes later, it was Sean charging forward again to pick up a loose ball in the Richmond half. His attempted pass rebounded from a defender to Paolo who put Niall through on goal. Spangenberg tried to set but in similar fashion to his play earlier Niall nutmegged him, and at 4-0 the rout was on.

Rather than sit satisfied on their unassailable lead Los Morados dorados continued to pile on the pressure.

Ilija, Richard Ballard (finally back from a long injury layoff) and Luke entered for Jose, George, and Cameron, but the rampant City didn’t seem to miss a beat.

In the 78th, Ilija took a pass out of defense from Paco and scythed it through for onrushing fellow sub Luke. Spangenberg raced out and went down to block, but Luke is looking sharper with each appearance and he simply skipped by the prone ‘keeper and finished safely for a Louisville 5th.

Almost immediately, the burgeoning super sub did it again. Niall on the left held the ball and slipped inside to Paolo who advanced into the area and tapped inside to Ilija. But the cerebral Serb brilliantly let the ball run, freezing the defense as Luke finished coolly from out in front to complete the scoring.

As forceful as Wednesday’s display was, this was the sort of total performance you want to see from a side in such dominant form – and all while resting 4 of 2018’s leading protagonists: Oscar, Kyle, Sean and Speedy!

Greg was safe in goal, but if there’s any work for him to do before his next outing it is with his distribution.

Plaudits on defense go to A S A Y, though Paco and Pat gave little away.

Shaun and Niall on the left overcame inconsistent 1st halves to be rather more productive in the 2nd.

Cameron is Cameron and goes back to 1st equal in the Golden Boot.

Ilija just adds that touch of class, and Richard showed glimpses of his.

The youngsters Jose and particularly James, his flow like the eponymous River a few blocks away, were busy and terrific.

Paolo was a force again as an offensive link, and Luke was devastating coming off the bench.

But it was the quiet member of the famed Triumvirate, George “El Cuatro” Davis who pipped all others for MVP. On returning to City Stadium he was instrumental in setting the table in the 1st half when the banquet was far from assured. He took his goal well and didn’t put a foot wrong in his 65 minutes on the pitch.

So, in a historic town a historic victory as the ‘Ville remain unbeaten (7-2-0) all-time against the Kickers.

The result takes them into clear 2nd place and #Hackattack is currently not only gushing goals, but also not yielding them.

“But there is no peace. The war is …begun. The next gale that sweeps from the north (west?) will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms!”

The sprinklers had foretold … and Patrick Henry was not too far off the mark, either ….

Go City!

~~~ Fun Fact Footnotes ~~~

* The Richmond and Louisville metropolitan areas are the 44th and 45th largest respectively in population in the United States, at a shade over and under 1.3 Million.

* The struggling Richmond Flying Squirrels are the Giants’ AA affiliate and would die for a scoreline/nut like this one as they are playing as if they’re rather blind this season.