| 2017 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | RKYSC | ||
| Head coach | Leigh Cowlishaw | ||
| Stadium | City Stadium | ||
| USL | East: 14th Overall: 26th | ||
| USL Playoffs | Did not qualify | ||
| U.S. Open Cup | Second round | ||
| Top goalscorer | League:Alhaji Kamara (4) All:Alhaji Kamara (4) | ||
| Highest home attendance | 8,021 vs.Harrisburg (Mar 25 – USL) | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 850 vs.Christos (May 17 – USOC) | ||
| Average home league attendance | 4,665 | ||
| Biggest win | RIC 3–1CHS (8/26) ORL 0–2RIC (9/7) | ||
| Biggest defeat | CLT 3–0RIC (9/2) | ||
The2017Richmond Kickers season was the club's twenty-fifth season of existence. It was also the Kickers' 10th season playing in the second-tier of American soccer, and their first season in the second division since 2005. The Kickers played in theUnited Soccer League for their sixth straight season.
For only the third time in the club's history, the Kickers failed to qualify for the playoffs. It was Richmond's first season since 2003 where they failed to qualify. The Kickers amassed a club low, 25 goals in the 32-match season. The club finished 14th out of 15 teams in the USL's Eastern Conference, and finished 26th in the 30-team league. The Kickers also suffered a second round exit in the U.S. Open Cup, losing to amateur outfit,Christos FC. It was the Kickers' shortest spell in the Open Cup since 2009. Off the field, the Kickers enjoyed their highest ever league attendance, averaging 4,665 fans per match.
The Kickers finished the 2016 season ranked seventh in the Eastern Conference, and earned a berth into the2016 USL Playoffs. Richmond lost in their first round match-up toLouisville City. MidfielderYudai Imura lead the Kickers with 10 goals in league play and 11 goals across all competitions.
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | Age | Moving from | Type | Transfer window | Ends | Transfer fee | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | MF | Oliver | 24 | Puerto Rico FC | Free | Pre-season | 2018 | Free | [1] | |
| 1 | GK | Marcel DeBellis | 25 | Ottawa Fury | Free | Pre-season | 2018 | Free | [2] | |
| 8 | DF | Evan Lee | 23 | FC Cincinnati | Free | Pre-season | 2018 | Free | [3] | |
| 16 | MF | Patrick McCann | 26 | Sligo Rovers | Free | Pre-season | 2018 | Free | [3] | |
| 22 | GK | Alex Wimmer | 26 | Karlslunds IF | Free | Pre-season | 2018 | Undisclosed | [3] | |
| 15 | DF | Mallan Roberts | 26 | Ottawa Fury | Free | Pre-season | 2018 | Undisclosed | [4] | |
| 12 | MF | Finnlay Wyatt | 22 | Longwood University | Free | Pre-season | 2018 | Free | [4] | |
| 21 | MF | Chris Durkin | 17 | D.C. United | Loan | Pre-season | 2017 | Undisclosed | [5] | |
| 45 | FW | Alhaji Kamara | 23 | D.C. United | Loan | Pre-season | 2017 | Undisclosed | [5] | |
| 24 | GK | Eric Klenofsky | 22 | D.C. United | Loan | Pre-season | 2017 | Undisclosed | [5] | |
| 3 | DF | Chris Odoi-Atsem | 21 | D.C. United | Loan | Pre-season | 2017 | Undisclosed | [5] | |
| 23 | MF | Maxim Tissot | 25 | D.C. United | Loan | Pre-season | 2017 | Undisclosed | [5] | |
| 20 | FW | Mikey Minutillo | 25 | 07 Vestur | Free | Mid-season | 2018 | Free | [6] | |
| 29 | DF | Chris Korb | 29 | D.C. United | Loan | Mid-season | 2017 | Undisclosed | [7] | |
| 70 | FW | Franck Tayou | 27 | San Antonio FC | Free | Mid-season | 2018 | Undisclosed | [8] |
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | Age | Moving to | Type | Transfer window | Transfer fee | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | DF | Hugh Roberts | 24 | Bethlehem Steel | Free | Pre-season | Free | [9] | |
| 22 | MF | Brian Ownby | 26 | Louisville City FC | Free | Pre-season | Free | ||
| 26 | MF | Miguel Aguilar | 23 | D.C. United | End of loan | Pre-season | |||
| 27 | MF | Collin Martin | 22 | D.C. United | End of loan | Pre-season | |||
| 32 | MF | Scott Thomsen | 23 | Orlando City B | Free | Pre-season | Free | ||
| 36 | GK | Ronnie Pascale | 40 | Retired | Pre-season | Retired |
| March 2 | Richmond Kickers | 2–1 | William & Mary Tribe | Bensley |
| 19:15EST | Imura Eskay | Bustamante | Stadium:Ukrop Park | |
| Note: Postponed from March 1 due to adverse weather | ||||
| March 4Pro-Am Challenge | Richmond Kickers | 1–1 | Virginia Cavaliers | Bensley |
| 17:00EST | Oliver | Nus | Stadium:Ukrop Park |
| March 8 | North Carolina FC | 3–0 | Richmond Kickers | Cary |
| 11:00EST | Fondy Molano Orlando | Stadium:WakeMed Soccer Park |
| March 15 | Richmond Kickers | Cancelled | North Carolina FC | Richmond |
| 19:00EST | Stadium:City Stadium |
| March 19 | Richmond Kickers | 1–2 | VCU Rams | Richmond |
| 17:00EST | Grant | Report | Shimazaki Fatton | Stadium:City Stadium |
| July 19 | Richmond Kickers | 1–2 | Richmond | |
| 19:30EST | Tayou | Report | McBurnie Abraham Carroll | Stadium:City Stadium Attendance: 8,119 Referee: Christopher Spivey |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Harrisburg City Islanders | 32 | 10 | 7 | 15 | 28 | 47 | −19 | 37 |
| 12 | Saint Louis FC | 32 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 35 | 48 | −13 | 36 |
| 13 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 32 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 33 | 42 | −9 | 36 |
| 14 | Richmond Kickers | 32 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 24 | 36 | −12 | 32 |
| 15 | Toronto FC II | 32 | 6 | 7 | 19 | 27 | 54 | −27 | 25 |
| March 251 | Richmond Kickers | 1–0 | Harrisburg City Islanders | Richmond, Virginia |
| 17:00EDT | Shanosky Troyer Kamara | Report | Wheeler Benbow | Stadium:City Stadium Attendance: 8,021 Referee: Jose Carlos Rivero |
| April 12 | New York Red Bulls II | 1–0 | Richmond Kickers | Montclair, New Jersey |
| 16:00EDT | Valot Lewis | Report | Durkin Lee | Stadium:MSU Soccer Park at Pittser Field Attendance: 806 Referee: Henrik Karlsson |
| April 83 | Richmond Kickers | 0–1 | Louisville City | Richmond, Virginia |
| 17:00EDT | E. Lee A. Lee | Report | Davis IV | Stadium:City Stadium Attendance: 7,603 Referee: Danielle Chesky |
| April 154 | Richmond Kickers | 0–1 | Ottawa Fury | Richmond, Virginia |
| 17:00EDT | Report | McEleney Barden Campbell Dos Santos | Stadium:City Stadium Attendance: 4,974 Referee: Kevin Broadley |
| April 225 | Richmond Kickers | 2–1 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | Richmond, Virginia |
| 17:00EDT | Sekyere Kamara | Report | Hollingsworth | Stadium:City Stadium Attendance: 1,567 Referee: Mark Gorak |
| April 296 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1–0 | Richmond Kickers | St. Petersburg, Florida |
| 19:30EDT | Lowe Brown | Report | Sekyere | Stadium:Al Lang Stadium Attendance: 4,829 Referee: Elvis Osmanovic |
| May 67 | Richmond Kickers | 1–1 | FC Cincinnati | Richmond, Virginia |
| 19:00EDT | Sekyere | Report | McLaughlin Delbridge | Stadium:City Stadium Attendance: 4,008 Referee: Charles Murphy |
| May 138 | Richmond Kickers | 0–0 | Harrisburg City Islanders | Richmond, Virginia |
| 19:00EDT | Lee Sekyere | Report | Mensah | Stadium:City Stadium Attendance: 3,903 Referee: Kevin Broadley |
| May 219 | Rochester Rhinos | 1–1 | Richmond Kickers | Rochester, New York |
| 16:05EDT | Beresford Forbes Farrell Felix | Report | Gonzalez Asante | Stadium:Capelli Sport Stadium Attendance: 2,003 Referee: Henrik Karlsson |
| May 2410 | Toronto FC II | 0–0 | Richmond Kickers | Vaughan, Ontario |
| 12:00EDT | Pereira Osorio Fraser | Report | Shanosky | Stadium:Ontario Soccer Centre Attendance: 1,074 Referee:Silviu Petrescu |
| May 2711 | Ottawa Fury | 5–3 | Richmond Kickers | Ottawa, Ontario |
| 14:00EDT | Seoane Rozeboom Hume Sanon | Report | Gonzalez Kamara Durkin Jane | Stadium:TD Place Stadium Attendance: 4,294 Referee: Carol Chenard |
| June 312 | Richmond Kickers | 0–1 | New York Red Bulls II | Richmond, Virginia |
| 19:00EDT | Durkin | Report | Abidor Allen | Stadium:City Stadium Attendance: 6,267 Referee: Calin Radosav |
| June 1013 | Charleston Battery | 1–0 | Richmond Kickers | Charleston, South Carolina |
| 19:00EDT | Portillo Woodbine Mueller | Report | Shanosky | Stadium:MUSC Health Stadium Attendance: 2,526 Referee: Gustavo Solorio |
| June 1714 | Richmond Kickers | 1–1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Richmond, Virginia |
| 19:00EDT | Tayou | Report | Boden Savage Lowe Schäfer | Stadium:City Stadium Attendance: 4,034 Referee: J. T. Alukonis |
| June 2415 | Richmond Kickers | 0–2 | Charlotte Independence | Richmond, Virginia |
| 19:00EDT | Luiz Fernando Durkin | Report | Martínez | Stadium:City Stadium Attendance: 4,423 Referee: Greg Dopka |
| July 116 | Bethlehem Steel | 1–1 | Richmond Kickers | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania |
| 16:00EDT | Jones Burke Roberts Trusty | Report | Luiz Fernando Troyer Jane | Stadium:Goodman Stadium Attendance: 3,006 Referee: Andrew Musashe |
| July 917 | FC Cincinnati | 2–0 | Richmond Kickers | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| 18:00EDT | Djiby Quinn Nicholson Bahner | Report | Sekyere | Stadium:Nippert Stadium Attendance: 21,769 Referee: Jon Freemon |
| July 1518 | Harrisburg City Islanders | 1–0 | Richmond Kickers | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania |
| 19:00EDT | Mensah Mohamed Wilson Calvano | Report | Stadium:FNB Field Attendance: 3,289 Referee: Brandon Smith |
| July 2219 | Richmond Kickers | 3–2 | Bethlehem Steel | Richmond, Virginia |
| 19:45EDT | Oliver Luiz Fernando Asante Wyatt | Report | Jones Tribbett Marquez | Stadium:City Stadium Attendance: 2,921 Referee: Danielle Chesky |
| Note: Game delayed by 45 minutes due to oppressive heat | ||||
| July 2620 | Charlotte Independence | 0–0 | Richmond Kickers | Matthews, North Carolina |
| 19:00EDT | Martinez Johnson | Report | Asante Troyer | Stadium:Sportsplex at Matthews Attendance: 1,384 Referee: Christina Unkel |
| July 2921 | Richmond Kickers | 0–1 | Saint Louis FC | Richmond, Virginia |
| 19:00EDT | Robinson Asante Tayou | Report | Appiah Stojkov | Stadium:City Stadium Attendance: 2,622 Referee: Kevin Broadley |
| August 522 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 1–1 | Richmond Kickers | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| 19:00EDT | Okai Earls | Report | Gonzalez | Stadium:Highmark Stadium Attendance: 3,048 Referee: Henrik Karlsson |
| August 1223 | Richmond Kickers | 0–1 | Orlando City B | Richmond, Virginia |
| 19:00EDT | Asante Tayou Luiz Fernando Yomby Sekyere | Report | Barry Carroll Rocha | Stadium:City Stadium Attendance: 3,157 Referee: Lorant Varga |
| August 1924 | Richmond Kickers | 2–1 | Toronto FC II | Richmond, Virginia |
| 19:00EDT | Jane Bolduc Imura | Report | Hamilton Srbely McCrary Campbell | Stadium:City Stadium Attendance: 5,059 Referee: Calin Radosav |
| August 2625 | Richmond Kickers | 3–1 | Charleston Battery | Richmond, Virginia |
| 19:00EDT | Jane Oliver Imura Eskay | Report | Cordovés Thomas van Schaik | Stadium:City Stadium Attendance: Nickrod Fateh Referee: 3,527 |
| September 226 | Charlotte Independence | 3–0 | Richmond Kickers | Matthews, North Carolina |
| 19:00EDT | Siaj Martinez | Report | Oscar Lee Roberts Durkin Worra | Stadium:Sportsplex at Matthews Attendance: 1,329 Referee: Gustavo Solorio |
| September 727 | Orlando City B | 0–2 | Richmond Kickers | Orlando, Florida |
| 16:30EDT | Schweitzer | Report | Minutillo Jane Bolduc | Stadium:Orlando City Stadium Attendance: 791 Referee: Jonathan Bilinski |
| Note: Kickoff moved from 19:30 to 16:30 due toHurricane Irma. | ||||
| September 1628 | Charleston Battery | 1–0 | Richmond Kickers | Charleston, South Carolina |
| 19:00EDT | Cordovés Lasso Williams Thomas | Report | Eskay | Stadium:MUSC Health Stadium Attendance: 2,228 Referee: Kevin Broadley |
| September 2329 | Richmond Kickers | 1–0 | Rochester Rhinos | Richmond, Virginia |
| 19:00EDT | Minutillo | Report | Kamdem | Stadium:City Stadium Attendance: 5,969 Referee: Jorge Ramirez |
| October 130 | Richmond Kickers | 0–1 | Orlando City B | Richmond, Virginia |
| 17:00EDT | Jane Yomby Luiz Fernando Umar | Report | Barry Rocha | Stadium:City Stadium Attendance: 6,582 Referee: Jose Lara |
| October 731 | Saint Louis FC | 0–1 | Richmond Kickers | Fenton, Missouri |
| 20:30EDT (19:30CDT) | Charpie Cabalceta | Report | Bolduc | Stadium:World Wide Technology Soccer Park Attendance: 5,725 Referee: Eric Tattersall |
| October 1432 | Louisville City | 3–1 | Richmond Kickers | Louisville, Kentucky |
| 19:30EDT | Morad Lancaster Kaye Davis IV | Report | Roberts Minutillo Umar Luiz Fernando | Stadium:Louisville Slugger Field Attendance: 9,104 Referee: Joshua Brooks |
| May 17Second round | Richmond Kickers | 0–1 | Richmond, Virginia | |
| 19:30EST | Eskay Troyer | Report | Caltabiano Kansaye | Stadium:City Stadium Attendance: 850 Referee: JC Griggs |
Italics indicate player no longer on team roster.
| No. | Nat | Positions | Total | USL | USL Cup | U.S. Open Cup | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | Apps | Goals | Mins | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Goalkeepers | ||||||||||||
| 1 | GK | Marcel DeBellis | 3 | 0 | 270 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 22 | GK | Alex Wimmer | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 26 | GK | Eric Klenofsky | 1 | 0 | 90 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 30 | GK | Matt Turner | 20 | 0 | 1800 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 48 | GK | Travis Worra | 9 | 0 | 810 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Defenders | ||||||||||||
| 2 | RB, CB | William Yomby | 18 | 0 | 1478 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 3 | CB | Chris Odoi-Atsem | 1 | 0 | 90 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 | LB, CB | Conor Shanosky | 19 | 1 | 1455 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 8 | RB, CB | Evan Lee | 15 | 0 | 775 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 15 | CB | Mallan Roberts | 30 | 1 | 2667 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 18 | RB | Alex Lee | 25 | 0 | 2234 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 22 | LB, CB | Maxim Tissot | 4 | 0 | 340 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 29 | LB, CB | Chris Korb | 1 | 0 | 71 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 31 | LB | Braeden Troyer | 29 | 0 | 2610 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 38 | CB | Jalen Robinson | 4 | 0 | 339 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Midfielders | ||||||||||||
| 4 | MF | Fred Sekyere | 24 | 2 | 1366 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 12 | MF | Finnlay Wyatt | 12 | 0 | 356 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 14 | MF | Yudai Imura | 23 | 0 | 1641 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 16 | MF | Patrick McCann | 10 | 0 | 703 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 17 | MF | Oscar Umar | 14 | 0 | 1259 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 21 | MF | Chris Durkin | 11 | 0 | 990 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 24 | MF | Jackson Eskay | 9 | 0 | 415 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 27 | MF | Raul Gonzalez | 24 | 2 | 1842 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 28 | MF | Samuel Asante | 17 | 0 | 1225 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 32 | MF | Matt Bolduc | 15 | 2 | 1003 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 35 | MF | Brandon Eaton | 1 | 0 | 90 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 42 | MF | Simon Fitch | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Forwards | ||||||||||||
| 9 | FW | Oliver | 16 | 2 | 877 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 10 | FW | Sunny Jane | 25 | 3 | 1532 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 11 | FW | Anthony Grant | 16 | 0 | 517 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 20 | FW | Mikey Minutillo | 15 | 2 | 813 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 45 | FW | Alhaji Kamara | 9 | 4 | 717 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 70 | FW | Franck Tayou | 13 | 1 | 438 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 71 | FW | Luiz Fernando | 28 | 2 | 1751 | 28 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Place | Position | Number | Name | USL | USL Cup | Open Cup | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FW | 45 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 2 | FW | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 3 | MF | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| FW | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| FW | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| MF | 27 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| MF | 32 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| MF | 71 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 9 | DF | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| DF | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| FW | 70 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
As of October 17, 2017.