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USL Pro Week 9: A Look Back

  USLPro 

By JOHN BOSCHINI

The Richmond Kickers' fall from grace continued with a 1-1 draw to FC New York on Saturday.

Richmond is winless in four games after starting the season with a six-game winning streak. The Kickers find themselves three points behind Orlando City with no games in hand.

The Wilmington Hammerheads salvaged two draws from two weekend games. The Hammerheads still sit second from bottom in the American Division but have four games in hand over fourth-place Charleston.

The Battery managed their second straight 2-1 victory with a win over the Harrisburg City Islanders. Harrisburg is still looking for its second win of the season and has only five points from a possible 15. The victory for the Battery was the only win in a weekend that saw four draws.

Dayton and Charlotte battled to a 1-1 draw in a matchup of cellar dwellers in the respective conferences. Charlotte improves to eight points on the season while Dayton has only two.

Here is a look back at all the action in the USL Pro.

Wilmington Hammerheads 1, Rochester Rhinos 1: After a scoreless first half, Wilmington was reduced to 10 men when Gareth Evans was ejected early in the second half. Despite the man disadvantage, Jorge Becerra gave Wilmington the lead just after the hour mark but Felix Motagalvan equalized just two minutes later with an assist from Richard Costanzo. 

Wilmington Hammerheads 0, Pittsburgh Riverhounds 0: Pittsburgh put the fatigued Hammerheads under pressure but Brock Duckworth kept the game scoreless, making seven saves. It was a physical games with teams combining for 21 fouls.

FC New York 2, Richmond Kickers 2: A late goal from Graciano Brito earned a draw for FC New York. Richmond took the lead in the first half with a goal from Ryan Heins. FC New York equalized in the 52nd minute with the first goal of Brito's double but Richmond equalized barely a minute later. Richmond failed to capitalize on the lion share of chances, registering 19 shots to New York's 8.

Charleston Battery 2, Harrisburg City Islanders 1: Harrisburg took the early lead with a goal from Jose Agnulo and took a 1-0 advantage into the locker room. Charleston eventually equalized in the 61st minute with a goal from Stephen Armstrong and the comeback was completed when Nicki Paterson scored with three minutes left in regulation. The game was marred by three ejections. Stephen Basso and Dane Kelly were sent off in the 59th minute and Jason Pelletier was ejected in the 90th.

Charlotte Eagles 1, Dayton Dutch Lions 1: Charlotte took an early lead with a goal from Sallieu Bundu but Julius Willie equalized with a penalty kick midway through the second half. Jesper Leerdam came up big for Dayton, making five clutch saves.

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What did you think of this weekend's results? Is Richmond in serious trouble? Can Charleston start a charge up the table?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Fair enough. What i would like to see is a usl/nasl championship game. I knowit wont happen but a cool idea. Play it for charity . It would be popular and both leagues would get much needed publicity.

    Reply
  2. Ok, Bro: Orlando does look good. I agree with that one. But aren’t they supposed to look good after they “self-relegated” and snuck out of Austin?

    Having seen USL and NASL games this season, I don’t see where USL is looking “better”. I guess that it is just a matter of preference. Kinda of like coke or pepsi.

    Reply
  3. The draw hasn’t been made yet. But the game you’re looking for would be on June 28 in the third round or July 14 in the quarterfinal. There’s bound to be a few interesting match ups and there’s always the potential for upsets. I can’t wait for the cup to kick off in two weeks.

    Reply
  4. Looking forward to Orlando playing an mls team in the US Open but havent been able to find a detailed schedule – any ideas where to look?

    USL seems to be better soccer than NASL so far this season …

    Reply

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