By FRANCO PANIZO
The Richmond Kickers were seconds away from being held to a scoreless draw against the struggling Charlotte Eagles, but David Bulow came to the rescue in stoppage time.
The Kickers picked up a 1-0 triumph over the Eagles on Saturday night courtesy of Bulow's late-game heroics. Bulow netted in the waning moments of the match when he got on the end of a low cross from Chris Agorsor and tapped the ball home at the far post.
The win gave Richmond its fourth victory of the season, and the Kickers are in fourth place with 17 points. Charlotte, meanwhile, is in ninth. The Eagles, one of three USL Pro sides to advance to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup along with the Harrisburg City Islanders and winless Dayton Dutch Lions, are the most beaten team in the league, having suffered eight losses in their 12 season fixtures.
Here's a look back at all the Week 10 action in USL Pro:
WILMINGTON HAMMERHEADS 1, ROCHESTER RHINOS 1
Playing in their first match in a two days, the Hammerheads settled for a 1-1 draw with the Rhinos on Friday. Tyler Rosenlund scored at the half-hour mark for second-place Rochester, but the goal would not stand as the winner as Paul Nicholson netted a second-half equalizer. The result gave Wilmington a win and draw against the top two teams in the league in its past two matches.
WILMINGTON HAMMERHEADS 2, HARRISBURG CITY ISLANDERS 0
Two goals in four minutes saw the Hammerheads win their second match in two days, as they defeated the City Islanders, 2-0, on Saturday. Andriy Budnyy scored in the 31st minute, and on-loan New York Red Bulls striker Corey Hertzog doubled the lead three minutes later to give the Hammerheads the win. The loss ended the City Islanders' unbeaten streak at eight games.
ORLANDO CITY 2, CHARLESTON BATTERY 1
Rebounding from their first loss of the season, Orlando City extended their advantage at the top of the table by beating the Battery, 2-1, on Saturday night. Jean Alexandre, who is on loan with the Lions from the San Jose Earthquakes, scored seven minutes into his debut with Orlando City before Nicholas Paterson leveled things before halftime. Jaime Watson gave Orlando a permanent lead when he found the back of the net in the second half.
PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS 1, DAYTON DUTCH LIONS 1
The Riverhounds were on the brink of defeat, but Darren Amoo salvaged a point with a late equalizer. Amoo scored in the 87th minute of the Riverhounds' 1-1 draw with the winless Dutch Lions on Saturday. That goal came after Mettin Copier appeared to have given the last-place Dutch Lions their first win of the season, but it was not to be.
USL PRO STANDINGS
1. Orlando City (8-1-2, 26 points, +10 GD)
2. Rochester Rhinos (6-2-3, 21 points, +5 GD)
3. Charleston Battery (7-3-0, 21 points, +10 GD)
4. Richmond Kickers (4-2-5, 17 points, +2 GD)
5. Wilmington Hammerheads (4-3-4, 16 points, +2 GD)
6. Harrisburg City Islanders (3-2-4, 13 points, +3 GD)
7. Los Angeles Blues (3-3-2, 11 points, +1 GD)
8. Pittsburgh Riverhounds (2-6-3, 9 points, -7 GD)
9. Charlotte Eagles (2-8-2, 8 points, -8 GD)
10. Antigua Barracuda FC (2-6-0, 6 points, -9 GD)
11. Dayton Dutch Lions (0-5-5, 5 points, -9 GD)
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What do you think of these results? Expecting Hertzog to continue to make this kind of impact? Wondering if the Dutch Lions will ever win a game?
Share your thoughts below.
So, basically the same team the US national team struggled against in Tampa is next to last in the US Pro league?