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After beating the Dayton Dutch Lions 3-2 last week, which included a Michael Seaton goal, the Richmond Kickers travel to New York to take on the New England Revolution's affiliate, the Rochester Rhinos. The Rhinos have already fired their coach midseason, former Kickers assistant Jesse Myers, and are currently the second worst team in the league. Because of the combination of the way D.C. United is playing, the Gold Cup, and the friendly against Chivas Guadalajara, the Kickers will be without any United players for the first time this season. The Kickers are good enough that they should be able to beat the Rhinos regardless, and Seaton is expected to rejoin the team for tomorrow's match against the third place Harrisburg City Islanders.
In Kickers roster news, however, they announced today that they have signed two players from their Academy to Academy roster spots. These roster spots, which were created by USL Pro this year, allow each team to sign up to five players from their academy (or from their MLS affiliate's academy) to train with and play for the professional team while still maintaining their collegiate eligibility. While I don't expect to see any of them get any playing time before they go off to college in the fall, its still a small step forward for youth development in the United States.
Time: 7:35 pm
Venue: Sahlen's Stadium, Rochester, New York
Streaming: You can watch this game, like all others, online for free at uslnation.com
Projected lineup: Ryan Jones will start in goal, with Alex Lee, Henry Kalungi, William Yomby, and Juan Arbalaez in front of him. Luke Vercollone and Philippe Davies will sit in defensive midfield, with Brian Ownby, Joseph Ngwenya, and Nate Robinson in front of them. Jason Yeisley will lead the line in the absence of Michael Seaton. Subs will be frequent and early, especially with the match against Harrisburg coming tomorrow.
Prediction: The Kickers should be able to take care of business in Rochester, so I'll predict a 2-1 victory.
What are you drinking? I'll be drinking a Richmond microbrew from Strangeways Brewery called "Woodbooger." Despite its name, its a tasty brown ale.
As always, this is your place for pre-game, in-game, and post-game chatter.