OLDEST CLUB STILL KICKING

 Just wondering: 

Are your Richmond Kickers still kicking? Haven’t seen or 

heard a word about the country’s oldest professional soccer 

club … that is, other than a related item regarding the Ivy, the 

newest member of the W-League.

The answer is … yes. The Kickers, who went from first place 

in 2022 to next-to-last in 2023, open their sixth season as 

members of the DIII USL League One with a road date 

tomorrow (March 16) at the Spokane (Wash.) Velocity FC.

While Kickers president and chairman ROB UKROP is 

typically upbeat about prospects for the 2024 campaign … 

“We’ll be very good,” he said … a group of experts hired by 

the league to make predictions are not impressed. Richmond 

is seen finishing 11^th in the 12-team circuit. Among nine 

individual categories only two Kickers appear: EMELIANO 

TERZAGHI is second in Comeback Player of the Year while 

18-year-old BECKETT HOWELL is fifth in the Young 

Player of the Year category.

Three-times USL League One MVP and leading scorer, 

Terzaghi missed the last 12 games a year ago with a knee 

injury. According to Ukrop, the 31-year-old Argentinian will 

miss the season-opener with a hand injury. The Kickers make 

their home debut Wednesday in a U.S. Open Cup match 

against Baltimore-based Christos FC then play South Georgia 

Tormenta FC at City Stadium three nights later … Ukrop said 

he didn’t know how long Terzaghi (55 goals in 93 games as a 

Kicker) would be out … From Glen Allen, Howell joined his 

hometown team last year as an amateur on a USL Academy 

contract and immediately impressed coach DARREN 

SAWATSKY … who calls him “a feisty warrior, with a 

quality left foot [and] bite in his tackle.” … A defender, 

Howell appeared in 13 games for the Kickers, starting the 

final four … at left back. He was credited with winning 55 per 

cent of his headers as well as being successful with 73 per 

cent of his tackles.

The only expansion newcomer this season in USL League 

One, Spokane Velocity is 0-1, having dropped a 3-1 decision 

at Greenville (S.C.) Triumph a week ago … Richmond fans 

will remember Christos FC as the then-amateur team that 

scored a 1-0 upset here in the 2017 Open Cup … The Kickers 

finished 8-16-8 overall, scoring 24 goals in 32 games. After 

the Cup loss, always-quotable coach LEIGH COWLISHAW

 said, “We didn’t underestimate them … we overestimated 

ourselves.” … South Georgia was home the last six years for 

goaltender PABLO JARA, who signed a multi-year Kickers 

contract. “He’s a great one,” said Ukrop, who is counting on 

the soon-to-be 30 year old native of Santiago, Chile, to be the 

major reason for his optimistic outlook .. Jara is second in 

USL League One with 109 games, 9,657 minutes and 286 

saves. No. 1 is former Richmond goalie AKIRA 

FITZGERALD… Jara has 26 shutouts … sorry, clean sheets 

… good for fourth.

……Was anyone unhappy that Michigan dumped basketball 

coach JUAN HOWARD. I mean … other than Howard … 

who might have done better and lasted longer if not for a 

problem with anger management. 

…… Finally … how long before someone refers to new 

women’s soccer team as Poison Ivy? … Oops, consider it 

done.

Until next time ...