July 23, 2016 USL Toronto FC II--Richmond Kickers vs Toronto FC II (from uslsoccer.com)
Kickers Hit Season-High Three-Game Winning Streak 07/23/2016, 9:00pm EDT By CHARLIE CORR - charlie.corr@uslsoccer.com Imura records brace, sets up Aguilar to lead Richmond past Toronto RICHMOND, Va. – The Richmond Kickers struck within the first 10 minutes of each half and Yudai Imura was involved in all three goals to lead the side to a 3-0 victory against Toronto FC II on Saturday at City Stadium. Imura tallied two times and set up the game’s opening goal by Miguel Aguilar 10th minute. Imura converted a 49th-minute penalty kick and then put the match out of reach with a long-distance strike in the 69th minute as the Kickers earned their third consecutive victory – the longest winning streak of the season. Richmond also has not conceded a goal during this stretch. The Kickers win the series 2-1-0 against Toronto. Earlier in the year, each side had posted 1-0 home victories. Richmond is now 8-6-5 (29 points) overall and 6-1-2 at home. Toronto is 5-12-5 (20 points) overall and 2-8-2 on the road. Scoring: 10’ – RIC – Miguel Aguilar (Yudai Imura) 49’ – RIC – Yudai Imura (penalty) 69’ – RIC – Yudai Imura (Sunny Jane) Three Things That Mattered: •1. Richmond is enjoying its first three-game winning streak of the season. It is the Kickers’ best stretch since the beginning of the 2015 season when they enjoyed a four-game winning streak from April 10-25. Similar to that run, Richmond has not conceded a goal during this year’s stretch, previously posting a 3-0 win at the Harrisburg City Islanders on July 8 and a 2-0 victory at the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on July 14. •2. The Kickers gained a quick lead in the 10th minute with Fred Owusu Sekyere providing the buildup. He then dished to Yudai Imura ahead of him and Imura dropped the ball off to Miguel Aguilar toward the left. From just above the box, Aguilar struck left-footed and placed his shot perfectly toward the right of the frame as the ball caromed off of the inside of the right post and over the goal line for a 1-0 Richmond lead. It was Aguilar’s first tally of the season and Imura’s third assist of the year. From that point, it was all Imura as he slotted a PK into the left of the frame and then fired 22 yards out 20 minutes later as his shot deflected off of a Toronto defender and into the back of the net for a three-goal cushion in the 69th minute. •3. Toronto goalkeeper Phil Di Bennardo’s night ended early when he was injured in the 11th minute when he was battling for a loose ball against Richmond’s Anthony Grant at the edge of the box. In the 15th minute, TFC II replaced Di Bennardo with Angelo Cavalluzzo who was making just his second appearance of the season. USLSoccer.com Man of the Match: Yudai Imura, Richmond Kickers – Imura tallied twice and set up Richmond’s opening tally in a dominant performance for the Kickers. Upcoming Games: Richmond Kickers vs. New York Red Bulls II – July 30, 7 p.m. ET, City Stadium Toronto FC II at Bethlehem Steel FC – July 31, 4 p.m. ET, Goodman Stadium
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