"We're Gettin' The Band Back Together!"

photo courtesy of Suz Kitsteiner

[Editor's note: I was going to combine the Richmond Kickers preview w/ an overall USL2 preview, but there's just too much info to do it in 1 article. That's what happens when coaches and players actually call you back...Today's article highlights Richmond, while you can look forward to an in-depth USL2 preview early next week.]

If you take a look at the 2009 Richmond Kickers roster, you might think you time-traveled back to 5 or 6 years ago. The names are familiar: Delicate...Pascale...Burke...Worthen...Gorres.

"It's almost like being back in the mid-2000's," said Kickers goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale, who is entering his 10th year with the club. "We've all been such good friends for a long time, and it's just great that a bunch of us are back playing together again!"

Matthew Delicate rejoins the team after spending the past three with Rochester in USL1. He came back because of family ties to the area, and the fact that he's coming back to a team and a system he knew and could continue to thrive in. Worthen has had a few more stops along the way, with Real Salt Lake in MLS and stints in Carolina USL1 and Pittsburgh in USL2.

With both players back to the club, combined with the acquisition of Kenny Cutler, who also has an MLS pedigree, the team has an abundance of veteran players who have played professionally for several years. There's so much leadership and experience that the club was forced to release Fabian Dawkins, a dynamic forward the team spent most of last year trying to acquire.

"At the end of the day, the competition for roster spots was just too tight. We feel that we picked the best 20 players we had, and had to let a few other ones go, ones who would have made the team in previous years," said Head Coach Leigh Cowlishaw.

There was speculation in the offseason that Pascale and Mike Burke (also entering his 10th year with the team) might hang it up and concentrate on their lives after soccer, starting new careers, and settling down into the family lifestyle. Not just yet, said Pascale. He admitted he needed to take a break from the sport after last season, and after 4 months off, he knew he still had something left.

"Knowing a few of those guys were coming back influenced Burke's decision, and mine as well... The camaraderie is there, the professionalism... it's just exciting the way the team is coming together."

If you talk to Cowlishaw or Assistant Jesse Myers, though, their excitement for the season also leads to words of caution.

"Every team has gotten better this year," said Cowlishaw. "Discontinuing the MLS Developmental System has let a lot of USL teams pick up young players with MLS experience, as well as several veterans of the league."

"There are no easy games anymore," added Myers. "I think there are 6 or 7 who could wind up winning the Championship, and none of them would be a surprise. We have to bring our best every game, regardless of who we play or where we play them."

When you break down the 2009 Richmond roster, you'll see very few holes:

Goalkeeping - Pascale has played in 3 championship games, has 10 seasons with the team under his belt, and is arguably the best in the league at his position. Backup Mark Murphy stepped in last year when Pascale was injured and filled in admirably.

Defense - This is an interesting area for the team. They've got the veteran Kelvin Jones in the center, and have also picked up Yomby William, who last played for Puerto Rico. The wildcard in the mix is rookie Henry Kalungi, who played in the PDL w/ the FC Fredericksburg Gunners the previous 2 seasons. Kalungi has the size (6'2) to play in the center, has the athleticism to play wide, and the toughness to play as the team's defensive midfielder. The ability of these 3 to mesh early could go a long way in determining the Kickers' success in 2009.

Midfield - Whether they play a 4 or 5 man midfield, there's a lot of options here, so it's up to Cowlishaw and Myers to find the right combination. The ageless Burke can play anywhere, and then you throw in players like Sascha Gorres, Cutler, Worthen, Adrian Bumbut, and a few others, and this looks to be the team's deepest position. That'll help when the team faces games on back to back nights in the summer heat, and midweek games should they advance in the U.S. Open Cup.

Forward - With Dawkins gone, the spotlight falls squarely on Delicate, who was a superstar for the Kickers in 2004 and 2005 before departing for Rochester in USL1. He plays great as a lone forward, so Richmond can comfortably play a 4-5-1. If the team plays David Bulow or Ben Hunter up top with him, the opposition's backline has multiple problems to deal with. Goals should not be a problem for this group.

Overall Outlook - On paper, this is the best Kickers' team since the one that came within a penalty kick of winning the USL1 title in 2005. Again, that's on paper. As the players and coaches continually told me, although they feel the team has gotten better, so has everybody else. At the end of the day, it comes down to chemistry, talent, and desire, which the players, according to Pascale, appear to have.

"I love the pulse of the team this year," he said. "We can't wait to get started!"