USL2 Final

Harrisburg City Islanders vs. Richmond Kickers
8pm, University of Richmond Stadium
TV: 10pm, Fox Soccer Channel (delayed)

Not so much a preview, but more of a prediction from TWG. The first goal will be crucial. This may seem obvious but for the most part championship matches are pretty tight, as teams look to defend and avoid making mistakes that lead to goals. Richmond has scored in the first half of the last two games, which forced their opponents to commit more numbers forward, leaving them vulnerable to quick counterattacks. The Kickers were unable to capitalize on those opportunities in last week's semifinal and ended up conceding a late goal. Harrisburg is known for its physical approach and generally commits more fouls than its opponents. This will make it harder for Richmond's attack to break them down. The Kickers, however, boast one of the top defenses in the league and can depend on goalkeeper of the year Ronnie Pascale to keep things organized and come up with the one or two big saves a team needs to win a big match. TWG sees Richmond scoring midway through the second half, then sitting back and absorbing Harrisburg's attack, waiting for the chance to break. This time the Kickers will get the bounces to go their way and put away the crucial second goal, sealing the side's second straight USL2 title.

Should the match go into penalty kicks, TWG gives the edge to Richmond and spot-kick expert Charlie Howe.

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