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USL eCup: Rocket League Edition – Matchday 2

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 04/02/20, 6:04PM EDT

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Kickers claim hard-fought battle with NTSC, Battery, Saint Louis, Loudoun also impress

The Richmond Kickers claimed bragging rights over USL League One rival North Texas SC on Day 2 of the USL eCup: Rocket League Edition, while the Charleston Battery, Saint Louis FC and Loudoun United FC also put down impressive markers in their opening games of the tournament.

Group 2

Team

Game 1

Game 2

Match

Charleston Battery

8

10

2

Austin Bold FC

3

1

0

The Charleston Battery’s Mauro Cichero pulled away for victory in both contests (8-3, 10-1) to secure a big series win against Austin Bold FC’s Andrew Green. Game 1 saw Austin take an early lead, but then the Battery got on a roll to take a commanding victory as Cichero showed off his scoring abilities.

Game 2, on the other hand, got off to a furious start as the two sides exchanged goals, with Bold FC taking a 3-2 lead at the 1:35 mark with an outstanding long-range finish. From there, though, Cichero found another gear as he pulled off a brilliant save – one of six overall in the series – to set up a counterattack chance to equalize 16 seconds later, and then reeled off five more consecutive goals to claim the series.

Team

Game 1

Game 2

Match

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

7

3

2

South Georgia Tormenta FC

2

1

0

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC’s Dilland Wavra was tested in a pair of feisty battles with South Georgia Tormenta FC’s Daniel Jackson but emerged with a two-game sweep (7-2, 3-1) as his defensive prowess shone through.

The Switchbacks took an early two-goal lead in Game 1, but Tormenta FC twice made it a one-goal game as Jackson produced a pair of spectacular finishes. Wavra never looked back after a brilliant aerial finish to make it 4-2 with 2:25 to go, however, as he pulled away to go up a game. South Georgia took an early lead in Game 2 before the Switchbacks leveled, and both players then went end-to-end with near-misses before Wavra scored the decisive goal with 35 seconds to play.

Group 5

Team

Game 1

Game 2

Match

Saint Louis FC

9

8

2

New York Red Bulls II

1

0

0

Saint Louis FC’s Keith Mayfield cruised to a pair of victories (9-1, 8-0) against the New York Red Bulls II’s Preston Kilwien to make the ideal start to the group stage.  The sides exchanged goals in the opening minute of Game 1, with Kilwien’s patience being rewarded on a fine finish 59 seconds in, but from there STLFC ran the show as Mayfield regained the lead 25 seconds later before rolling up seven goals in the final 2 minutes, 30 seconds.

Saint Louis then struck from the opening kickoff in Game 2 to take the lead two seconds into the contest. That subsequently led to a three-goal edge inside the opening minute, a deficit the Red Bulls II couldn’t climb back from. 

Team

Game 1

Game 2

Match

Richmond Kickers

7

6

2

North Texas SC

4

3

0

The Richmond Kickers’ Taylor Bostic claimed victory (7-4, 6-3) after a pair of epic contests against North Texas SC’s Jacob Walraven that saw the two sides go engine-to-engine for supremacy and both matches come down to the wire.

The teams exchanged leads in Game 1 and approached the halfway mark tied 3-3 before the Kickers’ Bostic neatly put home a rebound off the left post. Richmond added to its lead soon after, and while North Texas pulled a goal back to make it 5-4, a great breakaway finish with under a minute to go secured the victory for the Kickers.

North Texas grabbed the early momentum in Game 2 as Walraven scored just two seconds in with a perfectly placed shot that caromed in off the underside of the crossbar. Walraven added to his lead inside the first 30 seconds, but Richmond surged back to move ahead with three goals in 20 seconds around the two-minute mark. The Kickers wouldn’t trail again as Bostic’s run reached five consecutive goals to seal the series.

Group 6

Team

Game 1

Game 2

Match

Union Omaha

5

5

2

Hartford Athletic

1

0

0

Union Omaha’s Jake Mickelson proved solid at both ends of the arena in taking a two-game victory (5-1, 5-0) against Hartford Athletic’s Damon Gray. Los Buhos jumped out to an early lead in both games, with Mickelson using impressive aerial work to produce some highlight-reel finishes, and then saw out both contests comfortably with impressive defensive work to keep the Athletic at bay.

Team

Game 1

Game 2

Match

Loudoun United FC

14

10

2

OKC Energy FC

0

1

0

Loudoun United FC’s Brandon Williamson produced the highest-rated performances of the day as he racked up a combined 24 goals across his two wins against OKC Energy FC’s Billy Walton.

Williamson’s slick dribbling skills and prowess in front of goal saw him put away some highlight-reel finishes, giving the Virginia native something for the rest of the competition to think about. 

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