The Richmond Kickers are excited to announce they will host an international friendly at City Stadium for the first time since 2018 on Tuesday, July 18th when they face off against Guatemalan giants and 31-times national champions, Comunicaciones FC from Guatemala City.

Tickets for the match are on sale now for Kickers+ and Season Ticket members who have first rights to tickets as a benefit of being a member. Fans can head to richmondkickers.com/kickersplus to purchase a membership and unlock early access while saving up to 50% off of their tickets. All ticket sales for the match will be held online and tickets will go on sale to the general public on Saturday, June 8th at noon. Suite, hospitality, and group packages can also be secured by calling (804) 644-5425.

“We’re excited to welcome Comunicaciones FC to our home at City Stadium, and we are especially thrilled to bring back an international soccer friendly to Richmond after a five-year hiatus,” Kickers’ President and Chief Operating Officer Camp Peery said. “Our intention is to make this celebration of the global game a staple event for our fans and our community every year moving forward.”

The arrival of Comunicaciones next month to the River City marks a renewed commitment by the Kickers to host international sides annually after the COVID-19 pandemic complicated the possibility in recent seasons.

Richmond last hosted an international side on July 26, 2018, when RCD Espanyol of Spain’s La Liga came to town. Previously, the club has also hosted Premier League sides like Crystal Palace FC (2014), West Bromwich Albion (2015), and Swansea City AFC (2016 and 2017).

Founded in 1949, Comunicaciones is one of the most successful clubs in Guatemala with a massive following. The club is famous for its cream-colored home kits and is affectionately nicknamed Los Cremas (The Creams). They are also known as El Hexacampeón in honor of winning six-straight championships – the only club in the country to do so.

Fans will be familiar with Comunicaciones after the club’s qualification in the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League. The club defeated Colorado Rapids FC of the MLS 1-1 on aggregate (4-3 penalties) in the round of 16 before facing New York City FC of the MLS in the quarterfinals. The epic two legs that finished 5-5 on aggregate against NYCFC saw the MLS side win 3-1 in Hartford, Conn. before Comunicaciones earned a come-from-behind 4-2 victory in Guatemala City. However, NYCFC would advance on away goals.

Comunicaciones won the 2021 CONCACAF League – a second-tier continental league underneath the CONCACAF Champions League – which earned qualification for the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League. During their trophy-winning run in 2021, the club won seven matches while only dropping one during the tournament while finishing with a plus-7 goal differential and six players on the team of the tournament.

Fresh off of a finish at the top of the cumulative table in Liga Nacional de Guatemala, Comunicaciones made it to the semifinals of the Clausura tournament just last month.

For just a yearly subscription of $35, fans unlock up to 50% off their tickets, 15% savings on Kickers’ swag, and more with a Kickers+ Membership! This steal of a deal pays for itself after your first four (4) purchased tickets. Become a member and start saving today! Additional information can be found at richmondkickers.com/kickersplus.

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Dear #RPSStrong Family,

As you have likely heard by now, the two individuals killed in yesterday’s tragedy were Shawn Smith, a Huguenot HS senior, and his step-father, Lorenzo Smith. Please join me in expressing our deepest condolences to Ms. Smith; yesterday, she lost her son and her husband. As superintendent – and as a father, husband, and son – I grieve today with Ms. Smith and her entire family.

I did not know Shawn, but I shook his hand and wished him congratulations about 20 minutes before he died. Those who did know him, like Kevin Olds, a former assistant principal at Huguenot and now the principal at Wythe HS, described him as “bubbly” and “the life of the party.” Mr. Olds shared the following reflection with me.

When Shawn started ninth grade, he struggled a bit with the structure of high school. As a result, he often found his way to my office. I’m grateful for that because, over time, we formed a strong bond.

Shawn had a joyous and infectious smile. His sense of humor made him full of life, laughter, and all things fun. He was also a very bright young man who could master any textbook.

• No bags of any kind will be permitted inside the school (no exceptions).
• No flowers, balloons, or amplified devices of any kind will be permitted inside the school.
• Everyone will be subject to searches.

• Open High School – Friday, June 9, 9 am, at Richmond Community High School
• Franklin Military Academy – Monday, June 12, 9 am, at Franklin Military Academy
• Armstrong High School – Monday, June 12, 11:30 am, at Armstrong High School
• Thomas Jefferson High School – Monday, June 12, 2 pm, at Thomas Jefferson High School
• John Marshall High School – Tuesday, June 13, 9 am, at John Marshall High School
• George Wythe High School – Tuesday, June 13, 12 pm, at John Marshall High School

Mental Health Resources – If you or someone you know needs mental health support, please access the resources below. There is absolutely no shame in doing so. I have accessed them, and I urge you to do the same.

• The RPS Crisis Team will be providing virtual support to students and families from 11 am – 4 pm and 5 pm – 7 pm. You can access the support through Google Meet.
• Students who need emergency mental health support should call the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority at (804) 819-4100 or the ChildSavers Immediate Response line at (804) 305-2420 (or send a text to 741741).
• An additional counseling resource available to students and families is Challenge Discovery Projects. Their counselors can be reached by calling (804) 643-0002.
• The Latinos in Virginia Empowerment Center will be open all day for any Latino/Hispanic individuals affected by the shooting. Their 24/7 hotline number is (804) 728-0048.
• The Trauma Healing Response Network is a coalition of grassroots, community-based organizations and mental health partners that provide support services to families and communities impacted by gun violence. The network can also facilitate the distribution of emergency relief funds to help those in crisis. For more information, email [email protected].
• RPS employees in need of emergency support should contact the Cigna 24/7 crisis line at (833) ME-CIGNA (833-632-4462). Additional counseling and support services are also available through the Cigna Employee Assistance (EAP) program by calling (800) 544-6931.
• If you are looking for resources to help you talk to your children about this latest tragedy, please see this document from the National Council on Family Relations.

With great appreciation and love,

Opponent:  Chattanooga (2-5-2)
Date/Time: Saturday, June 3rd, 7:00 PM
Last Result: Kickers 1 – Tormenta 1

Weather Forecast From WeatherBug.com

Three Things to Kick About

1. Vinyals Returns – Nil Vinyals came off the bench last Saturday so barring a training setback he should be in the starting lineup. With the midfielder back in action expect the midfield to look better and hopefully more in control of the ball. In theory that control should lead to more transition into attack and more goals.
2. Everyone Scores – So far this year seven different Kickers have scored, with midfielder João Silva leading the pack with 3. The latest goal was a beautiful Olympico but Sukow that must be seen to be believed. Don’t whine at me that it was a cross. It goes into the books as a goal and will be celebrated as such. So far 8 goals have been produced by the midfielders and defenders. Meanwhile our forwards, you know the guys paid to put the ball in the net have racked up 4 goals.
3. Hot Ticket – It does my jaded heart good to see the amount of support in the stands the team is getting this year. Every game so far has had over 5,000 in attendance. This is well over the 3,500 or so we averaged last year. I’m not sure what switch flipped in the community but I’m glad to see it happen. The drawback is longer lines for food and drink but the Kickers are addressing that with more trucks. If you’re looking for a drink don’t forget there are multiple beer stations you don’t have to go straight for the building in the center of the concourse.

Prediction

The Kickers had a tremendous season last year until their first playoff game. In that game, despite being a man up for the majority of the game they ended up losing to Chattanooga by a goal. The fans, coaches and certainly the players remember the night a little too well. A win would have meant hosting the Championship Game in City Stadium, instead, it ended with a crushing defeat. Revenge will be on everyone’s mind and Chattanooga is not having a great season. The Red Wolves sit in second to last place and have a -8 goal differential. If ever there was a time for the Kickers to rack up some goals and get their scoring mojo flowing this is it. I predict it will happen.

Kickers 3 – Chattanooga 0