Preview: Kickers Fighting for First Place, Face Tormenta on Wednesday

Opponent: Tormenta FC (9 – 8– 6)
Date/Time: Wednesday, September 7th, 6:30 PM
Last Result: Kickers 3 – Union Omaha 0

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Three Things to Kick About

1. Riding High – The last game the Kickers played was against the defending champs Union Omaha. They dominated that game from about the 10th minute onwards. In the process they handed Omaha their biggest ever loss in USL. It was probably the most complete game for the Kickers and if they keep that mojo flowing anything is possible.
2. Every Game Matters – Playoffs in USL award the higher ranked team home field. With a small number of games left and the top 3 separated by only 2 points every single point matters in getting that crucial home-field advantage. The Kickers have 7 loses on the season 5 of which have come on the road. Eight of their thirteen wins have been at home. Home cooking matters and the Kicker know this.
3. Return of Mumu – Tormenta picked up a player a couple weeks ago. Mutaya Mwape aka Mumu played for the Kickers in 2020 and despite his diminutive status (he’s listed at 5′ 7″ but 5′ 5″ might be more accurate) was a big presence on and off the field. He didn’t light the field on fire with goals but shows a lack of fear that is a pleasure to watch. Some players when they move on you shrug your shoulders and move along. Other players when they show up against your team, you can’t help but think, “They look better in red.”

Prediction

I’m hopeful the team now has it dialed in and we’ll see a repeat performance of the game against Omaha. Terzaghi netted two last week stretching his lead in the Golden Boot race. Jonny Bolanos continued his amazing comeback with two assists and a goal of his own. The Kicker MVP race is between these two players and I have a hard time picking one over the other. They and the rest of the team have had a nice long break and should be well rested. To further reinforce the bench the Kickers announced the signing of Zev Taublieb. This is technically Zev’s third season with the Kickers but an injury his first season and setbacks have kept him off the field. A veteran midfielder who is already familiar with the Kickers can only be seen as a positive.

When you compare the two teams on the stat sheet they’re very similar. The only big difference is in goals scored and conceded which in soccer is kind of a big deal.  The Kickers have a goal differential of +15 while Tormenta sits at -1. This bodes well for the Kickers.

Kickers 3 – Tormeta 1