In spite of the 're-alignment' to division 2 this year, a number of players have stuck with the Richmond Kickers. Although the reasons are varied, the familiar faces will certainly be a welcoming in a season of change at UR stadium. Here is a rundown of the returnees:
Ronnie Pascale - GK
Keeping Ronnie is a big win for the club, although I can't help feel sad that he will be playing down a division and well below the level he is capable of. Praised by many opponents last season for both his talent and his class, having the No.22 between the sticks instantly guarantees that the Kickers should be solid at the back in 2006.
Steve Ankiel - GK
In spite of some impressive pre-season displays, I expect Steve will be just as an effective bench warmer in Division 2 as he was in Division 1.
Kevin Knight - D
Richmond will benefit from having this strong leader and team player back in the roster. Knight's contribution on the pitch is sometimes hard to quantify, he's the kind of player that stays below the radar and shows up when needed. My guess is the same could be said of him off the pitch, team mates often speak highly of him and hopefully his positive attitude can raise the spirits of others that are perhaps feeling the relegation blues.
Tony Williams - D
It would have been more of surprise to see Tony leave, coach Leigh Cowlishaw has been extremely loyal to him for years (he played every game in 2003 & 2004, only missed games through injury last year) so it makes sense that he would return the favor when hard times hit. Always solid on the wing, and often key in turning defense into attack since converting to full-back. Injuries last year appeared to affect his speed so hopefully a long off-season will help him regain his step.
Kofi Nti - M
Last year's rookie had some good spells in midfield last season and showed a lot of potential. Hopefully we'll see him step up to solidify a first team place in 2006.
Tim Brown - M
Keeping Tim is a major coup for the Kickers, already he is my favourite for 2006 MVP. Apparently the New Zealand international had some unsuccessful trials in the lower English divisions in the off-season, this is surprising because Brown has a tenacious work-rate and plays the kind of passion that suits the English game. This Kiwi has talent to spare and hopefully he'll lose his penchant for yellow cards and lead the team by example in D2.
Mike Burke - M
Still a fan favourite despite his diminishing minutes and seemingly frequent skirmishes with the coach. Last season Burke surprised many by putting in some impressive displays when the team was in need of creativity, it's not that anyone thinks he is incapable but sometimes he has been known for disappearing for half a game. The biggest concern is whether he will be able to motivate himself in a lower division after apparently flirting with some offers to remain in Division One, perhaps his decision to stay in Richmond displays an act of maturity that will show itself on the field.
Sascha Gorres - M
This talented German was a pleasant surprise as he managed to fill the huge hole left by an injury plagued Joey Worthen last season. Once he returns from college in his homeland, Kickers' fans will be hoping that his crisp passing and ability to dribble the ball will be too much for the D2 opponents to handle this year.
Chris Carrieri - M/F
A surprising keep, and definitely a plus. Carrieri is not a flashy forward, but his workrate is second to none and he is capable of a pass that can change the game in an instant. Did a great job of dispelling the 'poison in the dressing room' label that came with him last season. Like Burke, Kickers fans will be hoping that Chris will be just as committed to the cause in D2 as he was in D1, it seems like a long way down from his time as an MLS star forward.
Robert Ssejjemba - F
"Bob" was tried in multiple strike partnerships last season and some may say he never reached his full potential. This year is his opportunity to shine without Kevin Jeffrey, Matt Delicate or McColm Cephas to compete with for a starting position. The small, tricky forward has a physical edge that Cephas and Deli often lacked, and hopefully a few goals early on in the season will build his confidence and begin a productive season.
Ray Goodlett & Ihor Dotsenko
Honory mentions go to Ray Goodlett and Ihor Dotsenko who have both come out of retirement to rejoin the Kickers this season. Back in 2003 Ray looked to be the piece in the puzzle that had been missing since Marco Ferruzzi's departure after he was moved to a position in front of the back four. A strong tackler with great distribution skills, hopefully he'll be able pick up where he left off. Don't expect much of Dotsenko, he was already losing his pace in his last competetive season and something tells me he's just a 'filler' on the roster.
In summary
With the players returning the Kickers ought to be instantly competetive in Division 2. Fans should be excited with the number of quality players back this year and hopefully they are dedicated to prove that this team does not belong in this division in spite of the coaches warning that this league is 'more competetive than you think'.
Looking through the list it appears as though the Kicker's strength definitely lies in midfield anchored by the trio of Tim Brown, Sascha Gorres and Chris Carrieri. Burke will also be valuable and the addition of Ray Goodlett should give Coach Cowlishaw a few interesting selection options. How many relegated coaches can claim to have that 'problem'?
Unfortunately the same can not be said of our forward line with Ssejjemba as the only returning striker from an abundant (albeit often underperforming) talent pool. On the plus side, Cristian Neagu joins the big boys after a few productive seasons with the Future, though it remains to be seen how easy it will be to transfer an impressive PDL record to D2. Finally, given the options in midfield it wouldn't be a surprise to see Carrieri pushed back forward to assist with the goalscoring.
The back line is a mixed bag. While it will be advantageous to have Kevin and Tony back, the strength and height of Peter Luzak in the middle will be missed for sure. Depending on form, Ray Goodlett may be moved to fill in the middle but the team is definitely in need of another good full-back (hopefully we won't see anymore attempts to play Sascha back there). The best news for dednse of course is that Pascale is back in goal, hopefully he will be able to plug any gaps until Leigh finds the right combination in the back four.
Having made the Division 1 championship game last season, most fans will have high expectations in Division 2 (including those fans that apparently don't know the difference), with some stating that nothing less than a championship will do. However, despite the great play-off run we cannot forget the dreadful second half of the regular season the Kickers experienced as they often looked uninspired and unsure of how to find the goal. Perhaps the shorter season will be advantageous in this respect.
But despite the quality of returning players it is ultimately the strength in depth that makes or breaks a season. We must not only look to the old hands to bring the championship to Richmond, in fact one may argue that now more than ever it is important to have a strong rookie class. The Kickers have built their reputation on talent spotting over the years thanks to some strong scouting and creative resources, hopefully they will be able to keep it up this season in order to keep the veterans on their toes and not fall into a state of complacency. The Kickers should certainly have the talent to win it all in 2006, but do they have the drive?
