Richmond Kickers coach Leigh Cowlishaw says he is more interested in the caliber of his team's performance than the banner beneath which it is performing.
That being so, Cowlishaw is attaching considerable gravity to tonight's U.S. Open Cup second-round match against Pittsburgh. This collision between two USL PRO rivals will not count in the league's standings or statistics. But that does not diminish the game's importance, Cowlishaw said.
"We need to win a soccer match," Cowlishaw said. "That's by far the most important aspect" of tonight's contest. "The significance of league play vs. Open Cup, that doesn't matter to me. It doesn't
matter at all. What matters is that we get back to our winning ways."
He was speaking qualitatively. The Kickers (7-3-2 USL PRO) have won two of their past three matches, including last week's 4-1 romp over Dayton in their Open Cup first-round contest. But
Friday's 1-0 loss to Harrisburg in USL PRO play was an exercise in exasperation. Richmond hit the frame of the goalmouth three times. The Kickers also surrendered a painful goal in first-half stoppage time. That gaffe continued a trend that cost the Kickers dearly during a three-game winless streak in late May.
"We've performed well at times, very well, I'd say, in just about every match we've played," said Cowlishaw, whose team began the season with six consecutive victories. "But for the past four-five weeks, we haven't taken care of the little things." He said he addressed the topic intensely during Monday's training session.
"We're frankly not performing at the level of which we're capable right now. The majority of the points we've conceded, really, we have only ourselves to blame."
Cowlishaw said he is beginning to spur his team now, with 11 USL PRO contests remaining, because "I'm not interested in being second-best. I know [this team's] talent. I know their character. I know we're capable of more."
Tonight's test could be prickly. Pittsburgh (2-8-3) has scored nine goals — the second-fewest in USL PRO. Still, Cowlishaw is assuming nothing. The Open Cup tournament, he said "sometimes is a nice change" for a club that has found the going rough in league play. "It's an opportunity to forget everything else and focus strictly on one match."
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