Second place at stake Saturday vs. City Stars

Richmond goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale calls Saturday's 7 p.m. meeting with Cleveland at University of Richmond Stadium the biggest game of the season to date.

Indeed, there will be a lot on the line when the two clubs battle for the second time in three weeks. The first match resulted in a 0-0 standoff on June 28.

The Kickers (9-4-2) and City Stars (8-2-5), each with 29 points, are tied for second in the United Soccer Leagues' Second Division, five points behind Charlotte (10-1-4, 34). Richmond has the tiebreaker over Cleveland at the moment because it has more wins.

Why is it so important to finish second? Six teams make the playoffs this year, and the top two will receive byes to await the winners of first-rounders between the 3 vs. 6 and 4 vs. 5 seeds on Aug. 13. Three days later, the regular-season champion will face the 3 vs. 6 survivor, while the No. 2 seed will play the 4 vs. 5 winner.

Not only will the top seeds be well-rested, they'll have home-field advantage in the semifinals. The USL2 title game is set for Aug. 23 at a site to be determined.

"We've been emphasizing ever since we went on the [two-week] road trip that we need to win out," Richmond coach Leigh Cowlishaw said. "We have the tiebreaker right now, but whoever wins this game will have the tiebreaker. We obviously want to win this game, but it's probably going down to the last game of the season either way.

"The top teams still have to play each other in important matches. We just have to go out and continue to do what we have done over the last seven or eight games [5-0-2]."

Cleveland has two games left with Charlotte, while Richmond is through with the Eagles.

Pascale planning return after missing 2 matches

Until Richmond's match at Bermuda on July 6, Pascale had never missed a game because of an injury. Now he's been out two in a row, counting Pittsburgh on Saturday, because of a lower back problem.

"First time in 10 years," Pascale said. "I've played through a lot of them. I've been fortunate enough that most of the time I've gotten injured, it's been things I could tape up or wrap up and take a lot of ibuprofen and work through it."

Pascale, who is in his ninth season with Richmond, plans to be ready for Cleveland on Saturday, assuming he doesn't have any setbacks this week.

Mark Murphy has filled in admirably for Pascale, allowing two goals in two games.

With passport in hand, Dawkins arrives today

There's breaking news from the Kickers: Fabian Dawkins is scheduled to arrive in town today. The forward from Jamaica had trouble getting his passport approved, then it took a couple of weeks before it was delivered to him. Dawkins was signed before the season and could finally make his debut Saturday.

"We'll have a look at him Thursday and Friday [in practice], and we'll make a decision from there," Cowlishaw said. "I don't expect him to go into the starting 11, but if he's looking sharp, then it's a possibility [he could play some]." -- John Packett