2018 Richmond Kickers season
The 2018 Richmond Kickers season was the club's 26th season of existence. It was also the club's 11th season playing in the second tier of American soccer, and their seventh straight season in the United Soccer League, since renamed the USL Championship.
The Kickers failed to improve on their 2017 campaign, and saw the team failed to qualify for the playoffs for consecutive seasons for the first time in club history. It was the fourth season in the club's history where they failed to qualify for the postseason. The Kickers finished with six wins, their fewest since 1994, and 24 losses, their most ever. During the season, the Kickers saw their long-time head coach, Leigh Cowlishaw step down from the post, and David Bulow take up coaching duties for the second half of the 2018 season.
On September 11, 2018, the Kickers announced that due to financial issues associated with competing in the main USL, they would leave that league to become a founding member of USL League One, a new third-tier professional league operated by USL's parent company, United Soccer League.
Background
The club is looking to improve off of a historically poor season. During the 2017 campaign, the Kickers finished with an 8–16–8 record, causing them to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2003. The Kickers amassed a club low 25 goals in the 32-match season. The club finished 14th out of 15 teams in the USL's Eastern Conference, and finished 26th in the 30-team league. The Kickers also suffered a second round exit in the U.S. Open Cup, losing to amateur outfit, Christos FC. It was the Kickers' shortest spell in the Open Cup since 2009.Roster
As of March 16, 2018.Transfers
In
| No. | Pos. | Player | Transferred from | Fee | Date | Source |
| 16 | FW |  Heviel Cordovés |  Charleston Battery | Free | December 4, 2017 | |
| 3 | DF | Austin Yearwood | Charlotte Independence | Free | December 15, 2017 | |
| 21 | FW | Brian Shriver | Jacksonville Armada | Free | January 11, 2018 | |
| 92 | FW | Giuseppe Gentile |  Puerto Rico FC | Feee | January 23, 2018 | |
| 42 | MF | Sam Bacon | Richmond Strikers | Academy signee | February 7, 2018 | |
| 45 | GK | Kent Dickey | Richmond Strikers | Academy signee | February 7, 2018 | |
| 55 | DF |  Mekeil Williams | Colorado Rapids | Free | February 16, 2018 | |
| 1 | GK | Trevor Spangenberg | Puerto Rico FC | Free | February 28, 2018 | |
| 7 | MF | Neil Hlavaty | Myrtle Beach Mutiny | Free | March 12, 2018 | |
| 10 | DF | Scott Thomsen | Orlando City B | Free | March 12, 2018 | |
| 24 | MF |  Koby Osei-Wusu | George Washington Colonials | Free | March 12, 2018 | |
| 28 | MF | Greg Boehme | VCU Rams | Free | April 13, 2018 | |
| GK | Eric Klenofsky | D.C. United | Free | June 1, 2018 |
Out
| No. | Pos. | Player | Transferred to | Fee | Date | Source |
| 42 | MF | Simon Fitch | George Washington Colonials | Free | August 1, 2017 | |
| 1 | GK |  Marcel DeBellis | Free | October 31, 2017 | ||
| 7 | MF |  Oliver |  South Melbourne | Free | October 31, 2017 | - |
| 10 | FW |  Sunny Jane |  Phnom Penh Crown | Free | October 31, 2017 | |
| 16 | MF |  Patrick McCann | Free | October 31, 2017 | ||
| 20 | FW | Mikey Minutillo | Free | October 31, 2017 | ||
| 22 | GK | Alex Wimmer | Free | October 31, 2017 | ||
| 24 | MF | Jackson Eskay | Free | October 31, 2017 | ||
| 28 | MF | Samuel Asante | Free | October 31, 2017 | ||
| 35 | MF | Brandon Eaton | Free | October 31, 2017 | ||
| 70 | FW |  Franck Tayou | FC Wichita | Free | October 31, 2017 |
Loan in
| No. | Pos. | Player | Loaned from | Start | End | Source |
| 29 | FW |  Dane Kelly | D.C. United | March 15, 2018 | October 31, 2018 | |
| 32 | FW |  Bruno Miranda |  Universidad de Chile | March 15, 2018 | October 31, 2018 | |
| 48 | GK | Travis Worra | D.C. United | March 15, 2018 | October 31, 2018 |
Non-competitive
Preseason friendlies
Midseason friendlies
Competitive
USL
Table
Results
U.S. Open Cup
Statistics
Appearances and goals
Top scorers
Awards
USL Team of the Week
| Week | Player | Pos. | Ref. |
| 3 | Brian Shriver | MF |