On December 4th, South Georgia Tormenta announced they were hitting the reset button. Six players were returning, 14 were not.
Among the players not returning was forward Arthur Bosua. He joined the team ahead of the 2022 season, and had a promising start: 2 goals and 1 assist in seven matches.
But 18 minutes into the eighth match of the season, he went down with an injury. He’d miss the remainder of the season, including the playoff run and championship.
Bosua’s return would not come until the 9th match of the 2023 season. It was a bittersweet return, as he scored an equalizer in the 38th minute.
However, the season ended on a disappointing note. It would end up his only goal, and the team itself struggled with roster consistency and injuries. They’d miss the playoffs, just one season after winning the league title.
Richmond presents a new opportunity.
The 2023 Kickers squad finished 11th in the table, itself just a season after finishing top of the table. It was a squad that struggled to convert its chances, and seemed lost with three-time golden boot winner Emiliano Terzaghi struggling through injuries.
Bosua should counter Terzaghi’s mobility and shooting skills with his size and aerial presence. Terzaghi clocks in at 5’7”, while Bosua towers at 6’4”. This provides the additional threat that was missing so many times in 2023. It was a season where Nil Vinyals provided a league third-best 66 chances, but only four converted, and the squad finished 9th in the league on goals scored. Bosua is a clear attempt to solve this problem.
Richmond coach Darren Sawatzky called Bosua an attacking threat who can hold the ball, score in the box and from a distance, and said “he gives us an aerial threat in the box that forces defenses to defend honestly in the box.”
Bosua brings experience from USL Championship, having spent two seasons with Charleston Battery. His debut professional season, so far his only full season at either USL level was in 2019 and saw 6 goals and an assist. He added another 1 goal and 1 assist during the shortened 2020 season with Charleston. He also spent a season with New Amsterdam, then of NISA, contributing 4 goals and 2 assists over 20 matches.
Hopefully with his first full USL season since 2019 ahead, Richmond offers an opportunity to finally overcome the adversity of pandemic shortened seasons and seasons cut short by injury. Bosua should be ready for the task.
Richmond Kickers start the 2024 season at Spokane on March 16th, followed by a home match vs. South Georgia Tormenta FC on March 23rd.
Check out our previous player stories: