Bethlehem Steel FC are set to play their second home match this season against the Richmond Kickers in another Eastern Conference matchup.

Bethlehem enter the match after a tough 4-0 loss against the New York Red Bulls II last Sunday.

“We’re coming off a tough collective performance at the Red Bulls,” Bethlehem Steel FC head coach Brendan Burke said. “I said to the guys ‘it’s never as good as it looks or as bad as it looks until you really break things down on film.’ That was a difficult experience for a lot of our younger guys and we had a young team out there, but also a very valuable one.”

Richmond Kickers have yet to lose a match this season winning two matches against Harrisburg City Islanders and Rochester Rhinos, while tying against Wilmington Hammerheads FC. They have scored four goals thus far and conceded just one.

“I know they have a very good coach who is successful every single year in USL,” Burke added. “It’s because they are a structured group, everyone knows where everyone is supposed to be at all times.”

Back to back losses have put Bethlehem in 10th place in the Eastern Conference while the Kickers are tied for first on points with the conference leaders New York Red Bulls II.

“I think you approach each week as a preparation for a match, with whatever group we have on that week,” Burke said. “The relationships will develop over time. They are going to develop more slowly for us than they would in a stand-alone team or in a USL team that keeps the same group of players together every week. I think there are guys within our team that are building good relationships.”

Suspensions have set back James Chambers and Boluwatife Akinyode. Chambers will miss Sunday’s match after receiving two yellow cards in the game against NYRB II while Akinyode will return after two yellows in the home opener.

“It just lends to an opportunity for someone else,” Burke said. “Someone to come off the bench and start a match, that’s the way I look at it. Next man up. Jimmy says it all the time. It’s a long season so things like this happen, injuries happen, suspensions happen, there’s a lot of different circumstances that you’ll have to deal with.”

Steel will hope to get back on the right track in front of the home fans, also hoping to feed off the fans’ energy once again.

“The atmosphere was excellent. There was a real energy at the game and I think that’s what helped us to push and continue,” Burke said. “We want to use as much of that energy that the crowd creates as possible.”

A limited amount of tickets remain for Sunday’s match and can be purchased online or by calling 844-STEELFC.