DUNBAR, W.Va. -- The West Virginia Futbol Club played timely defense to hold on to a 2-1 victory over Rhode Island Surf Elite in the 17U boys division of the United States Youth Soccer Eastern Regional Championships played at Shawnee Sports Complex in Dunbar on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
After scoring early in the second half to take the lead, WVFC had to rely on its pack-it-in style defense in front of the net to fend off close desperation shots on goal by Rhode Island in the final 12 minutes of the match.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWe knew we had to just win or tie to move on, so we were just defending for our lives,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ said midfielder Andrew Warner, who will be a senior for the Huntington Highlanders next season. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWe just packed everybody in.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
WVFC, a team consisting of players from the southern Ohio and the Huntington to Charleston area, played slow and deliberate offensively at the onset, but as the game progressed, it was able to feel out weaknesses in the Rhode Island defense.
In the 34th minute of the first half, WVFCÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Nicholas Sylvia, a forward from Wheelersburg, Ohio, put a header into the net from 25 feet away after a favorable high bounce in the middle of the pitch directly in front of the goal.
However, in the next minute of play, Rhode Island tied it up at 1-1 after overloading the right sideline and punching in a score from 15 feet away. Even though both teams were able to get off four more shots each in the remaining time of the first half, the game remained tied at the halftime break.
As the second half of the contest progressed, the contest became much more physical as the one-on-one play for the ball included intense pushing and shoving calls and a few on-field warnings from the official.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThey were definitely getting a little more tired, so physicality was going to come into play,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ said Brier Wagner, a forward who plays for Huntington St. Joseph. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWe matched it the best we could, and on their counters when they went for it, we just made the best plays, and thatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s how we were able to go forward.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
In the fourth minute of the second half, Mohanad Nahla, a midfielder from George Washington, scored after the Rhode Island goalie deflected a shot but could not hold onto the ball. Nahla was in the right spot to find the back of the net, with the carom giving WVFC the 2-1 final margin.
Extreme heat affected play, resulting in many muscle cramps brought on by temperatures that reached into the mid 90s.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œOur guys have been taking the right steps in this heat by being responsible and getting plenty of hydration and ice baths,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Warner said.
With the win, WVFC finishes pool play with a perfect 3-0 record and will advance to the quarterfinal round in their division by playing on Sunday at 9 a.m. against FC Dynamo of New York.
