Game Summary

The Charlotte Eagles entered Saturday night’s game looking for their first win of the 2003 season against the Virginia Beach Mariners.  With a record of 0-4-5, the Eagles desperately needed a win to boost player and fan morale, not to mention the stat sheet.

During the Lady Eagles’ game (about an hour before), torrential rains swept the field, leaving it drenched for the men’s game as well.  However, by game time the skies had cleared nicely and the air was pleasantly cool.  The wind was strong and at times affected play, making it sloppier than normal.  The standing water probably did not help matters.

Eagles’ coach Mark Steffens switched the lineup around a bit, and it proved to be effective.  Leo Gajardo was back in the lineup for Jason Acres at midfield, and Andy Hylton took the place of Jacob Coggins up front.  Throughout the course of the game, Hylton demonstrated just why he was in the starting lineup.  For a player who says forward is “too much running” for him, Hylton hustled like crazy for the first half, creating good chances and even scoring his second goal in as many games in the 28^th minute of play.

 In the third minute, the Eagles laid on the pressure with a free kick by Andy McDermott from about 30 yards out, but Mariners keeper Matt Nelson was able to make the save.  After several decent Eagles chances but no goals, Dustin Swinehart had a good breakaway, but a mysterious offside call put an end to his run.  Swinehart kept up the effort and in the 18^th minute, he took a one-on-one shot from inside the 18-yard box that he unfortunately kicked straight to Nelson.  This was disappointing as a fan because Swinehart is usually the one person the Eagles can count on to put shots like that in the back of the net.

The Mariners had their first notable chance at goal in the 26^th minute off a free kick about 25 yards out, but the shot was stopped by the Eagles’ defense.  At this point in the game, the Mariners players are becoming agitated and becoming very vocal about their frustrations.  They definitely display attitudes and have become very argumentative with the referee and the Eagles players.  Several small shoving matches are instigated.  I am not sure exactly why; however, I have read that Virginia Beach tends to have a temper problem, so maybe that is the cause.  This attitude continues for the remainder of the match.

In minute 28, Dustin Swinehart unselfishly plays the ball in to Andy Hylton who is able to put the pass in the back of the net for the first goal of the game.  This play demonstrated great teamwork and confirmed that Andy Hylton is the man the Eagles needed to get the job done up front.  I have a feeling that goal has earned Hylton a permanent starting position because he is creating (and finishing) the opportunities the Eagles have been unable to create thus far this season.

The 40^th minute brought a great chance for Virginia Beach.  A Mariners player took a great shot from about 15 yards out that hit the post.  After some scuffling and several missed clears by Eagles defenders, the ball somehow made its way out of bounds and out of harms way.  This play was very dangerous and could have easily led to a tied game.  After a few unthreatening chances by each side, the teams headed to the locker room with a score of 1-0 Charlotte.

Less than two minutes into the second half, the Mariners leveled the score with a goal by Hamisi Almani-Dove off an assist by Roy Lassiter.  This marks the third game in a row that the Eagles have given up a goal just after the start of the second half, an error they need to correct.

For the next 10 minutes, the Mariners have the better of the scoring opportunities.  In the 57^th minute, a Virginia Beach player has a nice shot that goes just left of the goal.  In the 59^th minute, the referee misses an offside call and a Mariner takes a shot that again rolls left of the goal.

The Eagles regain their flow and begin to make scoring chances a few minutes later.  Andy Hylton continues to have a stellar game with a breakaway in the 67^th minute.  As Hylton takes the ball up the right side of the pitch, he pushes the ball around two Mariner defenders and uses his speed to catch it before they do.  However, the side referee does not see fit to move out of Hylton’s path, and Hylton is slowed so that he loses possession.  This continues the pattern of mistakes for the referees, who received continuous complaints from both sides throughout the match.

At this point in the match, the Eagles defense remained solid and did not show signs of fatigue.  The forwards, however, looked sluggish, and it is evident that Andy Hylton especially could use a substitution.  Luckily, Jacob Coggins enters the game for Hylton in the 68^th minute and brings a new energy to the front line.

In the next ten minutes, Virginia Beach is handed several mystery free kicks by the referees but make nothing of these opportunities.  However, the Eagles are being fouled left and right and receiving no calls.  In the 79^th minute, Coggins is dragged down in the box by a Mariner defender and does not receive what should have been a penalty kick.  In the 81^st minute, Swinehart is pulled down, yet the Mariners get a free kick.

Swinehart continues to play his heart out late in the match.  In the 80^th minute, Jose Gomez dribbled the ball down the left flank and crossed the ball to Swinehart, whose header just misses the net.  Finally, in the 83^rd minute of play, Swinehart’s determination pays off as he receives a cross off the right side from Coggins, turned around, and booted the ball into the back of the net.  This was the shot Swinehart had been waiting for all season, and after the game he said that was “the goal he needed” to regain his confidence.  The score is now 2-1 Eagles with 7 minutes left in regulation.  Eagles fans are going wild because victory seems to be imminent.  However, there are still some nerves because the Eagles have been in this position several times before only to give up a late goal and end up with a draw.  At this point, the fans and players are praying for the resilience of the defenders.  The Eagles maintain a great energy level at this point in the game and still do not show signs of fatigue.

In the 88^th minute, the Eagles fan’s and player’s worst nightmare comes true when Dante Washington scores an unassisted goal off a misplay by Charlotte goalkeeper Dwayne Adams.  The energy and enthusiasm visibly drained out of the Eagles players, but they did not give up.  They held on to the end of regulation and prepared for golden-goal overtime.

During the first few minutes of overtime, it was obvious that the Eagles wanted this win.  They were hustling on tired legs like it was the first half and taking every opportunity to go to the net.  In the 93^rd minute, the efforts of ten games finally came together when Ben Johnson beat several Mariner defenders up the right side and placed a perfect cross right in front of the net.  Several players from both sides attempted to head the ball unsuccessfully.  Just when it seemed the ball would roll untouched to the wing, Lee Paul comes out of nowhere and, with a Hollywood-style bicycle kick, strikes the ball towards the net.  The ball seems to move in slow motion and finally flows into the back of the net.  The crowd went wild and Paul finds himself at the bottom of a mountain of overjoyed Eagles players.  Finally, the Eagles have obtained that elusive first win of the season.  Hopefully, the winning will continue for the remainder of the season.

Newcomers Lee Paul and Andy Hylton seem to be just what the Eagles needed up front to finish the opportunities that had been going to waste all season.  Both of these players have scored two goals in three appearances.  Dustin Swinehart also seems to have regained his confidence, and with this confidence will hopefully come the kind of scoring ability that placed him just two goals behind the A-League’s leading scorer in 2001 despite missing six games. With this kind of newfound scoring ability, who knows how far the Eagles will soar?

Eagles’ Injury/Visa Report

• Leo Gajardo was back in action after sitting out with an injured hamstring for several weeks.  He played very well at midfield and looked to be in good condition.
• Roger Groome is still working to obtain a green card.
• Hugo Galeano is in Colombia, still unable to obtain a visa.
• Goalkeeper Dwayne Adams will continue to play for the Eagles whenever he is able, but he may not be at every game due to his work at home in Bermuda.

Game Stats

Scoring Summary

Cautions/Ejections

Substitutions

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