I used to live in the Queen City and many a summer night I would head out to watch the Charlotte Eagles play. They had a very patient style often dropping nine or ten players behind the ball, wait until they could counterattack in numbers and often get one or two good shots on goal. Normally one or two shots would be all they would need.
Charlotte was always a contender in the D3, and shocked some people when they moved up to the A - league last year by making the playoffs and winning the Southern Derby. It has been several years since I had seen the Eagles play, and I wondered if the Eagles still played that style of football. The answer was yes and it was a resounding yes.
The first five minutes were all Pittsburgh. In the first minute of play, a turnover by the Charlotte defense would lead to Gary DePalma getting of a shot which sailed wide. A foul in the second minute of play just outside the box would force a quick reaction save by the Eagles goaltender Rich Goddard.
Two minutes after that Gary DePalma again tried to test Goddard, but this time is shot sailed high. Things started to settle down after that. Pittsburgh still maintained possession but did not threaten the Eagles goal.
In the thirteenth minute, Charlotte got their chance. Caleb Norkus beat his defender easily to get the inside track. Randy Dedini seemed to hesitate coming off his line, which gave Norkus time to easily loft the ball over his head and into the side netting. Dustin Swinehart received the assist.
For the rest of the first half it was all Charlotte. The Eagles second goal came in the twenty-fifth minute. Andy Guastaferro found a seam in the Riverhounds flank that the Eagles would take advantage of for the rest of the night. He entered the penalty area and drew two Hounds to the corner. He then slotted the ball to a wide-open Caleb Norkus who buried the ball past Dedini from sixteen yards out.
Guastaferro had a chance in the thirty-first minute, but this shot was saved. Two minutes later his shot dinged off the woodwork as he beat a diving Dedini.
Charlotte would continue to use the flanks and several times beat the Pittsburgh defense with speed. It was speed that lead to the Eagles third goal in the forty - first minute. Dustin Swinehart was able to get around Ricardo Iribarren and send a solid cross to Andy Guastaferro. You simply don't miss that wide open of a goal.
At the half as the Hounds walked towards the locker room, you could see that their season was over.
I'm not sure what Hounds coach Kai Haaskivi said in the locker room, but it seemed to work. Pittsburgh came out fighting, although I think it may have been more for pride than anything.
Five minutes into the second half Midfielder and possible rookie of year candidate Joey Worthen got a good shot off only to see it snuffed by Goddard. At the fifty-third minute Henry Gutierrez would have a very good chance of a restart. His free kick from just outside the arc would curve around the wall but also the goal.
At the fifty-ninth minute mark, David Flavius placed a flick on header deep into Eagle territory. His flick on header lead to a footrace between Charlotte's Goddard and Mario Gori. The Charlotte GK was able to smother the ball at the top of the box.
Pittsburgh's hard work in the second half would lead to a goal by Ali Ngon. This was his first A - league goal and his first in a Hounds uniform. He was able to nod home a cross by Derek Potteiger.
Ngon was also involved in a serious injury to Charlotte's Derek Avilez. Avilez and Ngon both collide while playing a 50 - 50 ball. As they tangled the 200 plus pounds Ngon fell onto the much lighter Avilez's right leg. "I heard it crack," Ngon said. "It was an accident and I am sorry." Avilez was carried off the field and taken to a local hospital. Because of this accident, eight minutes of stoppage time was added.
Pittsburgh almost pulled within one goal in the seventy-eighth minute. A hard shot by David Flavius was originally saved by Rich Goddard but he was unable to handle the ball and it nearly found the way to the back of the net.
Pittsburgh would continue to apply pressure for the rest of the game and deep into stoppage time. Henry Gutierrez would make a last ditch effort in the ninety - sixth minute of play, but Goddard would make a diving save to preserve the Eagles two goal lead.
Charlotte broke their five game losing streak and solidified their hold on the final playoff position in the A - league with their five-point victory. Pittsburgh basically needs to win seven out of their last ten games, only four of those are at home. Pittsburgh and Charlotte play each other twice more, on the 13th and 20th of July. Coach Kia Haaskivi admits that this is an uphill battle. "I guess in a nutshell, what we have to do is win the next two," Haaskivi said. "It comes down to the next two. Can it be done? Based on what we've done so far this season, I guess you could say it's unlikely."
NOTES
Photo's of this game, and the mascot game at halftime, are available at http://www.sugapablo.com/a-league/photos/. Thanks to both Russ and his wife, the lovely Trisha!
Pittsburgh lineup -
Randy Dedini - GK
Jaman Tripoli (Ali Ngon 60')
Michael Green (Yellow card 63')
Ricardo Iribarren
Brian Johnson
Joey Worthen
Henry Gutierrez
Kevin Alvero (Mario Gori 45')
Gary DePalma (Matt Chulis 62')
Jeff Houser (Derek Potteiger 45')
David Flavius (Phil Karn 84')
Charlotte lineup -
Rich Goddard - GK
Hugo Galeano
Nate Watkins
Kevin O'Brien
Derek Avilez (Jeremy Sorzano 76')
Jose Gomez (Rob Moon 21')
Leo Gajardo
Carlos Calderson
Andy Guastaferro (Andy McDermott 82')
Dustin Swinehart
Caleb Norkus (Jacob Coggins 89')
