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Virginia fans packed Klockner Stadium to watch the Cavaliers (3-2-0, 1-0-0 ACC) take on the Cavaliers (0-4-1, 0-1-0 ACC) in a Commonwealth clash Friday night. “ACC opener. After falling behind in the first half, a second-half surge gives Virginia a 4-2 win.”
The players brought their energy as both teams entered the game looking for a win. Virginia is coming off a 6-1 loss at No. 9 Maryland, and Virginia Tech is winless in its first five games of the season.
Virginia started the game in the same formation as it did in the first four games of the season, with five defenders, two midfielders and three forwards, with the outside backs dropping down to the wings and playing a more attacking role.
The Cavaliers started the game in a spirited way with two possessions and pressure in the first 3 minutes.
Junior midfielder Daniel Mangarov pucks the puck into the net in the attacking half. He hit the ball to the right side down the right sideline to junior forward Leo Afonso.
Over the next 10 minutes, both teams traded possession back and forth, with freshman defenseman Reese Miller drawing two Hokies defenders on a big fake and a yellow card on Virginia Tech sophomore midfielder Carter Hensley.
Miller fed the ball to Afonso on the left wing and played the ball to junior midfielder Axel Ahlander at the top of the box. Ahlander’s pass to Afonso was intercepted and the chance was lost. After his first start at Rider, Miller continued to impress as a freshman.
However, in the 21st minute, Miller received a yellow card for a careless tackle on Virginia’s rookie defenseman Grant Howard on Virginia’s left wing.
In the ensuing free kick, freshman midfielder Mise Yoshizawa curled the ball into the box and it went into the net by young forward Connor Puch on the left. Virginia had controlled the ball for the first 20 minutes in Virginia Tech’s half, and the goal came out of nowhere.
After the Virginia Tech goal, the Hokies had all the energy. Kloeckner was relatively quiet as the Cavaliers seemed to be a step behind the Hokies for every possession or pass.
Every pitch seemed to go Virginia Tech’s way. However, the crowd got back into the game when Virginia got a penalty in the Virginia Tech half after Howard took down Mangarov.
Sophomore defenseman Paul Weiss took a free kick and hit it directly into the wall, receiving a yellow card for a challenge to stop a Virginia Tech counterattack.
The story of the first half ended with Virginia failing to keep the ball. The missed shots started to pile up for the Knights as they only had two dangerous attacking opportunities.
Virginia continued to pressure Virginia Tech to start the second half, with several possessions in the Virginia Tech half, but no success.
In the 62nd minute, sophomore forward Kome Ubogu and freshman forward David Okorie tried to spark the Cavaliers’ offense. Seven minutes later, Afonso played in and flicked a cross to Ubogu for another great chance.
In the same way, Afonso took a quick cross from the right side and headed the senior defender Andreas Uland to the goal to make it 1-1 in the 70th minute. The crowd erupted in response to the equaliser, and it was immediately reasoned again.
He scored in the 75th minute, coming down the left side. Sophomore midfielder Asparuh Slavov pounced on a high cross and Ubogu Dove fired a brilliant full-length shot into the bottom right corner past sophomore goalkeeper Ben Martino.
The offensive explosion didn’t stop for Virginia as junior forward Phillip Horton went one-on-one with Virginia Tech junior defenseman Jack Derry in the box. Horton fought for position around Derry, and Derry brought him down in the box. Dearie is shown a red card and Horton is awarded a free kick.
Horton raced up, hesitated and calmly shot the ball into the net to double the Knights’ lead and make it 3-1.
A few minutes later, Wiz ran into the box. He smashed the ball straight into the bottom left corner and cut the wide open Afonso brilliantly. After the goal, Klöckner threw his shirt off as the stadium erupted.
Virginia Tech added a goal in the 88th minute when Yoshizawa came in relatively unguarded and fired a shot down the right side from around the 18-yard line.
Energy was the difference maker for Virginia in the second half. The offense showed a stronger hitting instinct in the home third, and the Charlottesville fans were rocking. Coach George Jelnovac spoke about the mood in the locker room at halftime and the problems he felt his team needed to overcome.
“They passed [the Maryland loss]I think we’re better prepared for it,” Gelnovach said. “We felt that all we needed was a goal and if we scored we would win this game.”
Overall, the Knights outshot the Hawkeyes 19-8, including six shots on goal to the Hawkeyes’ four. Virginia played more physical than Virginia Tech, committing 17 fouls to the Hokies’ nine.
With the win, Virginia earned the first point for both schools in the Commonwealth clash of the season and a 1-0 lead over Virginia Tech. All-time, Virginia is 43-5-6 in men’s soccer against the Hokies, including 22-2-3 at home.
Next up for the Knights is another home match against La Salle on Tuesday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. The game will be televised live on ACCNX.
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