The Eagles continue to be a tale of two teams, falling 1-0 to Virginia Tech in an away game match up. Undefeated at home this season, the Eagles haven’t won an away game going on two years. Conceding in the 78th minute, the Eagles offense couldn’t find the back of the net, enduring their fourth shutout in eight games. Noe Uwimana scored for Virginia Tech.
Uwimana’s goal was, to offer some consolation to Eagles fans, a magical strike from outside the box. Sergios Feneridis found Uwimana deep on the right side with a long pass that broke the Eagles’ lines. With Jonathan Murphy and Marco dos Santos rushing to defend, Uwimana cut left, driving more centrally. From distance, Uwimana ripped off a shot that went near post, top corner, past a diving Brennan Klein. The goal gave the Hokies the 1-0 lead with 12 minutes to go, putting the pressure on the Eagles.
The Eagles didn’t find the tying goal, managing zero shots on goal in the last twelve minutes despite attempting to turn up the pressure. A sign of the Eagles’ desperation? Goalkeeper Klein joined the attack, dribbling past Hokie forwards at the midfield line. Even with everyone focused on the attack, BC failed to score—as has been the case in 50% of their matches.
Not to say that the Eagles didn’t have their chances. BC finished the game with nine shots, none of which were on goal, compared to Virginia Tech’s seven, three of which were on net. Xavier O’Neil had the best chance of the night just past the 41st minute mark. O’Neil danced past the Hokie defender, gaining a step at the top of the box. Seizing his space, O’Neil took his chance, rifling off a shot with his right foot that curled just wide of the far post. The look of agony on his face after it went just wide tells the story of the season for him.
To be fair to the Eagles, they didn’t have their preferred lineup against Virginia Tech. Both defensive stalwart and captain Diego Ochoa and midfield general Aidan Farwell missed the match. Those absences were compounded by an injured Alfie Hughes being unable to play and the Eagles missing Daniel Klaric, one of their preferred center-forward candidates. With those absences, the Eagles started all four of their holding midfielders, placing Jack Burkhardt at left-back and Sam White inside on the right side, acting as more of ten. Henry Okenla has taken over the center-forward position.
Even with the roster rotation, BC held firm to their defensive game plan. As the season has progressed, the Eagles have grown, managing to maintain possession and momentum for longer than the opening five minutes of a match. For much of the first half, the Eagles grew into the match, adjusting to the Hokies game plan while not compromising defensive integrity. Although not a win, keeping the game within one goal is a win for an Eagles team with such notable struggles on the road. In each of their away matches this season, BC has managed to make the match tighter, learning from previous mistakes.
With O’Neil as a bright spot on the left wing, the Eagles are still looking for a consistent central attacking midfielder who can direct play. The Farwell absence meant BC played wide for most of the game, making the attack predictable and unable to break through the Hokies defense. The talent of the Eagles as individuals means that O’Neil, dos Santos, Boadi, and even defensive players like Cargill have the ability to break through even the most organized defenses. Yet, so far this season BC hasn’t managed to play as a team and find the clinical finishing necessary to clean up their shots by being in the right follow up position.
Another familiar storyline dogged the Eagles: this is the third straight game where BC has accrued four yellow cards in the run of play, adding to their struggles this season. This time, CJ Williams picked up his third of the season, Ted Cargill his fourth, with Connor Gibson and Jack Burkhardt earning their first. The Burkhardt yellow was tactical, stopping a breakaway with the goalkeeper, but the other three represent a lack of consistent discipline.
The Eagles (2-3-3) took on Wake Forest (5-1-3) on Friday, September 29th at Newton Soccer Field at 2:00pm. The game was celebrated as Ted Lasso Day.
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