Charlotte Eagles: Games Six and Seven

It was a long road trip for the Eagles this weekend.  With two back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday, there was no time for rest.
Their first match on Friday in Richmond, the same team they beat in an away match earlier in the season, was bound to be tough with the Kickers looking to avenge their loss to the Eagles. 
It was a night of firsts for Richmond, who saw striker Jonny Villanueva score his first professional goal on a freekick in the 2nd minute.  The shot just found the bottom left corner, beating Eagles keeper Erik Lefebvre.
The Eagles were struggling to find shots (only four for the entire match) and Richmond's Matthew Delicate (the league's leading scorer) found the net from a cross by Sascha Gorres in the 21st minute, putting the Kickers up 2-0.  That was the score at halftime.
Having the majority of possession, Richmond hit the bag again in the 51st minute when Villanueva was fouled by Brady Bryant.  The yellow-card offense resulted in a freekick goal by Mike Burke, once again in the left corner.
The Eagles' Jorge Herrera gave his team some hope just three minutes later when he struck a beauty from 25-yards out.  But the two-goal advantage was too much to overcome and the score ended 3-1.
The other first in the match?  It was the Kickers' first home win of the season, which is unbelievable since they are the reigning USL-2 champions. 

Goalscorer Jorge Herrera

The Eagles' second away match of the weekend was up the road against Real Maryland.  The Eagles met the Monarchs in last season's playoffs, which Charlotte won.  Wanting to secure some points for the weekend after blanking the night before, the Eagles had a hard task ahead of them, with tired bodies on the field.  In the words of Eagles midfielder Chris Lemons, it was "a dull game."  The score ended 0-0, and the Eagles took 1 point from a possible 6 for their two-game road haul.

Now the team needs to rejuvenate, replenish, and refocus their attention on the next matches at home.  I have faith in my team that the goals will come, and so will the wins.  GO EAGLES!


Player of the Week:

Marcello Alves  (7/28/1983)

Hometown: Curitiba, Brazil


Height: 5’ 11"

College: Marcello went Pro!

2009 Club: F. Beltrao Futebol Clube

Previous Clubs: Esporte Clube Avenida (01-02), Pato Branco Espote Clube (02-03), Tiradentes Esporte Clube (03-04), F. Beltrao Futebol Clube (04-05), Appearance in U-15, U-17 and U-20 with: Atletico Paranaense, Coritiba Football Club, Parana Clube, Joinville Espote Clube, Coronel Vivida Esporte Clube and Malutron

Interesting Fact: Marcello’s father is the chaplain of the Brazilian National Team

Favorite Bible Verse: Revelation 21:4    "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Hobbies: Reading, Surfing the Web, Watching Soccer, Hanging out at the Beach, Listening to Music