The men’s soccer team faltered to state rivals James Madison University in a 2-0 loss at home Wednesday night. Rams coach Jim O’Sullivan cited the fact that eight of his players were afflicted with cold symptoms and said the team’s energy was lower than normal.
“They really didn’t have enough energy to deal with (JMU). The flu really shouldn’t be an excuse,” O’Sullivan said. “Our guys simply weren’t being alert or in the right place.”
A goal in the 20th minute by Dukes striker CJ Sapong could only be attributed to opportunism and a sleeping flock of Rams who could not react quickly enough to a Dukes free kick outside the 18-yard box.
The Rams came back firing as forward Owusu Seykere (Suame-Kumasi, Ghana/Opoku Ware) caught JMU goalie Ken Manahan off his line in the 22nd minute and cleverly launched a chipped ball over his head but over the cross bar by mere inches.
Minutes later, forward Carlos Picado (San Jose, Costa Rica), who menaced the defense all game, beat his marker and uncorked a shot from the top of the box that sailed just wide of the net.
One of the Dukes’ most unsettling players, besides Sapong, was Jean Tshimpaka, who forced VCU keeper Gabriel Rodriguez (Guatemala City, Guatemala/San Jacinto College) into three tight saves. Tshimpaka’s fancy footwork and speed were never really answered to by the Rams’ backline, yet his three shots never found the back of the net.
Despite the circumstances, the first half ended with fairly even possession and shots on net for both teams. VCU’s creative short and long game kept the midfield teeming with options but the strikers never could finish.
Rams fans unleashed a raucous applause seven minutes into the second half as striker Romario Blandon (Tegucigalpa, Honduras/Montreat College) sprinted to the touch line for a cross and found Phillip Daldrup (Bremen, Germany), who headed the ball over the crossbar.
Keepers Rodriguez and Manahan had their hands full in the second half with strikes coming from all throughout and around the 18-yard box. Though Manahan had some amazing saves, Rodriguez had the save of the game in the 67th minute while face to face with Sapong, by pulling a magical kick save out of nowhere to keep VCU in the game.
Sapong got his revenge shortly after however, when a shot in the 74th minute spilled out of Rodriguez’ hands and landed right in front of the striker who neatly tucked the ball away, sealing the victory for Madison.
“That goal shouldn’t have happened,” O’Sullivan said. “The shot popped out and no one was around to help him out. Sure he shouldn’t have spilled it but there was no one.”
Although VCU had several chances after the second goal, including a lovely 50-yard pass from C.J. Gehin-Scott (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory) right to the foot of Blandon who fired off a scorching pass that barely missed the upper 90, VCU couldn’t break Madison, and the Dukes walked away victorious.
“Hopefully we’ll do better down the road,” O’Sullivan said. “We’ve got a lot to work on (in practice) tomorrow.”