Valencia 1 goal keeper Levic Charles, makes a save

from a corker kick against Virgin Gorda

Virgin Gorda whips Valencia 4-1 for Soccer knockout crown

BY DEAN GREENAWAY 

Valencia 1 had a goal of adding the BVI Football Association knock out crown to the league title they won three weeks ago. Virgin Gorda however, had other plans.

After playing to a 0-0 draw in Wednesday’s first match both teams played conservative early in the second game, then missed on their chances to end the first half tied at 0-0.

When the second half began, Virgin Gorda took over the game. Stedroy Charles scored two of the four second half goals, as Virgin Gorda beat Valencia 1, 4-1 on Saturday night at the A. O. Shirley Recreation Grounds, to win the knockout series title.

“We came out full blooded to win this game. We decided earlier this is the game that we had to put our best to get it over with and that is what we did,” Virgin Gorda’s coach Jeffrey Demming said. “The strategy we came out with after halftime was to play hard, play diagonal ball and that nine men should be behind the ball when we lose the ball, to get back and support.”

After playing to a scoreless first match, Charles gave Virgin Gorda the series’ first lead two minutes into the second half, then increased the lead to 2-0 in the 62nd minute, when he went one on one with Valencia’s goal keeper Levic Charles. Open on the right side, he went left as the goalkeeper slipped and he placed the ball in the back of the nets.

Demming said the first goal was the play they had been discussing, but were unable to execute against the Wolves in the semifinals and in the first game of the championships series. “Valencia is a very young team and a good team, but they need to put it together. They need to finish,” Demming explained. “They are working it in the middle and Michael (Haynes) is a very dangerous player. I put my guy (Mervin) Dainty to put some full pressure on him and keep him from dominating our game.”

Valencia cut the lead to 2-1, in their next turn deep in Virgin Gorda territory. Just inside the 18 yard box, Ray Sampson placed the ball to the left corner of the net past diving goalkeeper Jermaine Riley for what would be their only score. Virgin Gorda increased its lead to 3-1, when Nicholas Samuel lobbed a ball over the goalkeeper’s head while when he advanced to make a play in the 76th minute. Chesley Miller added the final score five minutes later.

Comparing his team to changing gears in a car, Valencia’s Patrick Mitchell said his midfield gave up in the second half and didn’t change the tempo in the game. He said if the gears are not working, then nothing works. “Basically our midfielders were standing, and we had our defenders coming and playing midfield for us which is wrong. If you have that kind of problem in the field you lose all the way.”

Mitchell said he asked his back fielder Noel Issac not to play in the final third of the field because if he loses the ball there’s no one thee to help. “But, on three separate occasions that is what he did and they got three goals off it. People have to man their positions and understand when the coach speaks to them and execute what he says. I can’t stand on the sidelines and keep shouting all the time. People have to use their brain to play football and not their feet.”