Two Late Goals Propel Hammerheads Past Riverhounds 3-1

In the first half of the match on Friday night the Wilmington Hammerheads dominated possession, but failed to find the back of the net. Their best opportunity came from a nice flick-on by Andres Cuero that left Richard Jata open for goal, but his shot sailed just over the crossbar. The Pittsburgh Riverhounds remained on the defensive side of the ball for the most of the half and came away with little success at all going forward.

In the second half, the Hammerheads stepped it up a notch and found themselves attacking the Riverhounds rather easily once again.  Just like their first match, the Hammerheads came away with an early goal in the second half by Andriy Budnyy on a nice pass from Luke Mulholland. The goal came in the 56th minute and from then on the game really opened up.

Richard Jata was subbed out for Alex Grendi around the 65th minute and 15 minutes later the Riverhounds got their equalizer.  Wilmington was clearly dominating the possession battle up until this point, but after a great cross and header combination in the 79th minute, the game was tied 1-1.

Justin Evans, Head Coach of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, fed up for most of the game, was cautioned in the 82nd minute after the Riverhounds were whistled for a foul at midfield. The following free kick was sent into the box, but a failed clearance by the Riverhounds found the foot of Paul Nicholson just outside the box on the right side. He took a few dribbles and blasted a shot to the near post low and hard for what would prove to be the game-winner. At this point it put the Hammerheads back up 2-1, but there was still some more action left to be seen.

In the 92nd minute the Riverhounds goalkeeper came all the way up for a corner kick, but a quickly cleared ball by the Hammerheads fell right to Chris Banks who took the ball up-field in a hurry.  He had an open teammate near midfield with a sure chance of putting a shot on goal. Unfortunately an unsuccessful touch gave the ball right back to the Riverhounds, without any shot attempt on goal.

Not even a minute later the Hammerheads put the nail in the coffin.  After a couple consecutive shot attempts by Jyler Noviello, one off the post, an unmarked Alex Grendi tapped in a free ball near the 6 yard box to get his first goal of the season. The Wilmington Hammerheads remain undefeated for the season, and at home(2-0), but the true test will come next weekend when they travel to Virginia to face a deadly Kickers squad. Attendance for today's game was just under 3,000.

Scoring Summary

WLM: Andriy Budnyy (Luke Mulholland) 56'

PITT: Jeremy Deighton 79'

WLM: Paul Nicholson 83'

WLM: Alex Grendi 93'

Cautions

PITT: Kyle Veris 84'

The next game is scheduled for Saturday, May 7th against the Richmond Kickers, with kickoff set for 7pm. The winner of this game will be the only remaining undefeated team within the American Division, unless the Kickers lose tomorrow night against the Dayton Dutch Lions. It should be a great game regardless, with the winner of the match coming away as the only undefeated team in the entire league besides the Los Angeles Blues.

Anaylsis: In-Depth Look At Game 1 (Video & Key Events)

The Hammerheads had a significant amount of rest between their first and second games, so I can only expect a well-rested and well-prepared team come Friday night.  I just finished watching the game again on usllive.com and there were many things to take away from their performance.

The midfielders and forwards were always moving around, making it very hard for the defense to keep track of them. Our defense remained calm on the ball for the most part and the team really controlled the entire first half without much attack from the Rhinos.  The mids and forwards put constant pressure on the Rhinos back line even when they weren't in possession of the ball, forcing the Rhinos into several turnovers and giveaways.

ANALYSIS ON THE PLAYERS:

Paul Nicholson distributed the ball well, while maintaining the defensive midfielder role for most of the game. Luke Mulholland and Richard Jata looked solid offensively, creating opportunities when they had the ball deep in the oppositions half. Gareth Evans likes to stretch the field with the long ball.  Dylan Riley got forward and made good overlapping runs from time to time. Chirs Spendlove played a full 90 minutes at left back and had a strong showing. Ivan Becerra consistently switched the field and seemed very confident running the back line. Andriy Budnyy struggled to get anything going in the first half, but had a good individual scoring opportunity in the 25th minute and contributed to goal that was eventually called back early in the second half. Manny Guzman and Andres Cuero were quiet offensively, but helped force the Rhinos into committing several mistakes. Brock Duckworth wasn't tested much at all in the first half, but came up big in the second half to preserve the shutout. Alex Grendi looked sharp offensively in the second half and helped create some good scoring opportunities.

I've posted the full game below along with key events and the times in which they occurred.

Key Events - Shots, Saves, Fouls, Cards, Tackles, Free Kicks, Missed Chances, etc.

6:45 - Corner Kick by Richard Jata, Header Shot by Chris Spendlove (Saved by GK)

23:45 - 6 Consecutive passes leading up to an Andres Cuero Shot (Saved by GK) - Excellent long ball by Ivan Becerra opened up the field and allowed the players to get some free space

24:38 - Blocked pass by Andriy Budnyy and a follow-up pass by Cuero sprung Budnyy for a 22-yard shot from the left side that just misses the near post - (low, strong)

32:50 - Foul suffered by Luke Mulholland leading to Free Kick taken by Richard Jata from 30 yards out. Shot sails just wide of the far post - (low, one bounce)

36:40 - Throw-in by Dylan Riley ends up finding the foot of Paul Nicholson, who eventually feeds Richard Jata at the top of the box. Jata cuts back and shoots a bending left-footed Shot to the far post. GK makes a diving save to keep the Hammerheads off the board

41:45 - Dangerous Corner Kick by the Rochester Rhinos eventually cleared away

HALFTIME SUBS: Alex Grendi(IN) - Manny Guzman(OUT)

1:08:45 - Rochester Rhinos Shot On Goal - Great Cross, Weak Header

1:11:10 - Header Clearance by Ivan Becerra, Cleared again by Alex Grendi springs Andriy Budnyy on a nice run up the field. A quick one-two then springs Grendi into the box. His low cross is played perfectly to Luke Mulholland, but Cuero gets in the way of the shot and it hits off his back. Mulholland finishes the ball into the back of the net, but the linesman calls offsides on Cuero. Goal Nullified.

1:12:30 - GOAL - Cross by Dylan Riley just misses the head of Budnyy. Mulholland slides and gathers the ball before the Rochester keep can get to it. Gets up all in one motion and finishes the ball into the back of the net with a strong finish(High, Center). Awesome Celebration!

1:16:15 - CARD - Yellow Card issued to Paul Nicholson for Hard Foul from behind. Smart Foul because it could've led to a goal-scoring opportunity for the Rhinos.

1:23:50 - Shot Attempt near the penalty marker. Big chance and good scoring opportunity for the Rhinos. Shot Saved by Brock Duckworth.

1:44:10 - Dangerous cross sent in from the right side, cleared away nicely by Ivan Becerra

1:51:15 - Another dangerous cross sent in finds the head of a Rochester player just inside the 6-yard box, but Brock Duckworth is there to make a great diving save.

1:52:15 - Hard Shot from the top of the box is saved by Rochester GK (Near post, High)

1:55:10 - Cross sent in finds an open Rochester player who misses wide. Game Over!

Video Highlights From Hammerheads 2011 Season Opener

If you missed The Wilmington Hammerheads first game of the 2011 USL PRO season this past Sunday, here are some of highlights.  There's a couple good scoring chances for the Hammerheads - one by Richard Jata - before the goal by Luke Mulholland.  I missed a couple key saves made by Brock Duckworth in the closing minutes, but they have that on tape as well. Check it out below!

Local Wilmington blogger, Tom Grady, has started a new series called "Hammerheads Notebook". It contains in-depth interviews with various players from the team. In his first exclusive he talks with starting forward, Richard Jata.



The Hammerheads next game is at home(Legion Stadium) on April 29th against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Kickoff is set for 7:30pm!

Hammerheads Victorious In Season Opener 1-0

When I found out that the season opener for the Hammerheads was pushed back until 2pm on Sunday I was stoked.  Unfortunately, I would've missed the whole game had it been at it's original time, but as it turned out, I got to see nearly 80 minutes of uninterrupted play thanks to usllive.com. The starting lineup was very similar to the one I posted in my previous article and things seemed to work pretty well for the most part.

Richard was battling a bad cold, but managed to get an extra half-day of rest with the postponement, proving most helpful when it came to gametime.  He had a strong showing with several forced turnovers, a couple good corner kicks, a very close free kick from the left side just outside the box and a left-footed shot from the top of the 18, in which the GK made a diving save to prevent a sure goal.

I was genuinely impressed with the cohesion of the entire team, especially with their composure at the back.  It seemed like the defenders were very confident on the ball and unafraid to make a move and carry the ball forward before dishing it off to the mids/forwards.  The defense took normal launches/clearances and distributed them nicely, avoiding a kickball mentality that a lot of teams resort to when being pressured.  In the first half, I wouldn't be surprised if the possession battle was 65% - 35% in our favor. The back line was superb!

In the first half our offense was just as effective.  Off the ball mids and forwards pressured the Rhinos into making several bad passes and numerous turnovers.  The entire midfield, led by Luke Mulholland, got down and dirty without hesitation.  The Hammerheads committed a few fouls, but overall their tackling was on point.  When the second half came around, I knew we were going to get a goal....it was simply just a matter of time!

After Wilmington's first goal was waved off for offsides in the 51st minute, Luke Mulholland made an all-out dash, beating the Rhinos keeper to a ball coming from right to left across the front of the goal.  When Luke slid he was near the corner of the six-yard box going away from goal.  He gathered the ball and retained possession all in one swoop right before the diving keeper could get his hands around it.  I was simply amazed that he came up with the ball so cleanly. Luke got up and took a touch before finishing the ball with ease for the first Hammerheads goal of the season! Right after the goal, a fantastic celebration followed! Mulholland ran towards the corner flag near the Home crowd side and took out the corner flag with a flying double leg kick! It was Awesome!! Shortly after that the rest of the team piled on him, making it an incredible moment for all Hammerheads fans!

Richard was subbed out in the 77th minute and shortly after that the Rhinos had a crack at goal.  Brock Duckworth remained strong in net and helped keep the clean sheet for the Hammerheads.  The 1-0 victory is a great way to start the 2011 season, especially in front of the home crowd!

Complete Stats - Wilmington Hammerheads vs. Rochester Rhinos (4/17)

The Hammerheads next game is on April 29th against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.  Kickoff is set for 7:30pm at Legion Stadium.  Come out and support the team!

For more news on today's game including quotes from the players and Head Coach David Irving check out Tom Grady's (of the Star News in Wilmington) blog!

2011 USL PRO Season - Wilmington vs. Rochester Pregame

On the eve of the Wilmington Hammerheads first game since being dropped from the league, a lot has to be on the mind of both the players and Head Coach David Irving.  Ivan Becerra and Paul Nicholson have been named team captains for the 2011 season and Nicholson had some great things to say about the mindset of the team going into their first game - you can here more from Becerra and Coach Irving here.

4/16 - Wilmington Hammerheads vs. Rochester Rhinos - 7pm @ Legion Stadium

Tickets: $10 of adults, $8 for seniors (65+) and $6 for children

Watch the game free online at www.usllive.com

Want to meet the players, but don't have time to check out a game yet. Take a look at the finalized roster along with player bios and pics below. The Hammerheads organization looked at hundreds of trialists and feel like the squad they have, even though they're young, are quite ambitious and talented enough to compete with the best in the league.

2011 Wilmington Hammerheads - Player List and Bios

Expect Head Coach David Irving to implement a 4-3-3 lineup which he's used quite frequently in the preseason. After the recent signings and final preseason match against Hurricanes FC I've come up with a lineup I think we could see tomorrow night, with a few minor tweaks here and there. Obviously Jyler Noviello had an impressive preseason so if he's healthy you might see him inserted somewhere at the attacking end.  Luke Mulholland has a cast on his right hand so if he's cleared to play expect to see him on the field, but if he's not, you might see Richard drop back into a central midfield role where's he's played most of his career. I think GK Kyle Pollack will miss the first game so look for Brock Duckworth to get the start in goal. Other notable players that will probably see some playing time are: Alex Grendi, Tanner Wolfe, Tom Taylor and Chris Banks.

F - Andres Cuero (10)   F - Andriy Budnyy (11)   F - Richard Jata (9)

M - Manny Guzman (6)   M - Paul Nicholson (19)   M - Luke Mulholland (8)

D - Chris Spendlove (3)   D - Ivan Becerra (5)   D - Gareth Evans (23)   D - Dylan Riley (17)

GK - Brock Duckworth

The whole organization is looking forward to an exciting and successful season.  With the brand-new turf field recently installed at Legion Stadium and a lengthy selection process of developing a solid squad, I'm expecting good things to come for the city of Wilmington. I hear that the anticipation for tomorrow's match is quite high and emotions from fans, players, coaches and owners should make for a very entertaining environment.  I really wish I could be there to see it all transpire, but I can't, so I have some friends checking it out for me.  Hopefully I'll have some great pics(possibly some video clips) to share with you on Sunday or early next week sometime.  From what I understand there's a special treat planned for the fans who attend tomorrow night's game.

FOX Soccer Channel & USL PRO Agree to 3-Year Deal

FOX Soccer and USL PRO have announced a deal that will bring 10 games directly to your living room in 2011.  This is really good news to me because I doubt I'll be able to make it to any of Richard's game this year. The schedule below lists the "Games of the Week" that will air on the most popular soccer channel in the world.  Along with these games, FSC will also televise the PDL(August 13th) and W-League(July 31st) Championship. From the schedule listed below it looks as if Wilmington and Rochester will have the most games(3) televised this year.

2011 USL PRO - FOX Soccer Schedule (Eastern Times)

Rochester v Harrisburg - Saturday, June 11 (5:30pm)

Orlando v Wilmington - Saturday, June 18 (7:30pm)

Wilmington v Sevilla FC P.R. - Friday, June 24 (8:00pm)

Charleston v Puerto Rico United - Friday, July 1 (8:00pm)

Richmond v Charlotte - Friday, July 8 (8:00pm)

Los Angeles v River Plate P.R. - Friday, July 15 (11:00pm)

Orlando v Rochester - Saturday, July 16 (6:30pm)

Rochester v Pittsburgh - Friday, July 22 (8:00pm)

Wilmington v Dayton - Friday, August 5 (7:00pm)

Charleston v Charlotte - Friday, August 12 (8:00pm)

USL Breakaway, the feature show highlighting teams and personalities throughout United Soccer Leagues will return for its sixth consecutive season. The first episode of 2011 is scheduled to air in May. CEO Alec Papadakis had this to say about the show; “We are going to raise the bar on production levels for our 30-minute magazine-style show, USL Breakaway, as well as our game broadcasts, providing fans with a greatly enhanced product to enjoy. (USL Breakaway) is the key avenue to showcase the players and teams that make our leagues successful and it will reach unprecedented levels during the course of the agreement.”

Open House @ Legion Stadium - Meet & Greet

UPDATE: The Hammerheads lost their April 2nd battle against the Carolina Railhawks 1-0, but Coach David Irving still noticed a lot of great things.  He had this to say about the match; "We had more chances than them. All in all, if it was a boxing match we would’ve probably won on points. But unfortunately, you’ve got to put the ball in the back of the net."

After suffering their first loss of the preseason, the Wilmington Hammerheads finished strong, crushing the Hurricanes FC Club Team 5-1.  Goals came from Andriy Budnyy, Andres Cuero, Chris Murray and Alex Grendi. The Hammerheads had a dominant preseason run, but it's going to take a lot more than that to be successful this season.  I think the players know that and cohesion seems to be setting in.  I think the players are becoming more familiar with each others style of play and I can't wait to see what the stating lineup is going to look like.


Be there to see it all unfold on 4/16 @ Legion Stadium.  It's going to be a great show!