Resolute team defending and a tap-in goal for junior midfielder Holden Fender secured a 1-0 win for N.C. State over the Charlotte Eagles, a professional team from the United Soccer League, Saturday afternoon in Raleigh.
A win is a win, but for head coach Kelly Findley, Saturday’s game at the Dail Soccer Stadium was not about the final score. Instead, it was an opportunity for the Wolfpack; the first of six games in the spring to apply the tactical philosophy Findley’s team has practiced for the last two-and- half months.
From kickoff, the game moved at a frenetic pace with neither side gaining the clear-cut upper hand. Both teams started in 4-2-3-1 formations and moved the ball well out of defense, although the Eagles chose to pressure the Wolfpack quickly and high up the field, forcing a few inaccurate long passes from the Pack.
“The amount of pressure we were under [was significant],” Findley said. “They were pressing with three, four, even five guys at a time which affects service into the front guys. So I don’t think we had the right numbers getting forward at times, but that was also in part because they’re a very good team and hard to play against.”
However, the Wolfpack defended solidly, staying compact and denying the Eagles room to play. The central defensive pairing of seniors Moss Jackson-Atogi and Clement Simonin continually soaked up pressure, while veteran holding-midfielder Fender and his midfield partner, sophomore Roland Minogue, made key interceptions and provided reliable offensive distribution to their teammates as the Pack looked to break into space behind the Eagles’ back four.
Minogue was excellent in possession, coolly distributing to open teammates and providing a calming influence in the center of the park.
“Roland is young, but he had some starts last year so it’s good to get him some experience,” Fender said. “He’s very calm, very poised on the ball for somebody his age, and that’s always good.”
N.C. State’s tactics nearly paid off in the 25th minute, when sophomore attacking midfielder Michael Bajza sent a close-range shot zipping off the crossbar after good combination play down the right.
The breakthrough would come only three minutes later off a long throw-in from senior forward Nick Surkamp. After a melee in the box, the ball fell to Simonin, whose close-range shot was turned in by Fender.
“Usually that throw-in play is kind of a cluster,” Fender said. “It’s great that it actually worked in our favor this time. The ball popped out, Clement hit it on target and I just happened to flick it in. It was more ‘right place, right time’ than anything else.”
The Eagles continued to test the Wolfpack’s defensive resilience with strong combination play and surging runs, but the quartet of senior right back Ryan Metts, center backs Simonin and Jackson-Atogi and junior left back Reed Norton remained disciplined and organized throughout.
Norton, a recent transfer from Georgia Southern University, impressed despite playing in a new position. Originally a left midfielder, Norton now plies his trade as part of a rebuilt defensive line.
“I think every coach has different expectations and plans tactically,” Coach Findley said. “It’s taken him [Norton] a little bit of time to get up to speed, but I think he showed today that he can defend, be in good positions and still be dangerous going forward.”
Both teams spurned chances in the second half, and the Eagles poured forward in the last 15 minutes in an attempt to salvage a draw. But State managed to make big defensive plays when required to finish off its opposition.
Findley said the win is a huge confidence-builder for his team, which finished in ninth place in the ACC last season.
“We still have stuff to learn from,” Fender said. “But, at the same time, when you get a shutout against a professional team there aren’t many things you can complain about.”
However, questions still remain for the Wolfpack, specifically regarding which player will replace former goalkeeper Fabian Otte. Juniors Alex McCauley and Joe Mills split time in goal Saturday, and Findley said he was impressed with both ‘keepers.
“I thought both of them did really well,” Findley said. “I thought McCauley came and defused a dangerous situation in the first half and Joe did the same in the second. Their distribution can always improve, but neither of those guys have had enough games for anyone to complain about [their distribution] right now.”
The performance was far from perfect, and the Wolfpack will certainly look to improve play in the attacking third of the field. But considering the quality of State’s opponent, Findley can look to the clean sheet as a statement of intent, especially since the Pack struggled to close out games throughout its 2013 campaign.
“To get a shutout against [Charlotte] is the thing I’m most pleased with,” Findley said. “That’s something we’ve talked about all spring. When we can be as excited about defending as we are about attacking, then we really have something and I thought we did a good job of that today.”
