CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Down to nine men on the field, Virginia put forward a gritty defensive effort but ultimately conceded the winning goal in the 86th minute. The Cavaliers (1-3) fell by a score of 2-1 to FGCU (2-2) on Monday night (Aug. 31) at Klöckner Stadium in a game that saw five yellow cards and a pair of red cards handed out.
Goals (Assist)
12’ UVA – Smith (Duke, Parvu)
27’ FGCU – Martinez (Munter)
86’ FGCU – Ndiweni (Choute)
The Cavaliers struck quickly and gained an advantage 12 minutes into the game when AJ Smith found the back of the net on a slick back-heel finish to cap an impressive piece of build-up play set in motion by Alex Parvu and Chase Duke.
The Cavaliers were sent down to 10 men in the 27th minute after video review upgraded a yellow card assessed to Marco Dos Santos to a red. FGCU scored on the ensuing free kick to level the score. The Cavaliers defended well to close out the first half and even looked likely to score a second off a long throw into the box from Parker Sloan.
Entering the second half, the Cavaliers defended well for long stretches despite being down a player and threatened FGCU by earning a pair of corner kicks and testing the goalkeeper on two occasions.
With less than 10 minutes to play, Virginia’s Prince Abanfo was sent off with UVA’s second red card of the game, putting the Cavaliers at a two-man disadvantage. FGCU netted the winner five minutes later.
Additional Notes:
- AJ Smith scored his second goal in as many games
- Chase Duke has notched assists in back-to-back games
- Alex Parvu recorded his first assist of the season
- The game-winning goal in each of Virginia’s three defeats has been scored after the 80-minute mark
- Spencer Sanderson matched a career-high with five saves
- FGCU took 12 shots compared to Virginia’s eight
What They Said:
“I'm going to have to watch the film. We were in complete control of the game, scored a goal on our way to probably doing what we did against American. The red card obviously impacted us, but I thought for that period of playing down a man that those guys did a great job of just being disciplined, in their line, and creating a chance or two…I was really proud of that effort. Then, a young guy gets a straight red, and all of a sudden, we're now two men down with nine minutes left. We're just going to have to work through it. The good news is I think we have a very good team, and we'll just have to watch the film, get through it, learn, and get ready for BC.” – Head Coach George Gelnovatch
Up Next:
The Cavaliers will be back in action on Friday (Sept. 4) when they open ACC play at Klöckner Stadium against Boston College. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX).