Pablo Pozos broke a scoreless deadlock in the 71st minute with his sixth goal of the season, and 10-man West Virginia picked up its second win on the road on Friday, earning a 2-0 win over Longwood in Farmville, Va.
Following a week that included two victories, the Mountaineers climbed to 13th nationally in the new rankings. Among Sun Belt teams, only Marshall ranks higher at No. 6.
This match got added in after turf issues in Morgantown forced West Virginia to abandon a scheduled home fixture, and the Mountaineers clearly picked up a solid defensive opponent. West Virginia (4-1-1) fired 12 shots at the net, but only managed to put three of them on frame.
The most important came just after the 70th minute, as Marcus Caldeira set Pozos up with a look at the goal. His touch found a Longwood defender, but the opposing touch wasn’t strong enough and the ball caromed into the net to open the scoring. With less than 20 minutes left, that seemingly had West Virginia in position to control the rest of the match.
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However, Felix Ewald’s straight red card in the 77th minute changed the equation. The Mountaineers found themselves reduced to 10 men, a major problem when facing Longwood. In four previous matches, the Lancers (1-3-1) had scored in the final 15 minutes on three occasions. With West Virginia clinging to a precarious scoreline, this could have become a missed opportunity for Dan Stratford’s men.
Mountaineers Stay On the Front Foot
Despite the lack of a man, West Virginia kept up the pressure. Four minutes after getting reduced to 10, the Mountaineers won a penalty, courtesy of their continued aggression. Carlos Hernando coolly stepped to the spot and drilled the ball home, doubling the West Virginia lead and giving them the edge they needed.
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West Virginia became the first team all season to shut out Longwood. In the process, the Mountaineers picked up their fourth win, all of which have come by multiple goals.
Mountaineers Answer Questions
There’s no better way to answer questions about defense than having to defend when missing a player. While Longwood doesn’t have the best record, playing a man up can change the equation for any match. West Virginia proved it could stand strong in this situation, even getting a penalty out of the match.
The Mountaineers aren’t going to be able to win every match by piling on the goals. Sometimes, they’ll have to be able to grind out a victory. Doing it here, against an opponent that has a tendency to score goals late, is a positive sign for the future.
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West Virginia will take their new No. 13 ranking into their Sun Belt opener against James Madison. The Dukes have been struggling badly at putting the ball in the net; they have just one marker on the season. The teams do have a common opponent; both teams lost to Gardner-Webb by the same 1-0 scoreline.
The match will take place Friday in Morgantown.
