Club Atletico Virginia

MDCVSA Amateur Cup

Dynasty FC 0 – 2 Club Atletico Virginia – Quarterfinal

In the USASA Amateur Cup, Atletico sought to defend last year’s success, which saw them win the DC/VA title and advance to the Region I Finals. This year there were 8 entrants in the single-elimination state tournament. The first match was against newly promoted WPL side Dynasty FC. The hard-working Dynasty team tired out in the second half and Atletico was able to take advantage on a couple quick counter attacks with John Carson feeding Billy Whittington for two breakaways to solidify the 2-0 win.

Aegean Hawks 3 – 4 Club Atletico Virginia – Semifinal

The semifinal match was another Clasico with the Hawks, and one of the most memorable in the history of this rivalry. The Hawks started the match playing high pressure all over the field, forcing Atletico into turnovers and breaking any fluidity going forward. The Hawks broke the deadlock after an Atletico defender bundled over a Hawks player awaiting a cross at the back post. The Hawks scored on the resulting pk and carried a 1-0 lead into the half. Scoring an early goal in the second half to take a 2-0 lead, the Hawks then took their foot off the pedal. Atletico began to push forward and were rewarded for their efforts with a goal in the 80^th minute when Billy Whittington headed in Matt Miller’s left-footed cross. With an equalizer in sight, Nolan Rodman took a short corner to John Carson who found the head of Victor Krasij at the near post, and he buried the ball into the back of the net. The last minute goal sent the game into a 30 minute overtime period.

Billy Whittington scored his second goal of the match just a few minutes into the overtime period, as Nico Ojeda secured the ball at the back post and rolled it behind his leg to the onrushing striker. The Hawks countered with their third goal of the game a few minutes later to send the game into the second 15 minute overtime period tied at 3-3. With the game tied and the teams tiring the game seemed destined for a shootout until a Hawks defender turned the ball over to Matt Miller at the top of the box who once again fed Whittington for an expert finish to complete his hat trick. With the 117^th minute goal, Atletico was able to see out the last few minutes of the game to advance to the state final with a score of 4-3.

Club Atletico Virginia 6 – 2 La U – Final

In the final, Atletico faced La U, yet another familiar league and tournament foe. While each team created several chances in the first half, La U was the only side that was able to take advantage, scoring twice to go up by 2 goals at the half. Despite the disadvantage, Atletico came out confident in the second half and cut the lead in half after Matt Davis put a deep corner kick back across the goal for Victor Krasij to head over the La U defenders protecting the goal line. The equalizer came when Andrew Richardson pressured the keeper on a clearance at the top of the box. The keeper whiffed the ball, Richardson gained possession and tried to shoot but the keeper grabbed his leg. The foul resulted in a free kick and a direct red card for the keeper. John Carson scored on the ensuing free kick to equalize, and Billy Whittington scored on a breakaway for the game winner. Carson then scored on a penalty kick after a La U defender handled the ball, and he followed up with a 45 yard volley over the keeper’s head  complete the hat trick. Whittington completed the rout, finishing into an open goal after the linesman’s offside flagged was waived off and Ben Mortimer slotted the ball across the open net. Final score 6-2.

DC United’s La Supercopa – WPL Qualifier

Reds FC 2 – 7 Club Atletico Virginia

Atletico defeated Reds FC to become the WPL entry into the 2012 DC United Supercopa.  The ideal start was denied by slack refereeing, when Atletico’s Ryan Rich score on a side volley from a floating cross, only to be denied because the three refs neglected to fix (or even notice) there was a hole in the back of the net. Soon after the discounted goal, the Reds had a midfielder sent off for two bookable offenses. Atletico made the man advantage count, scoring two first half goals before allowing Reds to regain one, putting the halftime score at 2-1. Still with a lot to do, Atletico came out and scored two quick goals to ice the game, and open up the Reds defense. The goals poured in after that with the final score 7-2. For details on La Super Copa visit the following story on the DC United website.

http://www.dcunited.com/press-release/2012/03/“la-super-copa-vii”-kicks-off-this-weekend

MDCVSA Open Cup

Aegean Hawks 3 – 1 Club Atletico Virginia 

In the US Open Cup DC/VA qualifying match, the Aegean Hawks defeated Atletico 3-1, with some outstanding combination attacking play. A short-handed Atletico team put on early pressure but failed to convert any opportunities, and went down 3-nil before Andrew Richardson reclaimed a goal in the latter stages. With momentum, CAV continued to attack but was unable to cut the deficit as each attacking effort was thwarted by the Hawks backline. For complete lineups, visit the US Open Cup website.

http://thecup.us/2012-us-open-cup-qualifying-dulles-sportsplex-aegean-hawks-defeat-atletico-va-to-regain-dcva-title/

Spring Season Begins This Upcoming Sunday

The time has come for the start of another competitive Spring Season. Atletico will be competing in four competitions this Spring, with three of them starting in knockout stages. We’ll focus on the two upcoming matches….

The first match will be a mid-afternoon Clasico against the Aegean Hawks FC. With the Hawks return to qualifying in the state of VA, Atletico faces a difficult task in defending their DC/VA Soccer Association Open Cup and Amateur Cup titles. The Open Cup match will be held this Sunday, February 19^th at Arlington’s newest soccer facility – Long Bridge Park –at 2pm. For those that have not yet been to Long Bridge Park, it is certainly a facility worth checking out.

MDCVSA – Open Cup Final

Sunday, February 19, 2012 – 2pm Kickoff

Aegean Hawks FC vs Club Atletico Virginia

Long Bridge Park – Field #1
475 Long Bridge Dr. / 475 Old Jefferson Davis Highway
Arlington, VA 22202

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On Sunday, February 26^th, Atletico will match up against newly promoted WPL upstarts Dynasty FC in a DC/VA Soccer Association Amateur Cup Quarterfinal match. This match will be held at Washington and Lee High School in Ballston at 12pm.

MDCVSA – Amateur Cup Quarterfinal

Sunday, February 26, 2012 – 12pm Kickoff

Dynasty FC vs Club Atletico Virginia

Washington & Lee High School
1301 N Stafford St.
Arlington, VA

On Sunday evening, in another DC Clasico between Atletico Virginia and the Aegean Hawks, Atletico battled to a 1-0 victory for a spot in the USASA Amateur Cup Region I final. In stark contrast to the last Atletico outing in the regional tournament (a 95th minute game winning goal) the team got on the board almost immediately, scoring in the 3rd minute. The offense was able to capitalize on a turnover by the Hawks defense as Billy Whittington clipped a ball across the box from the right channel that leading goal scorer Andrew Stadler side volleyed into the side-netting. A disciplined defensive display by the Atletico backline and midfield limited the Hawks attack, with goalkeeper Matt Scheer making a couple spectacular saves to preserve the shutout. The Hawks came close on a couple of occasions and hit the post midway through the second half. Swift counterattacking and strong forward play by Whttington created several open field chances in the second half that the CAV offense was unable to convert.

This win gives Atletico Virginia their first trip to the Regional Finals where they will be facing Mass Premier Soccer. This year the finals will be held at the Ukranian Nationals fields in Horsham, PA. The winner in PA will travel to Kentucky in July for the national finals.

In the first ever USASA Regional match hosted by CAV, the Phoenix SC (Eastern PA representative) traveled to the Mt. Vernon Campus of George Washington University for a 3pm kickoff. Atletico was able to overturn the recent trend of losing in knockout games with a 1-0 victory on a goal from Andrew Stadler in the first overtime period. With both CAV keepers unavailable for the match, midfield enforcer Matt Davis stepped into goal. Davis’ physical presence shone through as he ran through forwards, cleared dangerous through passes, and dominated his 6-yard box on incoming crosses. The backline of Dave Leon, Phil Purdy, Tremaine Chinapoo, and makeshift right back Andrew Richardson, held solid to stifle the Phoenix offense and helped to earn the shutout against a talented Phoenix attack.

Phoenix SC controlled the middle of the field throughout the game with a short passing game and a strong display from their defensive midfielder, but Atletico had the advantage on the large GWU field as they were able to stretch the field and attack from the wings. Matt Miller and Ryan Rich were a constant danger, which opened up space for strikers Billy Whittington and Stadler to run into. Midway through the first half, a few incisive passes saw Stadler break free and strike a shot from the top of the box against the crossbar.

The game was back and forth with Phoenix controlling the middle of the pitch and Atletico controlling the edges, until the 98th minute. Substitute Brian Yi, received a ball at midfield that he deftly chipped behind the opposition’s defense into the path of the on running Stadler. Stadler took two touches in stride and slotted the ball past the keeper. As the game wore on – the full 120 minutes are required for all overtime matches – Phoenix pressed but Atletico fought to deny any further chances, with Whittington battling for every clearance at midfield.

With the 1-0 victory, CAV advances to the Region I semifinal versus WPL rival Aegean Hawks (MD representative). The game will be played on June 5th, time and location yet to be confirmed.

WPL Fecha 4
May 8^th|

Looking to bounce back from a tough defeat, CAV faced Armenia FC in the fourth WPL game of the Spring season. Typical of the WPL style of play the game started slowly, with Armenia possessing the ball in the midfield but producing no chances on goal. Atletico played their typical warm-up on the field style and slowly began to secure possession of the ball and tighten up in the midfield. Forward Billy Whittington started to run over defenders while Matt Miller, Andrew Richardson, and attacking left back Dave Leon began to run by them.

The scoring started midway through the first half as Leon attempted to hit a volley across to Billy and saw it surprise the keeper and hit the back of the net. The early goal made the match comfortable as Atletico afforded Armenia possession and attacked with their typical incisive passing and movement off the ball. CAV continued to take advantage of the inexperienced Armenia keeper as Vic Krasij played a cross and Billy outleapt the keeper to put it in the net. A few minutes later, an Armenia defender tried to head the ball back to his keeper and instead put it rght into Billy’s path as he deftly chipped the volley over the keeper’s head.

The second half saw much of the same action on the field, only with less goals. CAV keeper Alec Aramanda made a couple spectacular saves, one on a ball that bounced off the post and was headed toward an Armenia forward, only to have Alec made a snap turn and dive into the air to punch the ball out to the sideline. The only goal of the second half came from a corner kick. Miller played a short pass to John Carson who touched the ball to the left corner of the eighteen and hit a ball that dipped over the keeper. The game remained entertaining as the injured Javier Castro heckled his teammates. Final score 4-0 to CAV. Atletico currently stands in fist place with 4 wins, 0 losses and a plus 10 goal difference.

US Open Cup
May 1^st|

CAV made it’s second straight appearance in the US Open Cup Region I qualifying rounds as the DC/VA representative. In the days leading up to the game, the roster of 15 players dwindled to 11 by the Sunday trip to New Jersey. The opposition, Go Soccer FC, had 12 players suited for action, the one sub advantage proved to be an advantage on the sun drenched field.

The Atletico offense started quickly, creating early chances, while the Go Soccer FC attack was poised to keep the CAV defense on their heels. CAV got on the board first in the 20^th minute. During a spell of possession, right back Javier Castro played a short pass to John Carson, who caught the keeper off guard with a 40 yard strike into the upper corner.  The remainder of the first half saw both teams hold possession, as CAV keeper Matt Scheer made a couple stellar saves to keep the lead going into halftime.

The second half was a different story as the Go Soccer offense came out attacking. A turnover in the midfield and a quick dribble and shot from the left channel leveled the score 15 minutes into the second half.  Atletico turned back on the attack and created several opportunities to go at the Go Soccer goal. Unable to regain the lead in the 90 minutes, the referee announced 3 minutes of extra time. As tired legs sunk in, a couple of unconvincing clearances from Atletico defenders allowed Go Soccer two shots on goal, one off the post, and another that hit the back of the net and sealed Atletico’s fate: out of the US Open Cup at the regional stage for the second year in a row. Final sore 2-1 to Go Soccer FC.

WPL Fecha 3
April 28th|

CAV battled the Reds FC on a beautiful Thursday night in Falls Church. The Reds have been a consistent top 3 finisher in the league and are a team that, up until the Fall 2010 season, Atletico had never defeated. The last time the two sides met was for the Super Copa qualifier in which Atletico scored a last second goal to tie the game then came from behind in a shootout to win the match. While the WPL match held different implications than the previous meeting, it was full of no less drama. The match started in a typical way with Atletico giving up the first goal after having created the first few chances. Going into halftime at 1-0 Atletico regained their composure and started to move the ball around effectively. Coming from behind Atletico scored one goal quickly after the break to equalize at 1-1, then gave up a controversially called pk and went back down 2-1. On the ensuing kickoff, Andrew Stadler took one step and drove the ball over the unsuspecting keeper’s head to put the game back level at 2-2. CAV took the lead at 3-2 on a shot pulled back from the right wong to the onrushing Stadler who buried th e ball past the keeper. Not to be outdone, the Reds countered back and struck on a ball crossed along the ground past three CAV defenders and finished at the backpost. At 3-3 the tie seemed inevitable until Stadler broke free again along the right side, this time turning provider to Tremaine Chinapoo, who was making a rare appearance up top. The goal by Chinapoo proved to be the game winner in this back and forth affair.

WPL Fecha 2
April 17|

CAV had to quickly rebound from their loss in the Super Copa as the 2nd WPL match was played the following day versus the Raiders FC. This game was also played at a slow pace. However, Atletico was able to easily dispatch of the Raiders in much more amenable weather. As CAV began to establish a rhythm, the now trademark style of defencidng in numbers and counter attacking with efficiency, Atletico put 4 goals on the board and continued to create chances. As the crowd roared – yes, there were about 6 avid Atletico supporters (hat tip to Natalie, Annie, Marcus, Evan and Colin) – CAV saw off the game at a final score of 4-1 to maintain their spot at the top of the WPL First Division.

La Super Copa
April 16|

In the prestigious local tournament – DC United’s Super Copa – CAV was bounced by current semifinalist Municipal Limeno by a score of 3-2. The day was not meant for quality soccer as the threat of lightning and thunderstorms had been pending since mid-morning. At the 3 o’clock kickoff time bleachers were being blown off their fasteners with wind gusts. The game was played at a snail’s pace and saw Municipal take the lead on a CAV defensive error. Atletico bounced back to tie, a trend which continued throught the game; Municipal took the lead and Atletico equalized twice. In the 75th minute, a ball played into the box was handled by an Atletico defender who was shown a direct red card. Matt Scheer saved the resulting pk, but just seconds later, Municipal forged forward on another counter attack and put the lead at 3-2. Despite being a man down, Atletico managed to control the tempo for the last 15 minutes but was unable to finish any chances. The 3-2 final result bounced Atletico from the tournament in the quarterfinal stages.

In this weekend’s matches, CAV faced two challenging opponents under distinctly different circumstances. On Saturday, in the club’s first ever La Super Copa match, CAV defeated Washington International Soccer League (WISL) powerhouse British Tigers by a score of 2-1. This unfamiliar opponent in a new competition contrasted greatly with Sunday’s WPL opener versus the all-too-familiar Aegean Hawks. CAV saw off the challenge of the Hawks in Sunday’s meeting between the two WPL heavyweights by a score of 3-1.

La Super Copa
On Saturday, the scoring opened early in the first half, with Ryan Rich receiving a through ball from John Carson, rounding the Tiger’s keeper and slotting the ball into the net from an acute angle. CAV kept the pressure on the Tiger’s net, with Carson hitting the post on a set piece, Andrew Richardson hitting the post after a run through the box, and Andrew Stadler forcing the keeper into several highlight reel saves. With 10 minutes remaining in the half, a long throw forced its way into the box and saw a CAV defender called for a handball. The controversial pk was awarded and slotted home to the left side of debutant goalkeeper Alec Aramanda. The second half began the same way as the first, with Atletico attacking along the wings and the forwards beating the Tigers defense with relentless on and off the ball running. Early in the second half Carson found Rich with another through ball, and Rich tucked the ball past the keeper to make it 2-1. The return of Nikolay Aleksandrov and Tremaine Chinapoo from injury helped bolster the backline as CAV had to see out the win under some last minute pressure.

Atletico will face Municipal Limeno, the Maryland International league champions in the quarterfinals on Saturday 4/16 at the RFK Auxiliary field. Municipal defeated the Danish Dynamite 6-1 in their round of 16 game. Kickoff is scheduled for 3pm. For additional news about the tournament view the latest release here.

WPL Fecha 1
Any match versus the Hawks is a highly anticipated and intensely charged affair. With the prospect of the two teams meeting in other competitions this Spring and the need to get off to a winning start in league, Sunday’s match was no different. The goal scoring started early again with Brian Yi putting the Hawks defense off balance with a charging run through the middle, creating a combination play that saw Stadler turn in the box and find a wide open Andrew Richardson to slot the ball home. Ten minutes later, Stadler pressured the Hawks center back who slipped, gifted him the ball and could only watch as Stadler ran to goal and struck a shot past the keeper to the far post. The 2-0 early lead didn’t last as the Hawks started to take control in possession and exposed the CAV defense at the top of the box. A quick turn from the Hawks forward inside the box was finished when he tucked the ball into the near post. Atletico came out strong in the second half, pressuring the Hawks into mistakes all over the field. An organized defense was able to thwart the Hawks attack and a moment of brilliance from Stadler helped secure the win. The new addition picked up the ball 45 yards from goal, slalomed into the right channel past 3 defenders, saw them catch up, and slalomed back across the top of the box into the left channel and coolly passed the ball into the back of the net. Resolute defending prevented any clear last minute chances by the Hawks offense.

Atletico will next face the Raiders on Sunday 4/17 at Washington and Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia. Kickoff is scheduled for 6pm.

Read the report for the latest match result on thecup.us:

2011 US Open Cup qualifying: Atletico Virginia Smokes Englewood Jack, will represent DC/VA at regionals

Read the Potomac Soccer Wire report on the MDCVSA Amateur Cup Final:

Atletico Virginia Advances to USASA Amateur Cup Regional Final

We’ve got a new site that is being updated with all the new information for the upcoming season. Visit soon for details on the Spring and Summer competitions and the players that will be participating!