Northern Virginia Royals News Release -- www.novafc.org
Monday, July 11, 2011
MANASSAS, Va. – Riding the crest of an unprecedented wave of victories, the Northern Virginia Royals added to their win streak with a 2-0 triumph over the Carolina Dynamo on Sunday evening at Hellwig Memorial Park. The Royals scored a goal in each half and relied on a sturdy defense to increase their run of victories to seven games.
With the back-and-forth battle for the top spot in the South Atlantic Division on the line, Northern Virginia held no expectations that Sunday’s contest would be anything but intense. With numerous seasons of top teams, the Dynamo has proven a formidable opponent year after year and held a significant history of wins over Northern Virginia. Sunday’s match held all the drama and excitement of a championship bout.
After trading several opportunities throughout the first half, the Royals grabbed the lead in the 40th minute when Irvin Martinez intercepted a pass deep in Dynamo territory and raced into the left side of the penalty area. After getting around the last defender, Martinez ripped his shot to the far post into the Carolina net for the 1-0 lead.
Midway through the second half, Northern Virginia sealed the victory with a built up play that began in the Royals defensive third. Following a key series of passing and possession, Royal Steven Duran sent a driven cross that found teammate Myles McGinley in on goal. McGinley surgically finished the pass, knocking home the strike for the 2-0 insurance goal.
“What’s amazing to me is how this team responded after dropping the first three games this season,” said Royals owner Mo Sheta. “[Head coach] Richie [Burke] has done a tremendous job, but a turnaround like this has to start with the players committing to do better.
“They [the players] determined that these results were personally unacceptable and have all pulled together to produce an incredible season so far."
Northern Virginia returns home this weekend for a pair of matches against the West Virginia Chaos on both Saturday and Sunday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. both days at Hellwig Memorial Park in Manassas, Virginia.