Virginia Beach City FC is seeking redemption this Sunday, May 27 as the squad travels north to take on Frederick FC. VBC dropped their last match vs. Baltimore on May 19 but has an opportunity to get on the plus-side of .500 vs. Frederick FC.

Offense stays hot

After racking up four goals vs. Legacy 76 in the season-opener, Virginia Beach City FC added another two goals in their loss to FC Baltimore. Trevor Knight and Tye Stallins scored their first goals of the season last Saturday night, while Sebastian Refi added an assist to his two goals scored on the season. Virginia Beach City FC’s offense is on a roll and should strike again vs. Frederick FC.

Frederick FC ready to start season

While VBC has already played two matches, Frederick FC won’t kick off their season until Friday, May 25 when they face Legacy 76. Frederick FC is coming off a NPSL Mid-Atlantic Playoff final appearance last season, even though VBC defeated Frederick FC twice last season.

Key Matchup

Frederick FC’s forwards vs. VBC’s back line — Virginia Beach City FC’s defense hopes to rebound this Saturday after a subpar performance vs. FC Baltimore. VBC allowed five goals last Saturday and didn’t give their offense much of a chance. VBC’s offense will likely score multiple times on Saturday but if the defense doesn’t hold their own, things could go poorly.

Virginia Beach City FC’s Projected Starting XI

GK Christian Coulson

D Alvaro Tina

D Andrew Walters

M Shaun Brooks

M Jordi Davis

M Kareem Gharbi

M Roger Rojas-Goodbold

F Trevor Knight

F Sebastian Refi

F Denis Roule

Keys to the Game

Virginia Beach City FC is hoping to rebound from their first loss of the season. VBC is dealing with a few minor injuries at the moment and forward Trevor Knight left the match vs. FCB last weekend. VBC needs to get healthy during the week and correct their defensive miscues. If they hold up on the back end and refrain from turning the ball over in the midfield, Virginia Beach City FC should walk away from this Saturday’s match with a win.

Virginia Beach City FC played their season-opener in front of a stellar crowd at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex on Saturday night but fell to FC Baltimore 5-2.

Trevor Knight starred for VBC, scoring his team’s first goal of the night in the 16th minute. Knight headed home the goal on an assist from Sebastian Refi, giving VBC a 1-0 advantage.

Goal headed home in the 16 min. @vbcityfc up 1-0 on @fcbaltimore1729. #NPSL #supportlocalsoccer pic.twitter.com/Fz6V7lFGQm

— Kelli Outlaw (@KelliOutlaw) May 19, 2018

“They had a lot of possession in the first half so it was great to get that goal. Hoped it would spark a little momentum for us, but we just struggled in the midfield a little bit,” said head coach Brian Hinkey.

Saturday sparked another solid performance for Refi, who assisted on Knight’s goal. Refi scored two goals vs. Legacy 76 in VBC’s season-opener and has been in great form to start the 2018 season.

“He’s come in fit, he’s come in ready. He’s hungry,” Hinkey said. “He’s been a really good player for us.”

Unfortunately, FC Baltimore ended the first half on a hot streak. FCB added two goals in the final minutes, the second of which gave them the lead. FCB’s Grant Robinson scored on an assist from Benjamin Dao in stoppage time, and VBC was unable to regain the lead.

FC Baltimore padded the lead in the second half, with Tre Pulliam and Avionne Flanagan both scoring to give FCB a 4-1 lead. Virginia Beach City FC wouldn’t go down without a fight however, as VBC’s Tye Stallins scored on a Denis Roule assist to cut the deficit to two goals.

VBC had multiple opportunities down the stretch to close the gap but failed to do so. Virginia Beach City FC held possession in the attacking third and after failing to score on a few shots, FC Baltimore countered for a breakaway goal as Joshua Fawole scored his squad’s fifth goal of the night.

“In the second half, I thought we played better,” Hinkey said. “I thought we had a majority of the possession. We had to push forward and try to even things out. We just got caught on the breaks and had some bad giveaways in the midfield. They’re a good counter-attacking team and we can’t afford to make those mistakes. That was our Achilles heel tonight — bad giveaways in the midfield that they were able to turn into counter attacks.”

Virginia Beach City FC (1-1) will look to rebound next week as the team travels to Thomas Athletic Field to take on FC Frederick on May 27. The match will start at 5 p.m.

“I think the biggest thing is just to maintain an even mentality,” Hinkey said. “You’re going to take some losses, you’re going to take some lumps in the game. We’re just going to work on it and solve problems and get ready for the next match.”

Virginia Beach City FC will offer Spring Open Tryouts giving players an opportunity to earn a roster position as the club's First Team coaching staff continues to builds their rosters for the 2018 Virginia Beach City FC Summer Academy Pro Experience™.

This program will also serve as an official talent center for D.C. United featuring a match with D.C. United Academy and identification opportunities specifically with the D.C. United Scout for Hampton Roads.  

About Brian Hinkey:

Brian serves Virginia Beach City FC as the head coach of the men’s NPSL team, and as vice president of soccer operations.  Hinkey is a US Soccer A License coach.  Most recently, he was named as the head scout for DC United in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia.  Hinkey has worked full-time in the sport for over 16 years working with and for the Virginia Youth Soccer Association, Prince William Soccer Inc., NYSL, Beach FC, and Chesapeake.  His playing career includes Vanderbilt and William and Mary, and professionally with the Cleveland Crunch, Kansas City Comets, and in the USL division with the Nashville Metros.

Virginia Beach City FC Academy will offer Open Tryouts giving players an opportunity to earn a spot in the Full-Year Academy for the 2018-2019 soccer year. 

As the official Hampton Roads Soccer Affiliate of D.C. United, the Full Year Academy will also provide identification and development opportunities with D.C. United. 

Virginia Beach City FC will offer Spring Open Tryouts giving players an opportunity to earn a roster position as the club's First Team coaching staff continues to builds their rosters for the 2018 Virginia Beach City FC Summer Academy Pro Experience™

This program will also feature a match against Washington Spirit Academy in selected age groups.