By: Kamil Gut
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Despite dedicated home support from the Charlottesville community, the Charlottesville Blues FC women’s and men’s teams suffered 3-0 and 1-0 losses, respectively, to Virginia Beach United this past Saturday on DeBerry-Bingler Field at Charlottesville High School Stadium.
The results extended the Blues’ collective winless start at home to begin the 2025 USL League Two and W seasons.
Frustration from a 3-0 loss to Annapolis Blues FC on May 24 carried over for the Charlottesville women in Saturday’s match, as increased possession once again resulted in costly giveaways and limited attacking opportunities.
“Since the (Richmond) Ivy game, we’ve let our foot off the gas,” women’s head coach Nick Regan said postmatch. “We’ve got to find that fire in our bellies again in terms of off-the-ball intensity.”
Virginia Beach capitalized on these mistakes through two first-half goals from outside the 18-yard box by forward Shyenne Diaz and midfielder Anaya Lozano in the 27th and 38th minutes, respectively.
Shortly after halftime, United forward Rachel Walters finished off a brilliant team move with a tap-in in the 51st minute to extend the visitors’ lead to 3-0. Though the Blues registered five total shots and forced three saves from United goalkeeper Kylie Cass, their scoreless drought continued through the first three matches of the season.
“We have a lot of soccer IQ on the team,” Regan said regarding conversations with his players. “Kayla (Magee) is one of the most vocal in the locker room, She recognizes where we need to do better, and it’s that sort of experience we need to push us through. Anyone on the team, I respect their opinion. There’s a bunch of players here who want to get it right. It’ll take some time, but we’ll get there.”
Standout Blues right back Abby Delves, one of three players brought over from Dorking Wanderers FC for the summer season, suffered a leg injury from a tackle in the 35th minute and had to be substituted off for defender Megan Dwyer. Regan said Delves’ injury is minor and shouldn’t impact her involvement in the squad’s upcoming matches for too long.
WATCH: Postmatch Interview | HC Nick Regan | Charlottesville Blues (Women) v. Virginia Beach
As for the Charlottesville men, the loss to Virginia Beach came under rare circumstances – playing up a man for the entirety of the second half after United forward Sharif Mohammed received a red card in the 45th minute through a second yellow card given for a harsh tackle.
Charlottesville dictated possession in the first half and showed incredible energy on the ball despite a short turnaround from the club’s 2-2 draw against Virginia Marauders FC on May 28 at Segra Field in Leesburg, Va. The Blues’ early missed chances proved detrimental, as United took the lead in the 44th minute through forward Thomas Campbell’s headed effort. United midfielder and captain Alexander Moody lifted a cross over and behind the Blues’ back line with the perfect pace to connect with Campbell’s well-timed run.
Blues forwards Mo Tucker and Sulaiman Abdul-Mateen, the latter of whom leads Charlottesville with two goals this season, took control of the home side’s attacking tempo in the second half.
Their individual brilliance down the wings created space and time for teammates to shoot from good positions, but many ensuing attempts by the front line were off-target.
“It was a weird game in the second half trying to get the flow back,” men’s head coach Tommy DiNuzzo said postmatch. “In those situations when you don’t get a goal early up a man, it gets increasingly frustrating. We just didn’t take advantage of our moments in the final third.”
United’s confidence in preserving the road result grew as the clock ticked closer to full-time, and their midfield stood its ground during scrappy phases that saw several yellow cards handed out. Ultimately, the Charlottesville men couldn’t fight their way back onto the scoresheet with a variety of fresh substitutions off the bench.
As a whole, the club left Saturday’s doubleheader empty-handed with zero points to show for its commendable spirit across both matches.
“There have been plenty of encouraging signs,” DiNuzzo said. “At the end of the day we want to win games and put a good product on the field, and we’re trying to find the best way to do that. You can’t change everything repeatedly or you lose a lot of continuity. On Wednesday, let’s bounce back.”
WATCH: Postmatch Interview | HC Tommy DiNuzzo | Charlottesville Blues (Men) v. Virginia Beach
Looking ahead, Charlottesville will look to put inconsistency from May in the past and focus on an upcoming demanding June schedule that makes up over half of the fixture list.
Entering June, the Blues men are in sixth place in the Chesapeake Division with five points through a 1-2-2 record. Meanwhile, the Blues women are in fourth place in the Chesapeake Division with one point through a 0-2-1 record.
Both teams begin June with midweek action on the road – with both getting opportunities to immediately avenge disappointing results in rematches.
The Charlottesville women’s squad will face Annapolis once again at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md. before another rematch with Richmond Ivy SC on Saturday, June 7 at home. The Charlottesville men’s team plays against Northern Virginia FC at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday with a return to Segra Field in Leesburg.
“To play (Annapolis) sooner rather than later is a good thing,” Regan said ahead of Wednesday’s rematch. “We expect a big crowd there, and we’ve shown we can show up on the road and put in a big performance.”
Match day tickets can be purchased at the front gate. The cost is $15 for a double header and $10 for a single match. (*Kids 3 and under are free)
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For further information and questions, please contact:
Brian Krow
Co-owner, Charlottesville Blues FC
Email: bkrow@charlottesvillebluesfc.com
Phone: (213) 924-8811
Kamil Gut
Club Reporter/Intern, Charlottesville Blues FC
Email: kamilsgut@gmail.com
Phone: (708) 864-0861
About Charlottesville Blues FC
Charlottesville Blues FC is a pre-professional soccer franchise in the USL League Two and USL W, committed to excellence on and off the field. As the newest expansion team, the Blues aim to make a significant impact in the league, fostering a strong community connection and promoting the growth of soccer in the Charlottesville area.
Media Contact:
Charlottesville Blues FC Communications Team
Email: bkrow@charlottesvillebluesfc.com
Phone: (213) 924-8811
