GREENSBORO – Carolina Dynamo goalkeeper Brock Duckworth described the play as just unlucky.
But for the next several days, the game-tying goal that Central Jersey’s Jerry Saintil headed in off a corner kick in the 83rd minute of a 1-1 tie Saturday night at Bryan Parks Macpherson Stadium may leave the Dynamo questioning whether its defense is ready to carry it the way it did last season.
There were moments when it looked capable, holding the Spartans (0-0-1) to only four shots on goal in the first half and yielding few real threats. But then there was the header in the game’s final minutes, when a set play soured what would have been a solid season-opening victory.
“We have the players that can get it done,” said Carolina coach Joe Brown. “I think as a team we didn’t play well as a whole. We just have to be smarter.”
Brown didn’t expect his team to be as reliant on defense as it was last season, when one-goal victories were common during a successful 10-5-2 year. With this year’s squad bringing more of an attacking personality to the offense, more breathing room was anticipated as the Dynamo (0-0-1) prepared for Saturday’s opener.
But after Stephen McCarthy displayed the explosive potential of the Dynamo’s attack with a goal in the eighth minute, when he took a long through pass and slipped behind the Spartans defense before sticking a shot in the right corner for an early 1-0 lead, it was Carolina’s defense that was left to make the advantage stick.
And there was little reason to believe it couldn’t.
First there is Duckworth, who anchored last season’s defense with a 1.0 goals against average and is coming off a junior season at UNC-Wilmington in which his .886 save percentage ranked second in the nation. In front of him is Seahawks teammate Indy Smith, a third-team All-American who helped Duckworth lead UNCW to a Colonial Athletic Association championship.
With those two leading, the Dynamo made their one-goal lead stick for most of the night despite defending eight shots on goal in the second half.
“We were solid in the back,” Duckworth said. “We didn’t give up too many chances. It’s just a set piece late in the game. Just unlucky.”
But that unlucky break showed Brown that his team isn’t yet ready to rely on its defense the way it could last year. Perhaps that will come and the expected addition of defender Mark Linnville from Princeton next week could provide more stability in back, Brown said.
But for the next several days, a defense that was the cornerstone of success last year will be looked upon as a work in progress.
“This team will get stronger as the season goes on,” Brown said. “But these guys here have to learn more about each other. It’s going to take time for us to develop, no question.”
