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Fall 2007
CPCC Finished the Fall Leg of the CPSL 2007-08 Season 4-5-1 (W-L-T)
Summary
After careful consideration, the club accepted an invitation to join the Charlotte Premier Soccer League, signing up to play in the Open Division. Factors that influenced the decision included a roster policy that accommodated the club's size and a match schedule that more closely matched the College's academic calendar.
The club entered league play with the usual mix of veterans and newcomers, many of whom were aware of the quality of competition that awaited them. With the regular season comprised of a fall leg and a spring leg and each leg consisting of playing each team in the division twice, everyone gets to know the other pretty well after a full season. The Tigers' first trip through the league schedule was a "get acquainted" tour in which the club was able to reap but a single point. Perhaps the highlight of this first set of matches was a 1-2 loss to the defending champion "Sporting Charlotte". The potential the club showed in their early losses became realized on the field during the second half of the fall season as the Tigers fell only to Sporting Charlotte. The 4-5-1 finish belied the club's strength at the fall leg's finish. As is always the case at the end of a fall semester, much depends on who returns and in what kind of playing shape. But if the progress made during the fall leg is any indication of this group's potential, great things could be in store for the spring.
Fall 2007 Match Reports
Week #10 - CPCC Ends Fall Leg with 1-0 Win Over Wings SC
CPCC finished the fall leg of their first season in the Charlotte Premier Soccer League by avenging yet another loss suffered earlier in the season, this time to the Wings Soccer Club. Solomon Togbah's goal was the just result of a first half dominated by the Tigers. The Wings would bring much more pressure in the second half, which CPCC's defense barely withstood at times. With the win, CPCC finished the fall leg with a 4-5-1 record. More importantly, the club managed to win every rematch with the exception of league-leading and unbeaten "Sporting Charlotte".
Plans for the off season include voluntary participation in the Charlotte Sports Center indoor league, and a trip to Edenton on January 19, 2008 for the first annual NC Community College Futsal Tournament.
With a nucleus of players who work between semesters to maintain match fitness, and a return of those players for the spring semester, great things are in store for the Tigers!
Week #9 - Tigers Rebound with 2-1 Victory over Eire FC
CPCC got back in the winning column with a hard fought victory over Eire FC. After Solomon Togbah beat the keeper to put in an early goal, the Tiger defense withstood several stretches in which Eire FC dominated the run of play. 
Though their efforts produced a flurry of corner kicks, the alert play of CPCC's defenders and the ever steady hand of Aristondo Giancarlo in the goal shut out Eire for the rest of the first stanza, leaving the score 1-0 Tigers, at the half.
Eire struck early in the second half, however, scoring a goal that roused the Tigers into attack mode. CPCC's efforts resulted in a high number of quality shots on goal, though most were were directly at the keeper. Cesar Pilco-Romero's goal at the 71' mark broke the tie, but not the back of Eire. The Tigers would have to play good defense to the end of this match to harvest the three points.
Week #8 - Sporting Charlotte downs Tigers 6-4
Sporting Charlotte Soccer Club turned on their championship form in just enough stretches to turn back a stiff challenge from CPCC on this beautiful fall afternoon. In what has become a pattern for CPCC opponents, SC was awarded a direct kick opportunity just outside the CPCC box in the first two minutes of the match. It was all SC needed to take an early 1-0 lead. CPCC would come back however to retake the lead, marking the only time this season SC has played from behind. With the scored tied 3-3 at the break, the stage was set for an intense second half. More details posted Wednesday at 5PM.
Week #7 - CPCC Ups the Attic FC 4-2
CPCC Soccer Club showed how far it has come by taking down the second place team in the league Sunday with an impressive 4-2 win over the Attic FC. Match details coming later this week.
Week #6 - Tigers Win! Defeat Copperheads 5-1
CPCC notched its first win in CPSL play on Sunday, downing the Copperheads 5-1. The first goal of this match set the tone and the pattern for the Tigers offense in this match, and hopefully, the rest of the season. It happened at the ten minute mark, and would be repeated twice more (50', 70') - Solomon Togbah scores on an assist from Keji Aderibigbe. But the outcome was anything but certain when Zane Kennedy, who had stepped forward to sub in the goal, was shown a red card after taking the bait laid down by a taunting opposing player. Ricardo Lemus' substitution in the goal was his first appearance there since the season opener in which he sustained a leg injury. Lemus' performance for the remaining eighty minutes was one of several breakout performances for the Tigers. Lemus would go on to record a total of eight saves, three of those in desperate one-on-one situations.
Another inspiration was the play of Ryan Kloepping at center midfield, where he teamed with Aleks Georgiev to repeatedly win lose balls and effectively distribute them to the wings. With the send-off of Kennedy, the Copperheads attempted to seize control of the match, and partially succeeded for the game's next ten minutes. But by successfully weathering the Copperhead barrage, the Tigers were able to regroup playing the man down. The defensive back, anchored by Tom Mathews, deployed Nick Dow, Jaafar Dahbi, and Nick Chirico to frustrate the Copperhead attack throughout the match. On the wings, Gus Hernandez and Cesar Pilco-Romero supplied a steady diet of well-played balls to the rapidly developing forward tandem of Keji Aderibigbe and Solomon Togbah. Though the Aderibigbe-Togbah combination produced the first goal of the match and a total of three goals on the day, the second and third goals of the first half were set up by Gus Hernandez. Hector Mera scored on a Hernandez-played ball at 40'. Cesar Pilco-Romero would score the back-breaker just two minutes later off a Hernandez assist. Only a Copperheads PK at 84' denied Lemus and the Tigers a shutout.
By any measure, the result was a breakthrough for the club. Faced with a bit of self-inflicted adversity, the club pulled together and found a way to win. Thus, the Tigers gain a "split" for the fall leg of the season with the Copperheads. The Attic FC, with whom the Tigers tied in their first meeting, await.
Starters: Aderibigbe, Kloepping, Hernandez, Dahbi, Dow, Togbah (10', 50', 70'), Mera (40'), Kennedy (X), Chirico, Georgiev.
Substitutes: Lemus, Pilco-Romero, Collins, Johnson, Matt Hunter, Michael Hunter, Trigoso
Week #5 - Fourth Loss Raises Eire
A less than energetic effort and the absence of some key players led to a disappointing 6-2 loss at the hands of "Eire FC" on this unseasonably warm October afternoon. Eire started the scoring in the second minute with a goal off a direct kick from the 20. CPCC answered five minutes later when Cesar Pilco-Romero slotted a shot past the keeper on an assist from John Bailey. Eire's physical play was rewarded throughout the match by the officials, as it was in the 25th minute with a PK which an Eire forward easily converted. Eire turned up the heat on the listless Tigers with their superior conditioning and organization for the remainder of the half, effectively putting the game away with goals from the field at 35' and 44'. They would score once more in the second half from the field before being awarded another PK at 81'. Trailing 6-1, the Tigers continued to compete. Keji Aderibigbe, playing the second half in the field after tending goal in the first, played a nice ball to Aleks Gergiev, who scored his first goal of the season.
The club has now played each team in the Open Division and established a performance base line. The second half of the season will provide an opportunity to see how much progress can be made as a team in each of the rematches.
Starters: Aderibigbe, Kloepping, Hernandez, Bailey, Dow, Pilco-Romero (6'), Mera, Mathews, Kennedy, Mogollon, Georgiev (81')
Substitutes: Hunter (Matt), Fene, Suffrard, Collins, Johnson
Week #4 - Tigers Fall to Wings SC 0-2
CPCC played good soccer in this one, but fell victim to their own mistakes at both ends of the field. Just as the back four of the Tiger defense seemed to be on their way to delivering a scoreless tie going into halftime, they presented the Wings a PK opportunity after a bad take-down in the box in the 43rd minute. The Wings converted the opportunity to a 1-0 lead going into the break. The Wings would score again at 49' off a header from a long cross. The Tigers succeeded in getting the ball into the attacking third with regularity, but were able to generate a mere one shot on goal.
Starters: Aderibigbe (K), Chicas, Kloepping, Hernandez, Marquina, Bailey, Pilco-Romero, Togbah, Mera, Mathews, Kennedy
Substitutes: Rojas, Mogollon, Georgiev
Week #3 - CPCC Gets Point with 4-4 Tie
With a dominant first half of soccer against the "Attic FC", CPCC demonstrated once again that it continues to improve with each outing. And though the Attic would respond with a four goal explosion in the second half, CPCC twice fought back to equalize and win the point. Though the Tigers controlled the run of play for much of the first half, shots on frame were few. In the thirtieth minute, Cesar Pilco-Romero took advantage of a well-placed corner kick by John Bailey to get a head on the cross for the first score of the match. Bailey would set up Pilco-Romero for another score 15 minutes later, this time working in traffic at the top of the box. Bailey carried the ball into the box after beating one defender, then threaded a pass between two more. Pilco-Romero one-touched the ball into the net for his second goal of the match and the season. Goal keeper Giancarlo Aristondo's biggest challenges in the first half came from direct kick opportunities presented to Attic players. Mostly though, he was cleaning up long and wide shots forced by the tenacious defense of the Tiger back four of Thomas Mathews, Aristidas Chicas, Gus Hernandez, and Pierre Marquina.
Leading 2-0 at the break and with the temperature rising, everyone on the CPCC side felt a victory was well at hand, but the Attic FC came out in the second half to show why their offensive prowess is respected and feared in the CPSL. After tallying goals at 52', 65', and 75', the Attic threatened to put the game out of reach on a couple of hard shots on goal. The lack of depth in the back four created by the absence of Zane Kennedy and Andres Barrero suddenly became apparent. Trailing 3-2, CPCC had no choice but to attack at every opportunity. Relatively quiet in the first half, Ryan Kloepping began to work on the Attic defense. In minute 79, Ryan beat a defender on the left side of the box, then sent a hard, low ball across the goal where Anderson Mogollon redirected it into the net for his first goal of the season. With the match tied at three apiece, an Attic forward sent a 30 meter rocket just to the left of a lunging Aristondo in the 85th minute. Now, with less than two minutes before the final whistle, the Tigers found themselves down a goal in a match that had previously been well in hand. Mathews pushed the entire team forward in desperation mode. When Gus Hernandez lofted a long cross into the box from the left midfield, Kloepping locked in. The reflexes of the Attic's experienced keeper were no match for Kloepping's perfectly timed header. Kloepping's third goal of the season sealed the 4-4 result, and drew the Tigers' first point ever in CPSL play. Most everyone seemed to appreciate what the club had just accomplished.
Starters: Aristondo, Chicas, Kloepping (88'), Hernandez, Marquina, Bailey, Pilco-Romero (30', 45'), Togbah, Mera, Mathews, Mogollon (79')
Substitutions: Quinhoes, Aderibigbe, Curtis, Dow, Suffrard
Week #2 - CPCC Comes Up Short to Sporting Charlotte 1-2
The defensive effort put forth by CPCC in this match opened the door to new possibilities for success in the CPSL in this, the club's second match in the league. After spotting "Sporting Charlotte" two goals in the first thirty minutes, the Tigers would shut out the defending league champion the rest of the way. Will Suffrard's one-timer into the net off a hard won cross by Ryan Kloepping just seconds before the end of the half made the score 1-2. As everyone on the roster played in the second half, CPCC continued to answer every "SC" attack with one of its own. Keji Aderibigbe assumed keeper duties from Giancarlo Aristondo in the 65th minute, and quickly made the box his own. The defense remained organized and effective throughout most of the match. Of several scoring opportunities in the second half, perhaps the John Bailey's direct kick in the eightieth minute from 25 meters came the closest to tying the match. Only a great save by the "SC" keeper kept the ball out of the net. CPCC was awarded numerous corner kicks in the second half, but "SC's" keeper did a superb job of not letting any of the reasonably good services come down in the box. With the 1-2 result in the books, the Tigers drop to 0-2 in league play. Sincere expressions of well-deserved respect were received on the field by club members immediately following this match. This match proved the importance of consistent defensive effort. The question now is not "how", but "when" the Tigers first victory will come.
Starter: Aristondo, Aderibigbe, Chicas, Kloepping, Hernandez, Marquina, Bailey, Togbah, Mathews, Suffrard (45'), Kennedy
Substitutes: Burroughs, Hunter (Matt), Dow, Pilco-Romero, Fene, Hunter (Michael), Quinhoes, Mera, Collins, Johnson, Barrero
Week #1 - Tigers Debut in CPSL with 5-6 Loss to Copperheads
CPCC's first match in their new home-the Charlotte Premier Soccer League-delivered everything hoped for but a win. The fields, the officials, and the competition all contributed to a first class experience. The Copperheads opened the scoring thanks to a mistake in the back in the fifth minute. Ryan Kloepping brought CPCC even when he headed in a perfect cross from the right side in the eleventh minute. Shortly after CPCC's first substitution, a Copperhead forward finished a one-on-one in the box to put his team up 2-1 in the 25th minute. In the forty second minute, Wilfrance Suffrard slotted home a nice shot after controlling a long ball from the midfield. The Copperheads were awarded a direct kick just beyond the 18 in the last minute of the half. Keeper Ricardo Lemus' save resulted in a rebound of the ball back into play where on onrushing Copperhead forward slammed into the net for a momentum-killing closer to the half.
The second brought on a new level of composure and control for the Tiger eleven. Coach Lyle's substitutions revealed several successful combinations in both the attacking third and defensive third, and meaningful player communication began to emerge. Another quality surfaced that will be called upon repeatedly as this club finds its legs in the new league. When the Copperheads scored the next two goals of the match, moving to a 5-2 advantage in minute 52, the Tigers played harder, answering both with goals of their own in the sixty first and seventy forth minutes. Though the Copperheads mustered another score from a long ball down the middle in the eighty first minute, CPCC kept up the pressure. When Aristides Chicas took John Bailey's pass from midfield to put home the Tiger's fifth goal at minute 85, the signal was sent that CPCC would be a side that would play the full ninety. Though the referee's final whistle sounded without a tying goal, everyone associated with CPCC Soccer should view this match as a promising start to an exciting season and a new era.
Starters: Lemus, Marquina, Mera, Kennedy, Bailey, Hernandez, Togbah (42', 74'), Barrero, Rojas, Chicas (85'), Kloepping (11')
Substitutions: Aristondo, Suffrard (42'), Carson, Mathews, Pilco-Romero, Johnson, Cuadros
| League match #1 | CPCC | COPPERHEADS |
| GOALS (Total) | 5 | 6 |
| GOALS (1st half) | 2 | 3 |
| GOALS (2cnd half) | 3 | 3 |
| SHOTS (Total) | 7 | 10 |
| SHOTS (1st half) | 5 | 7 |
| SHOTS (2cnd half) | 2 | 3 |
| SAVES | 4 | 2 |
| CORNER KICKS | 6 | 3 |
| FOULS | n/a | n/a |
| OFFSIDE | 4 | 1 |
| Sun., 1:00PM (9-9-07) Ramblewood #3 sunny, 85F, winds 5-10 mph | ||
Spring 2007 Player Roster
| Name | # | Pos. | Goals | Assists | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Keji Aderibigbe
| 1 | MF K | 1 | |||||||||||
 | Giancarlo Aristondo
| 0 | K | ||||||||||||
 | John Bailey (captain)
| 11 | MF | 4 | |||||||||||
 | Andres Barrero
| 27 | MF | ||||||||||||
 | Darelle Carson
| 24 | MF | ||||||||||||
 | Aristides Chicas
| 2 | D | 1 | |||||||||||
 | Stuart Collins
| 23 | D | ||||||||||||
 | Nick Dow
| 14 | D | ||||||||||||
 | Fedelin Fene
| 16 | MF | ||||||||||||
 | Gustavo Hernandez
| 6 | D | 1 | |||||||||||
 | Aleksandar Georgiev
| 30 | D | 1 | |||||||||||
 | Matthew Hunter
| 17 | MF | ||||||||||||
 | Michael Hunter
| 13 | MF | ||||||||||||
 | James Johnson
| 25 | D | ||||||||||||
 | Zane Kennedy
| 28 | D | ||||||||||||
 | Ryan Kloepping
| 4 | F | 3 | 2 | ||||||||||
 | Ricardo Lemus
| 00 | K | ||||||||||||
 | Pierre Marquina
| 8 | D | ||||||||||||
 | Thomas Mathews
| 21 | D | ||||||||||||
 | Hector Mera
| 20 | D | ||||||||||||
 | Anderson Mogollon
| 29 | D | 1 | |||||||||||
 | Cesar Pilco-Romero
| 15 | F | 3 | |||||||||||
 | Marco Quinhoes
| 19 | MF | ||||||||||||
 | Will Suffrard
| 22 | F | 2 | |||||||||||
 | Solomon Togbah
| 18 | MF | 1 | |||||||||||
 | Julio Trigoso
| 26 | MF | ||||||||||||
FALL 2007 SCHEDULE
RESULTS (W-L-T)
Regular Season (4-5-1) league / overall (4-5-1)
| DAY | TIME | 2007 | OPPONENT | Ramblewood # | RESULT |
| Sunday | 1:00 | 9/9 | Copperheads FC | 3 | 5:6 (L) |
| Sunday | 3:00 | 9/16 | Sporting Charlotte | 3 | 1:2 (L) |
| Sunday | 1:00 | 9/23 | Attic FC | 4 | 4:4 (T) |
| Sunday | 1:00 | 9/30 | Wings SC | 3 | 0:2 (L) |
| Sunday | 3:00 | 10/7 | Eire FC | 5 | 2:6 (L) |
| Sunday | 3:00 | 10/14 | Copperheads FC | 2 | 5:1 (W) |
| Sunday | 3:00 | 10/21 | Attic FC | 5 | 4:2 (W) |
| Sunday | 3:00 | 10/28 | Sporting Charlotte | 2 | 4:6 (L) |
| Sunday | 1:00 | 11/4 | Eire FC | 4 | 2:1 (W) |
| Sunday | 1:00 | 11/11 | Wings SC | 3 | 1:0 (W) |
Charlotte Premier Soccer League
Fall 2007 Schedule
| 9/9/07 | FIELD | TIME | |||
| Week 1 | Sporting Charlotte | vs | Eire FC | 2 | 3:00 |
| Attic FC | vs | Wings SC | 2 | 1:00 | |
| CPCC | 5:6 | Copperheads FC | 3 | 1:00 | |
| 9/16/07 | FIELD | TIME | |||
| Week 2 | Eire FC | vs | Wings SC | 4 | 3:00 |
| Copperheads FC | vs | Attic FC | 3 | 1:00 | |
| CPCC | 1:2 | Sporting Charlotte | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 9/23/07 | FIELD | TIME | |||
| Week 3 | Attic FC | 4:4 | CPCC | 4 | 1:00 |
| Sporting Charlotte | vs | Wings SC | 2 | 1:00 | |
| Eire FC | vs | Copperheads FC | 2 | 3:00 | |
| 9/30/07 | FIELD | TIME | |||
| Week 4 | Copperheads FC | vs | Sporting Charlotte | 5 | 1:00 |
| CPCC | 0:2 | Wings SC | 3 | 1:00 | |
| Attic FC | vs | Eire FC | 4 | 1:00 | |
| 10/7/07 | FIELD | TIME | |||
| Week 5 | Sporting Charlotte | vs | Attic FC | 3 | 1:00 |
| Wings SC | vs | Copperheads FC | 4 | 3:00 | |
| Eire FC | 2:6 | CPCC | 5 | 3:00 | |
| 10/14/07 | FIELD | TIME | |||
| Week 6 | Erie FC | vs | Sporting Charlotte | 3 | 1:00 |
| Wings SC | vs | Attic FC | 2 | 1:00 | |
| Copperheads FC | 1:5 | CPCC | 2 | 3:00 | |
| 10/21/07 | FIELD | TIME | |||
| Week 7 | CPCC | 4:2 | Attic FC | 5 | 3:00 |
| Wings SC | vs | Sporting Charlotte | 5 | 1:00 | |
| Copperheads FC | vs | Erie FC | 4 | 1:00 | |
| 10/28/07 | FIELD | TIME | |||
| Week 8 | Erie FC | vs | Wings SC | 4 | 1:00 |
| Attic FC | vs | Copperheads FC | 1 | 3:00 | |
| Sporting Charlotte | 6:4 | CPCC | 2 | 3:00 | |
| 11/4/07 | FIELD | TIME | |||
| Week 9 | Attic FC | vs | Sporting Charlotte | 3 | 3:00 |
| Copperheads FC | vs | Wings SC | 4 | 3:00 | |
| CPCC | 2:1 | Erie FC | 4 | 1:00 | |
| 11/11/07 | FIELD | TIME | |||
| Week 10 | Sporting Charlotte | vs | Copperheads FC | 1 | 3:00 |
| Erie FC | vs | Attic FC | 2 | 1:00 | |
| Wings SC | 0:1 | CPCC | 3 | 1:00 | |
