After pilfering Clemson goalkeeper Cody Mizell with 27 shots, the hard work finally paid off for the Charlotte 49ers Tuesday night. Andres Cuero scored at the 4:05 mark of double overtime to give Charlotte a well-deserved 2-1 win over the Tigers and put Charlotte back to .500 for the season at 4-4.
“At one point I think it looked like their keeper had a cape on,” said 49ers head coach Jeremy Gunn in reference to Mizell’s outstanding effort. “It would have been really easy for us to cave and just get upset at ourselves and not keep pushing.”
Cuero had been kept off the scoreboard for the first seven games of the season, but Tuesday night, he broke out. After Jack Metcalf had given the Tigers an early lead, Cuero responded just four minutes later at the 23 minute mark of the first half when Charlotte was awarded a free kick after Cuero had been illegally tackled. On the ensuing free kick by Donnie Smith, Cuero placed a perfect header into the back of the net to knot the game at one from five yards out.
Charlotte dominated both periods and held a 16-3 shot advantage at the intermission. For the game, Charlotte outshot Clemson 28-6 as Cuero and Evan James both had six shots to lead Charlotte.
Cuero cashed in again when it counted most. After taking a Justin Tucker pass, Cuero turned on a dime and blasted one past Mizell from 30 yards out. Mizell got a finger on the shot but couldn’t keep it out of the net.
“As a striker you get tunnel vision when you’re in front of the goal,” Cuero said of his game-winning tally. “I got it in front of the goal and decided to take it. Went with my instinct and luckily it went in.”
The loss dropped Clemson to 1-5-1 on the season. Gavin Dawson got his first win of the season for Charlotte, making six saves in the process. Charlotte returns to action on Saturday when they take on another Palmetto state rival—the Furman Paladins—at 7 p.m. at Transamerica Field.
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