Winning when it counts
By Dave Buschenfeldt
Chantilly sophomore Jamal Umar missed all of last soccer season after breaking his leg while playing club. He had his final surgery in December to remove a pin, and he's back on the field for the Chargers this year.
Umar made his presence felt in a big way Friday night, scoring his first goal of the season five minutes before halftime to lead Chantilly to a 2-0 win over Oakton.
“He's really now starting to come alive,” coach Tracy Birrell said of Umar. “He's a talented kid. He's got a lot of speed, he's got a lot of heart. I think it's just a matter of time.”
Sophomore Kevin McBride added an insurance goal 12 minutes into the second half off a pretty feed from sophomore Steven Mashinski.
“It's a really big win,” Umar said. “We knew this was an important game. We have two more games in our district, and this was a big step to go on. We're happy to win.”
The victory was just Chantilly's third of the season, but all three have come in Concorde District play. The Chargers' 3-1 district record has them in position to compete for the regular-season title.
“I think it's knowing that if we win, we will go somewhere,” Umar said of his team's success in district play. “Each win is a progressive win. The more you win, the farther you go. We like that.”
Chantilly closes out its regular season schedule next week with games against Centreville and Westfield.