Super-20 Finals Game Report
Saturday, July 21, 2012
BRADENTON, Fla. – The defending champion Crew Juniors got a second-half goal by Charlie Macias to earn their berth in the Super-20 League North American Finals Championship Game on Saturday afternoon as they earned a 1-0 victory against Texas Football Club at IMG Academy. The Crew will face the Chicago Fire in Sunday’s title game, which can be seen live at www.uslnation.com, after the Fire pulled away from FASA 3-0 in the other semifinal.
The decisive goal for the Crew came in the 59th minute as they picked up possession in midfield. Bryce Rockwell drifted toward the right side, and then found Will Walker making a strong run up the wing. Walker took the pass in stride, drove to the corner of the penalty area and sent an angled, low cross to the far post where Macias made no mistake with a first-time finish.
“The goal that built up there was a drill that Brian Bliss runs throughout the whole summer,” Crew coach Ian Gordona said. “We’re bringing it, it’s up, back and through coming around the side to a finish, it was kind of funny because after we scored we turned and said, ‘that’s a Blissy session, right there’.”
The Crew had an early chance to take the lead in just the third minute when Rylee Woods had a free kick from the right saved at the near post, but following that the Texans were able to remain on terms. The Crew had more chances, Cole Normandie’s snap-shot from 20 yards out being well saved at the left post by Zach Bennett, and Jordan Tyler missing a golden opportunity when he beat the offside trap in the 29th minute, only for Bennett to drive him wide, which resulted in his finish finding the right side-netting.
Both teams had chances in the opening 10 minutes of the second half, with the Crew’s Zach Mason having his flicked header toward the right corner headed off the line, and Texas’ Brenden Lee being denied by Crew goalkeeper Jeff Gal before the Crew broke the deadlock.
Walker had a chance to double the Crew’s lead in the 68th minute, only to shoot over the crossbar, and Texas almost made the Crew for their missed opportunities twice as first Joel Mendoza shot just over the crossbar with 15 minutes to go, and a minute later Sam Glowe slicing a shot wide of the right post from 15 yards. The Crew were able to hold on late, however, earning the chance to defend their title.
The Fire had a slightly easier time as they took a 3-0 win against FASA in the other semifinals. Goals by Trevor Wheeler, Jacob Brindle and Jourdan Gooden earned victory for the Fire as they pulled away in the second half.
Chicago came close to taking the lead in the eighth minute, but FASA goalkeeper John Lagos made a pair of excellent saves from Luis Medina to keep the game scoreless. FASA created a chance of its own in the 20th minute as Timi Mulgrew broke down the right side, but his shot was dragged wide of the left post.
The Fire took the lead just past the half-hour mark as Wheeler picked up possession at the top-left of the penalty area after a clever dummy by Medina drew the defense, giving him the time and space to curl his finish into the back of the net. The play of Medina and Felipe Cortez again played a big role in the Fire’s ability to create scoring chances.
“They’re intelligent, and one of the things is they’re not the biggest fellas in the world, and they have to play with a great deal of intelligence because they’re not going to physically dominate you,” Chicago coach Steve Morris said. “They’re not going to run past you with pace, so they have to play soccer, and their football intelligence is brilliant, and it’s fun to watch.”
The second half saw fewer chances as the Fire slowed the game and controlled the majority of possession, but they would double their lead in the 72nd minute as a cross from the right was flicked on by Medina, and Brindle was on hand to head home at the far post. FASA had a chance to pull a goal back with 10 minutes to go, Mulgrew’s header going over the crossbar, but the Fire put the game away in the 86th minute when Jabari Danzy won possession at the halfway line before making a strong run into space down the right side. His low cross was met by Gooden at the far post for the finish, giving the Fire a three-goal lead.
The victories set up a battle of Midwest Division rivals in Sunday’s final, and with the historic rivalry that is shared by the two MLS clubs that remains present in their battles in age-group competition, both teams are looking forward to the contest.
“It’s fantastic, because we get to play them with most of our teams throughout the year at every age group,” Gordana said, “and every year, every age-group is a challenge because they’re obviously very talented, and we think we do OK, so I think there’s the sense that anything can happen, it’s two MLS teams going at it, and now it’s MLS pride.”