Monday, December 9, 2013
BRADENTON, Fla. – A lone goal by Juwan Kearson lifted Real Maryland Futures to a 1-0 victory against the Ottawa Fury to claim the Boys U16 Championship at the 2013 Super Y-League North American Finals, presented by Nike, at IMG Academy. The victory capped the path for a Real side looking for redemption after falling in extra time in last season’s U15 final.
“It feels really good to be one team, together, that wanted to come back and win this,” Kearson said. “It means the world to us.”
Kearson set up Real’s first big chance in the fifth minute as he made a good run down the right and sent in a low cross, only for Kelly Marah to send his close-range effort wide of the right post. Real continued to have the better of the first half, and in the 17th minute their pressure paid off as Marah was able to steal possession in the attacking third before he found Kearson in the right side of the penalty area. Kearson fired a low shot in at the near post for a 1-0 lead.
“We all just press, and I get a man and we all work together as a team,” Kearson said. “I was just pressing with our other forward, Kelly, and he got the steal and I went in for the goal.”
The goal appeared to spur Real on to find another, and Donald Benanma went close five minutes later as he cut into the left side of the penalty area, only for his shot to be saved at the near post. Benanma went close again a minute before the halftime break, but his shot went wide after he had taken on three defenders and created a space to shoot.
Ottawa wasn’t able to find much success in the final third in the opening half, but came out with a renewed vigor to start the second half. They were able to challenge Real defensively, and after a pair of corners came to naught, the Fury believed they had tied the game, only for the assistant referee’s flag to be raised for offside.
The pace of the game continued to rise as both teams pushed forward quickly when gaining possession. Real took a hit just over 10 minutes into the half as Benanma was substituted after sustaining what appeared to be a hamstring injury, but his teammates came to the fore as they tried to find an insurance goal.
The Fury came close to an equalizer with nine minutes to go as a corner from the left was flicked on by Adam Cook at the near post, but no-one was able to get a touch to turn the ball on frame as it went through the six-yard area and out for a goal kick. Jacob Powell then had an effort from 25 yards in the 74th minute, but it bent away from the left post and behind. That would prove to be the last chance for the Fury as Real was able to see out the remaining time, and claim the championship.
“Everyone on this team is great,” Kearson said. “We’re all a big family, and everybody did their part in this win today, even coming from the bench to our starters to our hurt players, they all did a good job, and the result tells it all.”
Seacoast Turns Tables on Florida Fire
BRADENTON, Fla. - The Seacoast United Mariners got revenge and earned a championship at the 2013 Super Y-League North American Finals, presented by Nike, defeating the Florida Fire 2-0 to capture the title. The Fire had defeated the Mariners by the same score two days earlier.
"We won the Northeast Division last year and got all the way to the final and lost in the final, and the girls were devastated," Seacoast Head Coach James Blackwell said. "Seacoast has had a lot of success in Super Y, but we've never had a Maine team win it. We're the first team from Maine to ever win a national championship, so I couldn't be prouder of the girls.
"I said to them before the game, 'every practice, every win, every loss, everything we've done, while the other girls are taking the summer off and we're still out in the heat, it's all led to today.' "
You look at the clubs out here and you've got Atlanta, New Jersey, Florida, with a rich club soccer tradition. Maine is growing, and Seacoast came into the state a couple of years ago and merged a few smaller clubs to bring the best girls from the smaller clubs together. I said to them from Day 1 that my goal was to win a national championship, so to win it, it means the world."
Elizabeth Lane, who was returning from an injury and had been held off the scoreboard in the tournament, started the scoring for Seacoast in the 22nd minute off an assist from Tori Daigle. Six minutes later Mikayla Marin doubled the lead, with Shannon Valente serving as provider.
"We played Florida in the group stages and they're a tough team - all the credit to them - and we knew it was going to be tight, so we said 'we're not going to lose this game by not scoring,' " Blackwell said.