Super-20 Finals Game Report
Thursday, July 17, 2014
BRADENTON, Fla. – The Grand Rapids Crew Juniors took a 2-1 victory against the Brownsville Bravos Academy FC on the opening day of the Super-20 League North American Finals presented by Nike at IMG Academy. Esteban Russell and Andrew Lewis found the back of the net to lead the Crew to victory after a strong second half in windy conditions.
The Bravos opened the game well, and forced Grand Rapids goalkeeper Wes Mink into a pair of early saves. Alexis Herrera had the first in the fourth minute, as his low shot was turned away, and six minutes later Reyes Saldivar forced Mink to fully extend to tip a long-range effort onto the crossbar and behind for a corner.
The Crew gradually settled and had their first opportunity in the 15th minute when Adam Clauss’ shot from the top of the penalty area went high of the net. Clauss then sent a low cross through the penalty area that none of his teammates were able to get on the end of, but in the 20th minute Russell fired home into the right corner after Lewis made space for himself on the left side and sent in a good low cross to the strong forward.
Brownsville hit back seven minutes later as Saldivar again took a chance to shoot from distance. His lofted effort from the right held up in the wind, and while Mink was able to get a hand to the shot, he wasn’t able to replicate his earlier save as the Bravos pulled level.
Russell went close to putting the Crew up again at the half-hour mark, but the pace slowed as the wind was joined by a heavy burst of rain that caused problems for both sides until the halftime break. As the second half progressed, however, Grand Rapids began to take control and began to press the Bravos back.
The Crew’s Ryan Scott had a pair of good efforts from distance. The first came with 20 minutes to go as his shot deflected wide for a corner, the second saw a free kick clip the defensive wall before a low cross drifted wide. The pressure paid off with 13 minutes to go as Lewis finished off a chance created by Matt Wilson.
Grand Rapids continued to control much of the final 10 minutes as Brownsville struggled to find a way through the Crew’s defense. A late handball would offer a chance from a free kick for the Bravos, however, but a curling shot went wide of the post, and the Crew held on to take all three points.
IMG ACADEMY 2, BEACHSIDE SC OF CT 1: IMG Academy defeated Beachside of Connecticut 2-1 on Day 1 thanks to a late winner from Ramundo Marquez.
A hot and humid Florida day took its toll on the players, but the action went back and forth. It took 45 minutes for the breakthrough goal. After some slick passing from the wing, IMG Academy forward Alex Zidani pounced on a loose ball and tucked it home.
Beachside managed to get on the scoreboard in the 65th minute after Joey DeVivo was brought down inside the box to earn a penalty kick. Nick Zuniga stepped up and buried the spot kick.
IMG and Beachside both managed to carve out a few chances, but the score line did not change until the 85th minute.
As both sides sent numbers forward to find the game-winner, IMG Academy midfielder Jarett Busacca found a bit of open space on the right wing and whipped in a cross. The ball sped past the front post and found forward Raymundo Marquez, who fired it past the keeper just under the crossbar.
IMG Academy plays again Friday at 1 p.m. against the Grand Rapids Crew, hoping to remain perfect. Beachside’s next action will be Friday at 11 a.m. versus Deportivo Coras.
PARSIPPANY SC 2, DEPORTIVO CORAS USA 0: Parsippany SC kept its composure through unfavorable conditions, defeating Deportivo Coras USA 2-0 in Group A play.
Matthew Villano put Parsippany ahead after only six minutes of play, heading in a long throw from Andrew Ruane just past Deportivo goalkeeper Javier Lopez.
Chances were at a minimum, with the two teams trading possession for the majority of the first half.
Coras USA had probably its best chance to equalize shortly before half time, as Edgar Cervantes placed a shot in the lower left corner only to see it cleared off the line by Andrew Ruane.
Parsippany doubled its lead in the 53rd minute as a quick counter-attack resulted in a one-on-one opportunity for Joseph Armaswalker, who placed that ball in the lower left corner.
Weather conditions quickly worsened after the second goal, with strong winds and heavy rain making it harder for Coras USA to stage a comeback.
“I was kind of glad it rained,” Parsippany Head Coach Anthony Tuesta said. “The guys seemed to be getting tired and I think the conditions cooled them down and made them a little more focused.”
Coras was left with 10 men after having used all of their substitutions when Jose Perez left the game with an injury.
GROUP B
CHICAGO FIRE 2, TRIANGLE FC 2: The Chicago Fire twice took the lead, but Triangle FC hit back each time as the two teams finished level in a Group B contest.
Chicago controlled much of the early going and took the lead in the 14th minute when an excellent through ball played Jeff Farina into the left channel, and he rounded the goalkeeper and put his finish into the open net. The Fire had chances to add to their lead throughout the first half, but Farina twice missed the target on good opportunities to leave Chicago 1-0 up at the break.
Triangle went close to an equalizer through Craig Gage late in the first half, but Gage played a role in his side’s opening goal as he found Yosef Teffera for a low shot into the left corner. Farina again went close for the Fire as he hit the crossbar after a pass from Anthony Smith with 25 minutes to go, but Chicago regained the lead in the 71st minute when Farina’s shot was partially blocked, and Michael Frasca was on hand to tap in the loose ball within the six-yard area.
Triangle hit back two minutes later, however, as James Compton drove home a low finish to make it 2-2. Compton continued to threaten in the final 15 minutes, the closest coming in stoppage-time when a free kick just missed the top-right corner of the net.
TORONTO LYYNX JRS. 0, JUNIOR LONE STAR FC 0: A 10-man Toronto Lynx Jrs. held off an attacking Junior Lone Star FC side to earn a 0-0 draw in its opening match in Group B.
Toronto went down a man in the 44th minute when Matthew Mashkoor denied a potential scoring opportunity with his hand on a Tben Donnie ball through the middle.
With 45 minutes remaining to play, Toronto was forced to change its style of play and spent most of the game defending, with opportunities to go forward at a minimum.
“It definitely went different than we planned due to the early ejection,” Toronto Head Coach Duncan Wilde said. “We completely changed our game strategy. They’re very quick with a great counter-attack and that kept us back, when usually we like to press high.”
Junior Lone Star was thwarted on several opportunities in the second half, as Lynx goalkeeper Daniel Merkel was forced to make several saves.
The best opportunities for both sides came on set pieces in the final 20 minutes of the game, when a 70th-minute Vlandy Slueue strike hit the post for Junior Lone Star. Minutes later a Gary Griffin free kick for the Lynx was denied by appeared to be a possible handball.
TAMPA BAY UNITED 5, IRONBOUND SC 0: Jason Collister had a pair of goals as Tampa Bay United pulled away for victory in Group B against Ironbound SC.
The game opened quietly and neither side seriously threatened until four minutes before the halftime break when a low cross found Brett Durrance, who finished clinically into the bottom-right corner of the net.
Durrance continued to feature for Tampa Bay early in the second half. First a well-struck shot from 25 yards out went just wide of the left post, but his good through-ball in the 57th minute set up a fine finish by Michael Spezza as his left-footed shot caromed in off the right post and in.
Ironbound had a chance to get back into the game seven minutes later when it was awarded a free kick 25 yards from goal. Lucas Terci hit his shot well, but it came off the left post and was cleared to safety. Collister then bagged his first in the 71st minute, which took the wind out of the New Jersey side’s sails, and Dimitri Zerbos and Collister added a pair of late breakaway goals to round out the victory.