Super-20 League Game Report
Friday, July 18, 2014
BRADENTON, Fla. – Two early goals propelled Tampa Bay United to its second victory in as many games as it moved into first position in the National Division at the Super-20 League North American Finals presented by Nike with a 6-1 win against the Toronto Lynx Jrs. on Friday at IMG Academy. Brett Durrance scored twice as United set up a showdown with Triangle FC for a place in Sunday’s final.
In a contrast to its slow start in Thursday’s opening contest, Tampa Bay jumped on Toronto early as Eric Mubang opened the scoring in just the fifth minute with a finish from just inside the top of the penalty area. Four minutes later Durrance added a second as Mubang led a counter-attack down the right, and found his teammate alone on the left side of the penalty area for a simple finish.
Durrance’s second arrived just before the half-hour mark when Toronto goalkeeper Dan Merkel was able to parry a good long-distance shot, but then decided to try and chase down the rebound. Durrance won the race to the ball on the left edge of the penalty area, and as Merkel retreated, he turned and curled a perfect chip into the riight corner of the net past the defenders who had retreated to defend the goal in Merkel’s absence.
Toronto pulled a goal back six minutes before the halftime as a good flicked header by Jordan Roberts found the right corner after Tampa Bay only half-cleared a corner kick. The Lynx came close to pulling the deficit to a goal in the second half as Anthony Novak had two chances, the second from a free header that went wide of the left post.
As Toronto pushed forward to try and get back into the game, however, Tampa Bay was able to find gaps in defense, and pulled away in the final 20 minutes. Michael Ciluffo had an immediate impact after coming on as a substitute as he scored off a breakdown from a corner in the 72nd minute, and Anthony Alvarez added a fifth with seven minutes to go as his late run into the penalty area was rewarded with a low cross, and he fired home into the top-left corner of the net. Jason Collister added his third goal in two games in stoppage time to wrap up another impressive victory for United.
TRIANGLE FC 2, JUNIOR LONESTAR FC 0: Triangle FC kept its hopes of a place in the final alive as goals by Yosef Teffera and Hunter Weiland earned victory against Junior Lonestar in the National Division.
Junior Lonestar had much the better of the game early on, and Trey Madon came close to giving his side the lead in the 11th minute when his near-post shot was well-saved. Vlande Siluany also went close in the 20th minute as he intercepted a bad defensive pass, only for his shot to hit the crossbar and rebound away to safety.
Triangle didn’t threaten very much in the first half, but they were able to take the lead 10 minutes before the halftime break. After a good move down the left, the ball came to an unmarked Craig Gage on the right of the penalty area. Gage’s shot was going wide of the target, but it deflected off Teffera and into the back of the net to give Triangle a halftime lead.
The second half played out in a similar fashion. Junior Lonestar went close to an equalizer nine minutes after the break, but Bliss Harris’ header went wide of the right post. Triangle gradually got into the game again, and hit the post before Weiland added their second with eight minutes to go as he finished off a counter-attack from close range to wrap up victory.
IRONBOUND SC 1, CHICAGO FIRE 0: Ironbound SC took and early lead and never looked back, defeating the Chicago Fire 1-0 in National Division play.
Michael Olla put Ironbound on the board after just eight minutes of play, receiving a long through ball played down the middle of the pitch from midfielder Michael Prieto. Ironbound made the best of its opportunity, as chances were slim for the remainder of the match with a Chicago attack looking hungry for an equalizer.
“We came out strong,” Ironbound Goalkeeper Ryan Baird said. “But after scoring the goal they really started get possession. We were able to stay very organized in the back and didn’t let them get the equalizer.”
Chicago’s best chance came only 10 minutes before the half with and Elliott Borge ball finding Ryan Sierakowski, whose soft knock from the penalty mark was not enough to worry Baird.
The Fire squandered several golden opportunities to equalize, but a solid back line and some outstanding saves by Baird were enough to preserve the victory for Ironbound.
“The boys came out real strong,” Ironbound SC Head Coach John Soares said. “We knew we had to play with a lot of high pressure to try and get an early goal. We were short a couple legs after some injuries, but the boys were able to hold their shape and that was most important.”
Ironbound now sits ahead of Chicago in group B after the Fire secured only a point from its draw against Triangle FC yesterday. Both teams will resume play tomorrow, looking for a win in their final group matches.
AMERICAN DIVISION
GRAND RAPIDS CREW 0, IMG ACADEMY 0: Both the Grand Rapids Crew and IMG Academy remained in contention for a berth in the final from the American Division as they finished scoreless.
The Crew had the better of the early going, but didn’t create a clear scoring opportunity until midway through the first half when Esteban Russell’s curling effort toward the right corner was well saved by IMG goalkeeper Jorge Navarette.
Grand Rapids’ Charlie Constantino had another good strike from distance that went over the crossbar just before the half-hour mark, but then IMG was able to create a pair of chances of its own as Raymundo Marquez had a shot saved, and Raul Gonzalez hit the left post.
Constantino threatened again in the 68th minute with a free kick from the left from 25 yards out that again forced a good save from Navarette, but it was IMG that had chances late to grab victory. Connor Sparrow went close with eight minutes to go, only for his finish to flash wide of the left post, and IMG threatened again just before the final whistle as the Crew scrambled to clear their lines. The draw would leave both sides needing victory on Saturday to have a chance at reaching the final, with IMG set to face division leader Parsippany SC and Grand Rapids facing the winless Deportivo Coras.
PARSIPPANY SC 4, BROWNSVILLE BRAVOS ACADEMY FC 1: Parsippany SC took down Brownsville Bravos Academy FC, 4-1, in a sweltering morning tie.
A sleepy start saw the teams go into halftime 0-0, but Brownsville leapt into action at the start of the second half. In the 50th minute the Bravos earned a free kick just outside the area. Brownsville’s Carlos Acevedo stepped up and drilled the ball under the wall; the shot skipped just before the goal and with just the slightest touch of the bar, it found the side of the net.
Brownsville’s lead did not last long. A minute later Parsippany midfielder Jordan Salig sped down the left wing, and with a great cross from the outside of his boot, picked out Enver Caymaz on the back post, who tapped the ball in to make it 1-1.
In the 55th minute Parsippany forward Santiago Mateus nonchalantly hit a back pass to defender Mark Stellwag, who promptly ripped a 30-yard blast that kissed the post and tucked inside the net for a 2-1 lead.
Parsippany continued its scoring ways when in the 65th minute Caymaz hit a clever backheel across the face of goal to Saling. He rounded the defender and calmly shot the ball low and hard to the near post. For one final hurrah, Parsippany forward Jamal Vinson dummied a pass through his defender and sent a slick cross across to Carmine Colasurdo to make it 4-1 for the New Jersey-based club.
“I think we played really well today. The team combined very well,” Parsippany Coach Anthony Tuesta said.
Parsippany will be in action again tomorrow against IMG Academy at 11 a.m. and Brownsville will play Beachside SC of CT in a 1 p.m. matchup.
BEACHSIDE SC OF CT 8, DEPORTIVO CORAS USA 1: Beachside SC of CT defeated Deportivo Coras USA, 8-1, earlier this afternoon.
Beachside started early with a flurry of shots. Deportivo’s goalkeeper Javier Lopez did well to stop the initial chances, but eventually Beachside’s Francisco Agrest pounced on a loose ball and fired it home for the opener.
In the 15th minute, after a long sequence of possession, Beachside defender Lucjian Kazmlerczak found forward Nicholas Pappacena to make it 2-1.
Just five minutes later Beachside added another to the lead. This time it was Pappacena who had the assist when he crossed to Tobias Gimand. Gimand used a couple pieces of skill to dance by his defenders and rolled it in at the far post.
Deportivo Coras was able to pull one back before halftime, when Jonathan Mendiola chipped a ball in for Geovanny Lopez, who poked it in to the back of the net.
Deportivo could not find another and Beachside continued to dominate from the wide midfield areas. With two second-half goals from Nicholas Zuniga and a goal each from Joey DeVivo, Gimand, and Patrick Figgie, Beachside closed out the game 8-1.
“I’m very proud of the way we played today. It’s a long tournament and the key is to find consistency. We will have to recover and rehydrate and do the same tomorrow,” Beachside Coach Pete Doneit said.