Thankyou to Jessob Reisbeck and KMPH Channel 26 for their outstanding coverage at the US Soccer Development Academy Finals Week. For a link to their video reports please click here >
from: www.fresnobee.com
Penalty kicks doom Cal Odyssey in national final Posted at 11:57 PM on Friday, Jul. 16, 2010
The Fresno Bee
Clovis-based Cal Odyssey settled for second place at the USA Soccer Development Academy U-15/16 National Championships for the second straight year, falling 5-3 Friday night to the Chicago Fire in a penalty-kick shootout after a 1-1 tie through overtime at the Home Depot Center in Carson.
Chicago’s Robert Euler stopped the second shot he faced, off the foot of Jon-Paul Medina, and that proved to be the difference as the Fire made all five of its shootout attempts.
The Fire opened the scoring in the first half, getting a Victor Pineda-assisted goal from Luis Medina in the 20th minute.
The Odyssey tied the score at 1-1 in the 56th minute on a goal by Greg Antongnoli off an assist from Villyan Bijev.
Two scoreless overtime periods ensued before going to penalty kicks, when the Odyssey received goals from Antongnoli, Daniel Flores and Bijev.
Chicago’s goals were scored by Pineda, Henrik Egly, Medina, Eduardo Cuautle and Andrew Connor.
Chicago had an 8-5 edge in shots on goal, but goalkeeper Matt Dishno made seven saves to keep the Odyssey close.
The Odyssey went 2-1 in Group 2 to reach the finals of the eight-team tournament, defeating CASL Chelsea FC Academy 4-2 and Internationals 2-1. The Fire went 2-1 in Group 1.
Last year, the Odyssey -- which features many of the Valley’s top high school stars -- lost 1-0 in the finals to top-seeded Derby
Chicago Fire Defeat Cal Odyssey in Penalties for U15/16 National Championship
The Chicago Fire outlasted Cal Odyssey through two overtime periods and a penalty shootout, defeating last year’s runners up 1-1 (5-3) to win the 2009-2010 Development Academy U-15/16 National Championship.
CARSON, Calif. (July 16) — The Chicago Fire outlasted Cal Odyssey through two overtime periods before finally defeating last year’s runners up by a 5-3 margin in penalties. Luis Medina opened the scoring for the Fire in the 20th minute, but Gregory Antongnoli pulled it even in the 56th. In the shootout, all five Fire players made their shots while goalkeeper Sam Euler stopped the second shot he faced to put Chicago ahead.
“It feels great,” said Fire head coach Larry Sunderland. “It’s a great experience for the kids. I’m really happy for them and I’m happy for the Fire organization and the ownership, who have put so much time into this.”
Both teams had been waiting four days for this matchup, with each of them clinching first place in their group after only the second day of games. For Cal Odyssey, tonight’s matchup was a return to the final and they looked to avenge their loss to the Derby County Wolves a year ago. The Chicago Fire entered the title game for the first time after appearing in the inaugural Finals Week in 2008.
Odyssey returned five players from last year’s final, and their experience showed in the opening minutes as they wasted no time in getting on the attack. In just the third minute, midfielder Daniel Flores sent a ball into the right side of the box that Villyan Bijev ran onto, splitting between the left and center backs of Chicago. Turning left, Bijev fired hard and low but Euler laid out and blocked it with his legs.
Next to breach the Chicago defense was Jon-Paul Medina in the 10th minute, but the midfielder took a touch too many and his shot was blocked by a sliding defender along the right side of the box.
With the initial danger behind them, Chicago got into the game with quick passing in the middle between Victor Pineda and Luis Medina. In the 16th minute, a spell of possession in the attacking third resulted in a pass to Luis Barajas at the top right corner of the 18 yard box. Pausing to stop the ball, Barajas fired hard towards the upper right corner but struck the corner itself, the shot clanging off the iron juncture.
With the pressure on, the Fire continued to threaten, finally scoring on their second of two successive corner kicks in the 20th minute. While the first attempt was taken short and cleared out, the second was sent by Pineda from the right side all to the outside of the box. Running onto it from the left side, Luis Medina struck a solid volley into the top left corner. The top class strike was his second of Finals Week and gave his team a 1-0 lead.
The experience of Cal Odyssey began to show through again however, as last year’s title game veterans implored their team to stay positive despite the setback. Eleven minutes later, they almost had cause for celebration, but saw their own effort hit off the crossbar after Flores slipped in behind with a pass from Bijev and fired hard at goal. With a fantastic reaction save, Euler pushed the ball onto the crossbar and the rebound was cleared.
With the California sun setting and cooler air stealing in from the Pacific, halftime found both teams considering missed opportunities but well aware there was plenty left to play. Neither team made any substitutions at halftime, with both sides having great success moving the ball on the attack.
The second half began with few great chances despite promising buildups as through balls for Odyssey and attempts to dribble in by Chicago were all cleared with confident defense. But when the Fire midfield failed to pass on target, Cal seized the chance to get back in the game.
With an interception at midfield, Vicente Rodarte passed it just over the midfield line to Bijev. Seeing space down the middle, Bijev dribbled towards goal, eventually drawing more than one defender as he approached the box. Just before they closed, Bijev laid the ball off to the left, splitting the center backs to reach Antongnoli streaking in behind from the right side. With no one to beat but the goalkeeper, the striker slotted his shot into the left side of the goal from eight yards out to knot the score at 1-1.
The goal inspired Cal Odyssey, and in the next ten minutes they proceeded to earn two corners and a free kick, all ably cleared by the Chicago backline. In the 65th minute however, Flores almost provided the set up for a second goal, splitting the defense from midfield with a wonderfully weighted through ball that Bijev ran onto from the left sideline. Reaching it just inside the box and with a defender closing, the captain struck it first time but Euler got a hand down low to the left to stop the strong effort.
Eight minutes later, Chicago again hit the crossbar, this effort coming from Luis Medina again off a corner kick. But with tired legs beginning to intercede, neither team could finish and the final headed into overtime for the first time in Academy history.
Despite the extra time looming, neither coach chose to use their bench, with the Fire making only one sub before the second overtime period and Cal Odyssey making none. As the first 15-minute period entered the books however, neither team threatened to take the lead.
Upon switching sides and with the knowledge of penalties ahead, both teams tried to finish off the match. Chicago had the first good chance, with Medina getting free in the box on the right side after an errant pass was intercepted. Cutting towards goal, Medina fired but a sprawling Matt Dishno to block the shot and keep the match tied in the 96th minute.
In the 102nd, Cal Odyssey earned their one shot to take the win as Daniel Flores was given space outside the box along the left side and chose to fire—his dipping effort heading straight for under the crossbar but for the quick fingertips of Euler who tipped the shot over.
With little stoppage time, the match ended shortly after the 110th minute and the captains met with referee Ismail Elfath to decide shooting end and order.
The Fire shot first and sent Victor Pineda to the spot. Despite Dishno going to the correct side, Pineda’s sharp hit into the right side netting set the tone for the rest of his team. Goal scorer Antongnoli stepped up for the first Odyssey shot, and his effort to the right was initially blocked by Euler—but the forceful shot had just too much on it and the ball spun off the palms of the goalkeeper and across his body, eventually settling in the left hand side of the goal.
Substitute Henrik Egly, brought on in the 108th minute for this exact reason, displayed the skill that put him out there with an accurate shot into the right back post that Dishno would have had little chance on even if he had guessed right. Jon-Paul Medina then walked up for Odyssey, and it was here that Euler gave his team the advantage, diving to the left and palming away Medina’s shot.
After both Luis Medina and Eduardo Cuautle for the Fire and Flores and Bijev for Odyssey traded goals, midfielder Andrew Connor stepped up for Chicago’s fifth kick. With the pressure on, Connor expertly slotted home his shot into the bottom left hand corner, much too fast for Dishno to reach despite guessing correctly.
As his teammates raced up to celebrate, Connor sprinted up the sideline. At midfield, Cal Odyssey was left to revisit the taste of second place yet again in Finals Week.
“It was a very intense match when you get down to the finals like this. Cal Odyssey is a very dynamic team – more so than what I saw on video,” said Sunderland.
“They really get at you with a lot of pace up top. They’re hard and they battle. I thought our guys had a tough time dealing with it in segments of the game. When we found the ball and we’re good on it, our qualities came through, but Cal Odyssey are a very good side.”
The win is the first for an MLS academy in any age group in the three year history of the Development Academy. The match was also the first time a title game has come down to penalties. Earlier in the day, Baltimore Bays Chelsea took third place with a 3-1 victory against De Anza Force. Tomorrow, the U-17/18s conclude their season with four placement matches throughout the day, culminating with a 7 p.m. championship match between Vardar and Crossfire Premier.
Development Academy Finals Week Match Report
Match: Cal Odyssey U-15/16 vs. Chicago Fire U-15/16 Date: July 16, 2010 Competition: Development Academy Finals Week Venue: The Home Depot Center; Carson, Calif. Kickoff: 7 p.m. local time
Scoring Summary: 1 2 OT1 OT2 F PKs Cal Odyssey 0 1 0 0 1 3
Chicago Fire 1 0 0 0 1 5
FIRE – Luis Medina (Victor Pineda) 20th minute
CAL – Gregory Antongnoli II (Villyan Bijev) 56
Chicago Fire wins U15/16 Academy Championship Article Written By Amrit Naresh, ESNN
It CARSON, CALIFORNIA - all came down to this.
As the two best teams in the U15/16 USSF Development Academy met on the pristine fields of the Home Depot Center for the national championship match Friday night, you could feel the tension in the air.
But the players’ nerves were quickly expelled when, just before kickoff, two U.S. Army fighter jets ripped through the air immediately overhead, to announce what had by this point become quite obvious: this was a pretty big game.
And we were there to catch all the action. Here’s how the U15/16 championship was won.
Chicago Fire 1 - 1 Cal Odyssey (Fire wins 5-3 in PKs)
While the Fire won in the end, and probably earned a few more chances on goal, it was a game played in a series of 10-15 minute blocks, where each team had control for a stretch before giving way to the other side.
The game was also a contrast in playing styles. While the Fire played a more effective possession-based short passing game, the Odyssey were the more dynamic attacking team, and were dangerous stretching the field, going forward with pace.
The first 10 minutes of this back-and-forth affair went to Odyssey.
They came out and had a great early chance in the 2nd minute when Daniel Flores found Villyan Bijev making a diagonal run into the box; but goalkeeper Robert Euler was there to avert early disaster and make the save.
Euler came up big again after Gregory Antognoli and Jon-Paul Medina combined on a clever one-two, featuring Antognoli flicking it through the Fire back line to a streaking Medina, but Euler was again well-positioned to bail the Fire out.
Soon, though, the Fire settled into the game, swinging the ball through the midfield and forcing Odyssey to chase, and suddenly gained a 1-0 advantage when Luis Medina came off a curling run, received a corner kicked and blasted it off one bounce into the top left corner in the 21st minute.
By that point Odyssey’s home-field crowd had turned mostly silent, but they retaliated soon after with an excellent chance when Bijev found Flores for a blistering shot from 16 yards, which, after a Euler tip of the ball, glanced off the crossbar and out.
As the second half began, the Fire regained control of the game, starting with possession in the midfield. David Caban, Luis Barajas, Luis Medina and Victor Pineda kept ball on the ground, strung together simple passes with forwards Manuel Rios and Daniel Flores, and managed to keep Odyssey on their heels.
It was effective in the midfield, but Odyssey defenders Joshua Alvarez, Erik Posada and holding midfielder Vicente Rodarte were flexible and refused to budge. Alvarez, in particular, stood out with his physical play and his dogged pursuit of every loose ball.
Odyssey’s patience was rewarded in the 59th minute, when passes between Medina, Flores and dynamic left winger Tren Biswell found Antognoli at the top of the box, where he slotted home a low shot to tie the score at one.
As regulation neared its end, the Fire turned up the pressure, and some nice work in the midfield by Andrew Connor and Luis Barajas found Victor Pineda just inside the box, where his half-volley pinged off the crossbar.
Moments later, the whistle blew, and overtime was imminent.
In the extra period, back-and-forth play continued, and both teams had their share of dangerous chances.
The Fire’s Elliott Borge found Manuel Rios alone in the box with Odyssey goalie Matt Dishno, but Dishno made an outstanding save to prevent the back-breaking score.
Minutes later, Odyssey’s Daniel Flores took a wicked dipping shot from 20 yards, which really should have been the game-winner - but Euler made an amazing split-second move to tip the ball over the bar.
By this time, players on both sides were visibly exhausted, and several had already collapsed with leg-cramps. As if out of mercy, the referee blew the final whistle, and the penalty shootout loomed.
PKs are a cruel, unjust, but extremely exciting and dramatic way to end a game, and Friday night’s shootout was no different.
One miss was all it took to seal the championship, and unfortunately for Odyssey, that came from Jon-Paul Medina - who had otherwise looked fantastic at the Academy Finals - on Odyssey’s second shot.
The miss meant Andrew Connor, the Fire’s fifth and final shooter, had the opportunity to win his team a championship, and he seized it, coolly finishing in the bottom-right corner.
The Fire bench erupted, the Connor ran to the sideline, and on the chilly summer night, coach Larry Sunderland got his customary Gatorade dump.
As the cold, sticky liquid was still setting in his clothes, Sunderland didn’t mind one bit.
"We developed a desire over the course of the season, and it just kept growing and growing, along with our belief in one another," he said. "We’re a pretty young team. We pride ourselves on our character, integrity and desire - that’s what really separates us. The soccer skill was always there, but the battle and the fight got better and better as we went along this year.
"Today when we knocked the ball around, we were comfortable and confident, but when they pushed the ball forward and stretched us a little bit, they were dangerous, and they’re a heck of a good team. We had a strategy going into the game, if it went to PKs, to go right-footer, left-footer and so on. We made all our shots, so I guess it worked. But it just feels amazing right now, and we’re all just trying to soak it in."
Take your time, coach. As the best team out of a total of 77 in the U15/16 Academy league, a victory like this deserves more than one Gatorade bath of celebration.
In the other games of the day, 3rd place, 5th and 7th place at Finals week were also determined. Here are the results of those contests:
7th place: CASL Chelsea FC Academy 2 - 0 D.C. United
5th place: Internationals 1 - 0 Sockers FC
3rd place: Baltimore Bays Chelsea 3 - 1 De Anza Force
[DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY] The Chicago Fire became the first MLS team to win a Development Academy championship when it captured the U-15/16, defeating last year’s runners up, Cal Odyssey, 5-3, in a shootout after their game ended, 1-1.
Luis Medina opened the scoring for the Fire in the 20th minute, but Gregory Antongnoli pulled it even in the 56th. In the shootout, all five Fire players made their shots while goalkeeper Sam Euler stopped the second shot he faced to put Chicago ahead.
“It feels great,” said Fire head coach Larry Sunderland. “It’s a great experience for the kids. I’m really happy for them and I’m happy for the Fire organization and the ownership, who have put so much time into this.”
The Fire entered the title game for the first time after appearing in the inaugural Finals Week in 2008.
Odyssey returned five players from last year’s final.
THIRD-PLACE. Baltimore Bays Chelsea took third place with a 3-1 victory against De Anza Force. After conceding a goal in the 2nd minute from Brendan Ruiz, Baltimore bounced back to tie the match just before halftime when Matthew Shinsky converted a corner kick in the 40th minute. The Maryland club then scored two goals in quick succession in the second half to put the game out of reach, despite having gone down to 10 men in the 42nd minute.
FIFTH-PLACE. Cleveland club Internationals defeated Chicago Sockers FC with a goal by Yianni Sarris in the 49th minute. The win leaves the Internationals at 2-1-1 at Finals Week, while Sockers FC drops to 1-2-1.
SEVENTH-PLACE. CASL Chelsea FC Academy beat D.C. United, 2-1. CASL used a double from Fernando Castellanos with both goals set up by Cooper Vandermaas-Peeler to close out their Finals Week on a high note. D.C. equalized the match through Ahmed Ismail in the second half before Castellanos headed home the winner in the 71st minute.
Final July 16 in Carson, Calif. Chicago Fire 1 Cal Odyssey 1 (Chicago Fire wins 5-3 on penalties). CHI-L.Medina (Pineda) 20th minute CAL-Antongnoli II (Bijev) 56 Cal Odyssey -- Dishno, Gutierrez, Alvarez, Posada, Watson; Flores, Rodarte, Medina, Biswell (Rueda, 109); Bijev, Antongnoli II Chicago Fire -- Euler; Albert, Torres (Cuautle, 108), Beasley, Caban; Barajas, Pineda, L.Medina, Connor; J.Medina (Borge, 67, Egly, 108), Rios
