Player Development Update
The Chicago
Fire U16 and U18 Academy had another successful two days this past weekend,
taking 10 of a possible 12 points combined from their four games against
Chicago Sockers (Saturday) and FC Milwaukee (Sunday).
Chicago Fire U18s 0-0 Chicago Sockers
U18s – Saturday, May 21 - Toyota Park Turf Field
In the first
of the weekend affairs, the Fire U18 Academy played to a scoreless 0-0 draw
with the Sockers U18s Saturday afternoon at the Toyota Park Turf Field.
Fire goalkeeper
Zak Allen recorded four saves, including an 89th minute effort to
preserve the clean sheet and the valuable point in the local derby.
Chicago Fire U16s 2-0 Chicago Sockers
U16s – Saturday, May 21 - Toyota Park Turf Field
After playing
to a scoreless first half, second half goals from Joel Salmeron and Francisco
Sajuan were the difference as the Fire U16s downed the Sockers 2-0 in
Saturday’s nightcap.
Salmeron
broke through first when Ruben Chavez sent a whipping cross through traffic
from the right, where the Cicero product one-timed his effort past Sockers
keeper in the 62nd minute.
Looking like
the match would end with a single goal, Chavez again started the play to score
the second, turning in the box to find Eliot Borge who took the ball to the endline
before centering for Sajuan who buried a low effort in the 79th
minute of play.
Goalkeeper
Christian Lomelli earned the clean sheet for the Fire.
Chicago Fire U18s 3-1 FC Milwaukee –
Sunday, May 22 - Toyota Park Turf Field
Joey Calistri
put the Fire U18s ahead midway through the first half before the Sockers
equalized but second half goals from Luis Medina and Eduardo Cuautle ensured
the U18s would earn four points as they continue their quest towards
qualification for the USSF Developmental Academy playoffs.
Where they stand: The U18s move to 9-4-6 overall (33 pts; 1.74 PPG) and are 5-3-4
(19pts.), sitting in fourth place in the Great Lakes Division and firmly in
place for one of 12 Wild Card spots for the Development Academy’s National
Playoffs. The U18s host Indiana United on Sunday, May 29 at 11am in their final
home match of the season at Toyota Park
Chicago Fire U16s 3-0 FC Milwaukee –
Sunday, May 22 – Toyota Park Turf Field
The U16s
built off Saturday’s result getting two first half goals before adding a third
to start the second frame as they downed FC Milwaukee 3-0, Sunday afternoon.
Joel Salmeron
hit his second of the weekend off a simple feed from Drew Conner that put him
in alone on the FC Milwaukee keeper. Salmeron easily finished to put the score
at 1-0 in the 21st minute.
Francisco
Sajuan added an assist to his Saturday goal with great individual effort,
turning the ball on the endline before finding a streaking Jesus Medina into
the box who finished coolly, taking the Fire into the break up 2-0.
Larry
Sunderland’s team wasted no time in burying the visitors in the second frame as
combination play between Sajuan and Manny Chavez resulted in a laid off ball
for Sajuan who hit a low drive just outside the 18 to make it 3-0 in the 41st
minute.
Where they stand: The U16s move to 10-4-5 overall (35 pts; 1.84 PPG) and are 6-3-3
(21pts.). In third place, the U16s currently stand to qualify automatically to
the National Playoffs as a top finisher in the Great Lakes Division. The U16s
host Indiana United on Sunday, May 29 at 1:30pm in their final home match of
the season at Toyota Park.
Fire Premier open up home schedule
with 2-0 win over Cincinnati
From Dan Shalin // chicagofirepremier.com
Chicago Fire Premier’s
Chris Estridge is a left back at Indiana University, but one wouldn’t know it
by watching his performances on the wing and up top during the first-two weeks
of the Premier Development League (PDL) season.
For the second straight game,
Estridge scored an early goal that proved to be the
game-winner. Saturday’s effort came in the second minute of the team’s
home-opener against the Cincinnati Kings. Debutant Harrison Shipp (Notre Dame)
added a great solo strike just before halftime in Fire Premier’s 2-0
victory at Evanston’s Lazier Field.
Fire Premier (2-0) recorded its second straight shutout after opening
the season with an identical 2-0 win over Akron Summit Assault in Ohio last
weekend.
It took Estridge 10 minutes
to find the back of the net in that contest. But there was no such wait on
Saturday.
On one of Chicago’s
first attacks, right back Harrison Petts, who is Estridge’s college teammate in
Bloomington, slid a cross between the Kings’ central defenders. Estridge,
cutting in from the left flank, tapped the ball into the net for a goal
reminiscent of his strike the previous week.
“Maybe (Indiana head coach)
Todd Yeagley will be thinking twice (about playing him on defense),” Fire head
coach Mark Spooner joked. “Estridge is so athletic and can get himself into
(scoring) positions. That’s what he can do. He’s a great kid to have and such a
hard worker.”
Stung by the early goal,
the Kings (0-1-1) went on the offensive, and Fire Premier were forced to
weather the storm. Cincinnati midfielder Andre Sharpe quickly established
himself as his team’s most dangerous attacking threat.
The home team eventually
regained control of the contest and Shipp and Thierry Zahui (Ivory Coast) began
to shine in the midfield. At times, the diminutive duo looked like they had
been playing together for years, when in fact they had met just last week.
“I feel like (Zahui) knows
where I’m going to be, and I know where he’s going to be, even though it’s our
first time really playing together. It was a nice connection,” said Shipp the
former all-stater from Lake Forest High School.
Later in the first half,
Estridge had a shot kicked-saved by Kings’ goaltender Kaido Koppel.
Cincinnati’s AJ Konchar then squandered a fine opportunity when he ballooned the
ball over PD Update the goal from close range.
Just when it appeared the game would be 1-0 at the break, Shipp popped up with
a moment of magic. Forward Nik Robson (Central Florida/New Zealand) crossed the
ball to the Golden Domer at the top of the box. Shipp faked a shot, cut left
past two defenders and hit a left-footed shot into the right corner of Koppel’s
net.
Fire Premier created fewer
chances in the second half. Estridge, who moved to the lone striker position,
did have a spin and shot on goal in the 68th minute. A minute
later, Shipp, Zahui and substitute Joseph Radice (Illinois-Chicago) had a fine
combination play before Radice, lively down the right flank, slid the ball
wide.
Fire Premier’s David Meves,
goalkeeper for 2010 NCAA National Champs Akron, later had two game-saving
stops. Though the first was to cover for his own mistake.
In the 73rd minute,
Meves hit a poor goal kick right to Cincinnati defender Kyle Culbertson. But
the keeper, an Arlington Heights-native, went to ground to stop the ensuing
breakaway. Two minutes later, Meves dove to his right to parry a 20-yard free
kick by Sharpe.
“He’s the kind of goalie who can pull off saves like those,” Spooner said. “I
don’t know if he would have given himself an assist if they scored (after the poor
goal kick). He pulled off another great save on the free kick. Those are the
kinds of things that keep you in games.”
Fire Premier substitute
Andy Craven (College of Charleston) had two decent scoring chances late in the
contest, one hit the bar and the other was saved.
Meves preserved his second
clean sheet of the season by gloving a Cincinnati header in stoppage time.
In addition to remaining
undefeated, Fire Premier also got a step closer to qualifying for the
prestigious Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Nine PDL teams will reach the
competition, which welcomes teams from Major League Soccer at its latter
stages. The first four games of the PDL season are doubling as U.S. Open Cup
qualifiers. Sitting at 2-0-0, the Fire Premier sit in poll position to take the
Great Lakes Division berth with two matches remaining.
“The U.S. Open Cup is a
bonus. My major concern is the league,” Spooner said. “But if you’re taking
care of the league, you’re in the Open Cup too. We want to make the playoffs,
and that means winnings games all season. The Open Cup definitely would be a
welcome distraction. But it’s at the back of our minds.”
The Fire are back at Evanston High School on
May 28th against the River City Rovers. Kickoff is set for 6:30pm CST
Four Fire squads win IYSA State Cup
Congrats are
in order for four Chicago Fire squads that took IYSA State Cup honors in
Sunday’s finals at SportScore II in Rockford, IL.
At the U15
level, the Chicago Fire Developmental Academy downed the Cicero Mayas 4-0, with
midfielder Michael Catalano scoring a hat trick in the championship match.
The U16
Chicago Fire Juniors North downed Lemont Raiders in penalties after playing 120
minutes of scoreless soccer.
In an
all-Chicago Fire final, the U17 Chicago Fire Juniors North defeated the Chicago
Fire Developmental Academy 1-0.
The U18
Chicago Fire Developmental Academy downed Inter FC 3-1 in extra time. Noah
Anthony’s goal during regulation was enough to send the match into the extra
frame where Horatio Sanchez and Will Butler tallied to give the Fire its fourth
State Cup championship of 2011.
