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March 23, 2008
SOCKERS TAKE TITLE IN SHOOTOUT
Barcelona loses at the brink of success
By Phil Stephens
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The Chicago Sockers never let their heads hang, boosted by this enthusiastic group of fans.
Photo by Meg Stephens |
Chicago showed its hand early, taking a quick goal in the fifth minute, but the Sockers were stretched to the limit in this U-15 Dallas Cup championship game. FC Barcelona USA tied the game and kept the Sockers out of the goal through two overtime periods before giving away the win in a shootout from the 12-yard spot, even though the California team took a 3-0 lead in the shootout.
The Sockers favored the long-ball attack and worked it to perfection at the beginning of the game. A long pass down the left wing sent flanker Khaliq McKenzie to the endline, where he turned back up field to his right and sent a short pass to David Selvaggi, just eight yards out in front of the goal. Selvaggi cranked an easy score to the right corner of the net.
The Sockers pushed up in a frenzy, looking for more, frustrated by the Barcelona defense and the referee, which disallowed another goal in the 27th minute.
Barcelona took the aggressor role to begin the second period, and it paid off five minutes into the half. Joseph Kearny was pressing the attack for Barcelona and the ball rebounded to the front of the net, where a scramble sent the ball out, giving the Californians a corner kick. The short kick came from the left side, where Andrew Trejo Flores headed the ball brilliantly, just inside the near post.
Barcelona applied the pressure, missing another close chance on a header in the 48th minute. The Sockers seemed to lose concentration just a few moments of the second frame and it cost them.
Slowly, the Sockers regained possession control in the second half, but neither team could score again, even through two overtimes. It finally boiled down to a penalty kick shootout.
All the momentum Chicago had worked so hard for, went down the tube as Barcelona nailed its first two PKs and the Sockers missed its first three attempts. The Barcelona goalie only had to save one of the first three Sockers’ shots.
The luck left the Californians as suddenly as came. Barcelona shooters were stopped by the goalie twice and skied another shot over the goal. It was tied 2-2 after the first five shooters and went to sudden death.
Jonni Contreras was first, for Chicago. He stuttered stepped, then fired a goal into the right corner. Eric Verso stepped to the spot for Barcelona, and then bounced his shot off the left post.
The Sockers won the U-15 Dallas Cup title the long, hard way.
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