While the Chicago Fire First Team earned its first win of
the 2010 campaign Saturday night, their Academy brethren were back in
Bridgeview celebrating positive results and preparing for a match the next day.
Such is the case in the USSF Developmental Academy League,
where travel costs mixed with school commitments and other concerns force
important matches to be played in close proximity to each other. The Fire
Academy hosted a delegation from the Rocky Mountains this weekend: Real
Colorado on Saturday and Colorado Rush the following day, earning identical
records both teams went 1-0-1.
Saturday, April 17,
2010
Real Colorado U16 1-1 Chicago Fire U16
In the weekend’s curtain raiser the U16’s played to a 1-1 draw with Real Colorado at Argo High School. Midfielder Victor Pineda swerved a free kick from twenty yards into the top left of the Colorado goal for a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute.
Real equalized two minutes later with a some trickery.
Earning a free kick, Colorado set up a wall and then pulled a quick restart,
putting striker Amadou Dia in alone on goal where he rounded Fire keeper Robert
Euler to equalize.
Neither team could find the go-ahead goal, with both sides
having to settle for a share of the spoils in the 1-1 result.
Scoring Summary
CHI: Victor Pineda, 14th minute
RC: Amadou Dia 16th minute
Fire lineup: 1-Robert Euler,
60-Keaton Albert, 58-Peter Beasley, 56-Elliot Borge (54-Mitch Reavis
61), 53-David Caban (50-Jesus Medina 50), 52-Benjamin Conner, 51-David Cuautle,
44-Henrik Egly, 55-Victor Pineda, 43-Manuel Rios (49-Luis Medina 41), 46-Anthony Torres
Real Colorado U18 1-5
Chicago Fire U18
The older Fire Academy side followed the U16’s with an emphatic 5-1 win in Saturday’s second game. Dominating target forward Chris Prince netted the first of two goals inside the first minute minute and the 18’s didn’t look back as they took a 4-0 lead into the first half with goals from Woj Wojceik (20’), Prince (42’) and Harry Shipp (45’).
Colorado’s Robert Derschang ruined Fire keeper Charlie Lyon’s shutout when he struck in the 49th minute but the home team responded three minutes later through Tyler Engle. The strike restored the Fire’s four-goal lead and rounded out the scoring.
Scoring Summary
CHI: Chris Prince 1’
CHI: Woj Wojciech 20’
CHI: Chris Prince 42’
CHI: Harry Shipp 45’
COL: Robert Derschang 49’
CHI: Tyler Engle 52’
Fire Lineup: 25-Charlie Lyon, 49-Mitch Albrecht, 48-Bryan Ciesiulka (57-Oliver Mayer 7’), 47-Patrick Doody (46-Arturo Garza 46’), 64-Tyler Engle (44-Emanuel Guzman 67’), 62-Michael Enghoffer, 58-Scott Lakin, 56-Billy McGuiness, 54-Chris Prince (45-Marco Gutierrez 58’), 41-Harry Shipp, 61-Woj Wojciech (43-Bryan Lunar 61)
Sunday
Colorado Rush U16 1-2
Chicago Fire U16
Starting nine of the 11 players that began the previous
day’s match, the Fire and Colorado Rush left things very late in the Sunday
morning clash.
Following a scoreless first half, Fire goalkeeper Robert
Euler picked up a serious injury midway through the second frame. The injury
added a significant amount of stoppage time onto the second half where the
teams finally found goals in bunches.
At the beginning of stoppage time Fire midfielder Victor
Pineda earned a penalty kick after being chopped down in the Colorado box. The
speedy winger finished the opportunity, tallying his second goal in as many
games.
Nine minutes into second half stoppage time some sloppy Fire
defending led to the Rush’s Logan Bailey finishing past substitute keeper Zak
Allen.
The home team responded one minute later when Keaton Albert
connected with David Caban who’s glancing header beat the Colorado keeper and
was literally the last play of the match giving the Fire a 2-1 victory.
Scoring Summary
CHI: Victor Pineda (penalty kick) 80th minute
COL: Logan Bailey 89th minute
CHI: David Caban (Keaton Albert) 90th minute
Fire Lineup: 1-Robert Euler (00-Zak Allen 66), 58-Peter
Beasley, 56-Elliot Borge (53-David Caban 48), 52-Benjamin Conner, 51-David
Cuautle, 44-Henrik Egly (54-Mitch Reavis 73), 49-Luis Medina, 55-Victor Pineda,
48-Giovanni Sanchez (50-Jesus Medina 48), 46-Anthony Torres, 60-Keaton Albert
Colorado Rush U18 1-1
Chicago Fire U18
The two teams traded blows with neither side able to find the back of the net until the 70th minute when Chris Prince took down a Mitch Albrecht cross and rolled it past Colorado keeper Alex Merrill. The goal was Prince’s third of the weekend and the Academy season.
The U18’s looked like they would take six points from the Colorado delegation but surrendered a goal in the 91st minute when Seedy Bah beat Charlie Lyon.
Scoring Summary
CHI: Chris Prince (Mitch Albrecht) 70’
COL: Seedy Bah 90+’
Fire Lineup: 25-Charlie Lyon, 53-Patrick Doody, 60-Tyler Engle, 62-Michael Enghoffer (43-Brian Lunar 81), 46-Arturo Garza (44-Emanuel Guzman 69’), 45-Marco Gutierrez, 58-Scott Lakin, 57-Oliver Mayer, 56-Billy McGuiness, 54-Chris Prince (61-Woj Wojciech 88’), 41-Harry Shipp (52-Trevor Wheeler 69’)
Quotes:
Academy Assistant Coach Tony Kees
On the U16’s weekend
performance
“The guys played well in spurts and moments throughout the weekend, but I
wouldn’t say they put together two solid 80-minute matches. The guys are
lacking a little savvy and having issues with the speed of play. Having said
that, we did enough to get four points and considering the opponents were two
strong teams from Colorado we’re happy with the weekend overall.”
On the U18’s weekend
performance
“The 18’s had two
fantastic games. They hit on all cylinders on Saturday and I would judge that
the first half was some of the best soccer I’ve seen any Chicago Fire team
play. They were fun to watch again on Sunday, playing a Colorado Rush side that
was very dangerous on the counter. The 18’s put in great back-to-back performances
against two very competitive teams this weekend.”
The Chicago Fire Academy teams are back in action this
Saturday, April 24 at the Toyota Park Practice Field when they take on the
Colorado Rapids Academy at 11am and 1pm.
