The Kansas City Wizards stormed back from a two-goal deficit over the last 25 minutes to down FC Dallas 3-2 and clinch the top spot in Group B and a berth in Tuesday night's SUM U-17 Cup semifinals.
The semifinal matches will take place simultaneously on the training fields at Dick's Sporting Goods Park at 7 p.m. MT. The winners will meet in the championship match on Thursday at 10 a.m. MT on the Dick's Sporting Goods Park stadium field, with the champion going onto the 2008 Torneo Quixote in Spain.
Kegan Terry had staked the Hoops to the lead with a 31st-minute penalty kick and another strike in the 54th, but the young Hoops' attempts to slow the game and hold on to their lead backfired, as Kevin Ellis scored in the 56th and 57th minutes and Christian Duke bagged the winner two minutes from full time.
The Wizards will play the Columbus Crew, the runners-up in Group A, in the Tuesday night semifinals. The Crew might not have done enough to overtake D.C. United at the top of the group Monday, but their 1-0 victory against the Colorado Rapids A team secured their passage as the top second-place team with seven points. Matt Bahner saved the Crew's tournament by scoring the winner just three minutes before the end.
United, however, routed Real Salt Lake 4-0 to lock up Group A's top spot. Four different players got on the board for United. Michael Funes opened the scoring in the 34th minute, and Chris Hegugi (56), Shane Cooke (64) and William Biort (78) also tallied.
In the semifinals, United will meet Group C winners Los Angeles Galaxy, who scored three goals in the final 10 minutes to beat the Chicago Fire on Monday in what was, effectively, a knockout match, as the teams were tied atop the group on four points at the start of the day. Kevin Mejia scored twice for the Galaxy, and Chris Smith also found the net.
Also in Group C, Houston Dynamo romped over the Colorado Rapids B team 5-1 in the final group match for both sides. Dynamo had an outside shot of winning the group, needing a win by three goals or more and a Galaxy-Fire draw. They held up their end of the bargain, getting two goals from Mario Perez and one each from Marcos Escobar, Samir Pena and Carlos Recinos.
In the other Group B match on Monday, Chivas USA picked up a 2-1 consolation victory against the New York Red Bulls. Both teams were eliminated from competition before the game began, but Chivas USA wound up with a respectable four points after getting goals from Diego Delgadillo and Mario Ledezma.
Jason Halpin is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
