Thursday, July 19, 2007
Dick's Sporting Goods Park
Score |
1 |
2 |
F |
|---|---|---|---|
D.C. United (4-0-1; 13 pts) |
2 |
1 |
3 |
KCW Juniors U-17s (3-1-1; 10 pts) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
After advancing to the championship game of the inaugural SUM U-17 Cup in Commerce City, Colorado with an undefeated 3-0-1 record, the KCW Juniors fell 3-0 to D.C. United. Kansas City finished its first-ever tournament with an impressive 3-1-1 record and a 9-8 goals scored/goals allowed margin.
"Right now we're obviously a little disappointed in the result," KCW Juniors Youth Director Chris Cissell said, "but if you would have told us a week ago we'd make the championship game of our first-ever tournament, we would have accepted that in a heartbeat."
The Championship game took place in the stadium at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on the same pitch the MLS All-Stars will take the field on Thursday night against Scottish Power Celtic FC. The U-17s used the MLS locker rooms and came out to the MLS Anthem and National Anthem the way MLS first teams do.
D.C. United took the initiative early, scoring two goals in the first 15 minutes. United took the lead in the 4th minute, as a forward collected a ball in midfield and beat two defenders before curling an outside-of-foot shot into the upper left corner from 20 yards out. In the 14th minute, D.C. knocked in a close-range shot from a crowded penalty area after serving in a cross that bounced around in the area momentarily.
The Wizards made tactical changes at halftime and controlled much of the possession early in the second half before D.C. scored the game's final goal. United scored in the 55th minute, sending a long ball up the pitch that a KCW Juniors player and United U-17 player battled for. The ball squirted toward the Kansas City goal into the path of an onrushing D.C. forward who collected the ball and beat the Kansas City 'keeper for the last goal of the match.
KCW Juniors players will not compete for the Juniors again until next November. Players will be released to play with their high school teams for the fall season before all three Juniors teams (U-15, U-16, U-17) begin their first season November 1.
KCW Juniors U-17 Line-Up: Christian Krueger, Austin Trees (Fernando Galvan 41), Danny Cunningham, Pete Nechvatal (Neil Tally 53), Laeth Hamil (Luke Snyder 61), Jeremy Wassmer (Patrick Foglio 41), Taylor Knoll, Alex Sweetin (Aaron Appel 56), Mohammad Ramahi (Zane Christenson 61), Christian Duke, Kevin Ellis
Results:
Group Play
Chivas USA (1-1 T)
Red Bull New York (2-0 W)
FC Dallas (3-2 W)
Semi-Finals
Columbus Crew (3-2 W)
Finals
D.C. United (3-0 L)
Goals:
Christian Duke (Shawnee Mission South)- 3 goals
Kevin Ellis (Oak Park)- 2 goals
Zane Christenson (Blue Springs South)- 1 goal
Alex Sweetin (Rockhurst)- 1 goal
Austin Trees (Rockhurst)- 1 goal
Neil Tally (St. Thomas Aquinas)- 1 goal
