Solar fights back to take U14 win at Dallas Cup

by Robert Ziegler 3/16/2008

 


The U14 Monday evening matchup at the Dallas Cup was one that makes you think the two sides will be playing one another in the future with much at stake.

Solar SC fought back from a 2-0 deficit to win a 3-2 decision over Maryland side Olney Rangers and put itself in strong position to advance to the tournament quarterfinals.

Kevin Smith’s side found itself under the gun quickly against an Olney side that boasted a number of technically-gifted players. Playing the ball on the ground and moving it around beautifully, the Washington DC-area team was attacking early and often.

Olney nearly scored early on a 25-yard free kick from Bradley Vorv that went just over the bar. Tyler Rudy then played in Jake Nelson with a good pass and Nelson provided a good turn and shot to put the Marylanders up 1-0.

Solar’s Hansell Reyes nearly answered immediately with a good run down the right wing, but his cross was headed over the bar. Olney resumed the attack with Charles Chapin and Domi Adetola showing a lot of skill on the ball and an appetite for running at goal. Rangers went up 2-0 when Sergio Arzubago played a clever pass for Vorv, who curled a left-footed shot inside the far post for a well-taken goal. Gonzalo Adbanco then went close for Rangers but Solar goalkeeper Zach Bennett made the save, preserving a 2-0 scoreline at halftime.

Solar looked rejuvenated after Smith’s halftime lecture, and Brody Hickey nearly created a goal when his free kick was headed wide. Drew Carneal was putting in a good shift on defense for Rangers, but Hickey had a header cleared off the line as the Texas side continued to press forward.

Hansell Reyes drilled in a free kick that could only be parried away, and Alex Frankenfeld pounced on the rebound to put Solar on the board and cut the Olney lead to 2-1. Reyes then showed tremendous skill to chest down a long serve before beating a defender and firing home a drive to level the score at 2-2.

The winning goal came courtesy of diminutive winger Zach Mathers who beat a defender down the right and drew a penalty call from the assistant referee. Mathers then took the spot kick and dispatched it calmly for a 3-2 Solar lead. Devin Bull led a stellar backline effort to preserve the lead for Smith’s side.

Smith said his team’s mentality changed in the 2nd half.

“We just changed the whole attitude and got some fire in their belly. Obviously a goal changes everything, you know how kids are. We got some momentum. They are a good team and we just let them do too much in the first half,” he said. “The 2nd half was different thankfully. We started working off the ball when we had it and putting them under pressure when they had it”

Reyes made similar comments.

“They were working hard in the 1st half and we were kind of watching them. We knew we had to do better in the 2nd half and we did,” he said. “We work a lot on corner kicks and free kicks and just anything that helps us score goals.”


Sunday Report: Andromeda, Dallas Texans take wins

Maybe now they’ll believe in the Andromeda team.

After winning the regionals last year there were a lot of under-the-breath comments about the weather. After the nationals, home field advantage was pointed to.

Doubters of Oscar Borgarello’s team are going to have get more creative to explain it away now.

That was Sao Paulo SC on the field at Pizza Hut Park Sunday. That was the Brazilian player and win factory who were getting thrashed, and I do mean thrashed, by the Dallas-area team Sunday in the opening match of the 29th Dallas Cup SuperGroup.

When the Brazilians scored just before halftime to take a 1-0 lead over the defending national champions, it was easy to see how it could discourage the Texas team. They had battled on fairly even terms for 45 minutes, had a couple of near misses and benefited from a fantastic penalty save by their goalkeeper, Erik Garciamendez.

But Sao Paulo’s Renato Albas played a ball to Wellington, who dribbled across the top of the area, drawing the swarming defense to him before rolling the ball to Marcellino who finished well to make it 1-0 at the break.

The match seemed to slow down a bit just after the break, but slowly Andromeda began to come alive. Taylor Cluff played a good ball down the right for Jochen Graf, who hit a grounded cross with 2 players running into the 6-yard box, but the effort was cleared. An overhead kick from Jason Guehler went wide of the mark, and Guehler followed with some good work on the left but his cross was cleared. Ben Grafentin then played Lucas Joyner in on goal, and his shot was saved. A corner cleared by Juan Bonigno was also dealt with by the Brazilians.

Just when it seemed Sao Paulo might withstand the Andromeda pressure, the Dallas side made a vital breakthrough. Nima Naderi sent in a long-range free kick to find Joyner, who skillfully connected with a header to beat the keeper and make it 1-1.

Far from content with a draw, Joyner sent a ball in that Guehler flicked into the air from where newly-introduced Colin O’Donnell struck it with his head for a go-ahead goal.

This seemed to shock the Brazilians and they responded almost immediately, scoring a 74th-minute equalizer, a rebound effort from Julio after Garciamendez had made another fantastic reflex save.

Far from wilting under the renewed pressure, Andromeda bounced back just 2 minutes later to go back on top. Naderi whipped in a free kick from deep on the left and Mark Essary met it with a well-placed header to make it 3-2. When O’Donnell chipped a pass over the back line for Guehler to run onto, the Sao Paulo keeper rushed out and Guehler punished him with a gorgeous chip to make it 4-2.

Zachary Funk nearly made it 5 after taking a great pass from Joyner, but a Sao Paulo defender cleared off the line. The Brazilian keeper, to be fair, was having a bit of a nightmare, and this was punctuated on the 5th and final Andromeda goal, as Anthony Gerhart’s 50-yard free kick appeared to cross the line. While the officials credited the goalkeeper with desperately clawing the effort back into play, O’Donnell made it elementary when he hustled in and bundled the rebound over the line for a final 5-2 scoreline.

As good as that was, Gerhart’s biggest contribution was in the backline, providing, along with Michael Roberts and David Alexander, all the cover Garciamendez would need.


U16 Texans start well
The South African opposition proved unimpressive, but Hassan Nazari’s U16 Dallas Texans side still made a strong statement with a 5-0 victory in Dallas Cup group play Sunday afternoon.

Texans hit the post 3 times and were thwarted by a hot goalkeeper in the 1st half, before Blake Wise chested down a Connor Doyle’s flick from Mark Daus’ free kick, with Wise firing home across his body to make it 1-0 late in the half. Wise and Doyle were involved in the 2nd goal as well, with a long throw from the left by Wise flicked on by Doyle, followed by a scoring strike from Chris Sendejas to make it 2-0 at halftime.

In the 2nd half, Wise met William Diebold’s cross with a diving header for a 3-0 margin. Diebold went from provider to scorer when he headed home a good serve by Christian Valdez. Kingsley Bryce scored the final goal on a setup from Conor Doyle, who had been excellent all day along with Ray De Leon.

Nazari said the match performance pleased him considering the team hasn’t had much chance to train together of late.

“The teams are doing well. Obviously we are in the middle of the high school season and U16 and up we have only seen a couple of times. For that we have done unbelievably well today,” Nazari said.

The Texans' Director of Coaching added that it appears some Texas clubs will be in the USSF Development Academy League beginning this fall.

“There are a few other details we have to work on, but I am impressed with what the Federation has done and when we came and watched here in Dallas a few weeks ago, it was first class,” he said. “It sounds like (there will be a Texas division) but we told them if the Texans are in the Academy it doesn’t matter to us. We are willing to travel around and do whatever is needed for a good competition.”