Cleveland Continues Run
U15 Girls: Cleveland Internationals 3 De Anza 0
 Monday, November 19
TAMPA – The top ranked girls youth club in the Super Y-League First 11 Rankings, the Cleveland Internationals, took on the De Anza Force from Northern California here today at Ed Radice Sports Complex in Northwest Tampa. The Internationals were looking to extend their run of perfection at the North American Finals. By 3 p.m. today the club had played ten games this weekend between their U13, U15 and U16 girls without losing once.
“We have been able to raise our level of success on a national scale by maintaining a high level of commitment from our girls,” said Cleveland International Girls’ Academy Director Zdravko Popovic. “We play with determination and pride. Many of the teams we have here have won at the Super Y-League level in the past. In 2005 this team here today won the U13 North American Finals. In 2004 this season’s U16 team won the Super Y-League title. Each time you are able to be that successful, you gain experience and are better equipped to succeed in following years.”
Cleveland’s experience in these North American Finals paid off in group play as they advanced out of the Group B bracket over the Washington Freedom, California Odyssey and Mountain WFC. Their adversary today in De Anza had already dealt a 3-0 loss to the Carolina Dynamo and picked up a 1-0 win over RSL Florida to advance to today’s semifinal. The two teams played evenly through the first 20 minutes of the contest.
At about that time in the match Cleveland’s Jordan Pawlik was testing the left side of De Anza’s defense when she got off a shot that was blocked by the left back. Pawlik was fortunate as she got the ball right back and knocked a shot well-placed ball into the far side netting for a 1-0 lead.
The match remained even following the score except that the International’s defense was suffocating any attack De Anza could come up with in the first half. The best look at goal De Anza had in the period was a corner kick they earned. On the attempt, Cleveland’s defense shined again and flawlessly ushered out the cross. The match remained 1-0 going into halftime.
 In the second stanza the Internationals left little doubt to who would play tomorrow for the Super Y-League Championship. The team took the opening kickoff down the right sideline and midfielder Taylor Miller got off an arcing shot that troubled the De Anza goalkeeper. The keeper made the initial save but the rebound feel onto the feet of a charging Alana Smith. The ball rolled into the back of the net for a 2-0 Cleveland advantage. Just seconds later Cleveland’s play through the middle sprung Pawlik in alone on net. She finished easily for a 3-0 lead.
For a second time, play returned to even-keel and nearing the final whistle De Anza had their best attempt on goal. The side earned a free kick from roughly 30 yards out and one of their top players, Lauren Heer, stepped to the ball. Cleveland’s back line held the opposition at the top of the box but Heer went directly at goal with the free kick. The keeper backpedaled to her far post and punched the ball out for a corner to preserve the clean sheet. The match ended 3-0 in favor of the Cleveland Internationals.
“I thought our team had a good run here at the North American Finals considering the circumstances,” said De Anza Head Coach Owen Flannery. “In group play we picked up the wins we needed but lost a bunch of key players for various reasons. Today we were without all of our starting offense and our goalkeeper but this final team we played was the best we saw all tournament. To get to this point our team had to play with a lot of determination and heart.”
“It does not make much difference who we play in the final tomorrow,” added Cleveland’s Popovic, not knowing that BW Rhode Island had defeated the Chicago Magic in the other 3 p.m. semifinal. “Whether we face Rhode Island or Chicago we are just looking to improve on how we played today. I think our chances of taking home the title tomorrow are good but either way, the cake is done and tomorrow is just icing.”
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