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Thursday, August 2

EPPING, NEW HAMPSHIRE – United Soccer Leagues Super-20 League North American Finals began here today at Seacoast United’s sprawling soccer complex in Southern New Hampshire. The 10 a.m. matches: the Washington Freedom and MPS U20’s women, Quickstrike FC and Seacoast United’s women, D.C. United and Beachside’s men and the Toronto Lynx and Reading Rage men.

The reigning Super-20 League semifinalists, D.C. United took field three against fellow Mid Atlantic side Beachside to begin the day. The two sides traded procession in the early going, Beachside starting and holding the ball for nearly five minutes. D.C. United owned the next ten after gaining the ball for the first time, the wide pitches allowing their wingers full supremacy in the run of play.

Nearing the 20th minute of play a brilliant through ball from D.C. United left back Adam Graiz sprung a race between D.C. forward Abimbola Pedro and a Beachside defender. The two bearing down on beachside goalkeeper Micah Camly, the Beachside defender lunged in a last attempt to knock the ball out of danger but, just as Camly arrived, the defender brought down Pedro, the referee instantly calling for a kick from the mark. The ensuing free-kick was knocked home by D.C. United midfielder Drew Yates for the 1-0 lead.

The goal seemed to steady D.C. United’s advantage, which may have been hidden behind anxious legs, and the side’s level of procession increased exponentially. The sharpest edge of D.C. United’s attack was their wings. Outside midfielders Jordan Graye and Brian Brady patrolled the flanks and provided endless swerving crosses, thru-balls and support in defense.

The 35th minute saw Beachside gain some pressure. They earned a free kick from a foul about 30 yards out and wide to the right. After coming set, Beachside played the ball to the back post, over the head of all targets. For a second, the cross looked to have D.C. United goalkeeper Andrew Quinn beaten, but the Notre Dame University product leaned back, tipping the ball just over the crossbar. Quinn was also equal to the subsequent corner-kick, punching it out of the area. The save sent the two sides into half, D.C. United holding a 1-0 lead.

D.C. United Head Coach Gene Mishalow stressed two points during his halftime talk. The first was keeping defensive pressure tight on Beachside’s players wide. The second point was simple – relax.

“We are trying to build a lead too quickly,” said Mishalow. “Take your time. Set your feet and place your shots. Receive the ball first and then look to turn on your defender. We are hurrying our shots and our touches. Expect the unexpected from your teammates as well as your opponents. Your teammates have the speed to catch up to those balls played into space.”

“They are going to come out strong in the second half,” added Mishalow. “If they get a goal it is going to be a fight because they are going to feel like they can play with us. If we score first it is over.”

D.C United scored first.

Guided by forward Jimmy Carroll who netted two second half goals and one assist, D.C. United exploded to a 5-0 finish.

“The first goal I scored was on a play very similar to a chance I had in the first,” said Carroll. “During halftime, coach talked to me about taking my time. On the play in the first half I hit the shot first time and it was not my best effort. In the second, I could hear coaches voice in the back of my head and I took that extra touch. It paid off. Once we got the second goal we calmed down and finishing seemed much easier.”

Meanwhile on field one, the defending Super-20 women’s champions, the Washington Freedom used the first 40 minutes to compile a 2-0 lead. However, the second half started in advantage of MPS U20’s as the side drew within one goal on an airborne thru-ball played in by Molly Allen. MPS striker Brianna Wilson tracked down the pass, outran a Freedom defender, and placed a shot in the right corner of the net for a 2-1 score line. The match finished 3-1 in favor of the Freedom.

On field two, Quickstike FC’s women also compiled a 40 minute lead. Their lead was 3-0 over host Seacoast United. The players of the match were forward tandem Elise Fugowski and Amanda DaCosta. The duo netted a total of four goals and three assists in the match, which ended 5-1 in favor of the New Jersey based club.

Down in the hallow of field four, the Toronto Lynx and the Reading Rage fought, almost literally, to a 0-0 halftime.

The second 40 began as brutally as the first ended, both teams playing a similar, direct and aggressive style. In roughly the 65th minute of play, the Canadians struck first on a play that could have gone one of two ways – a penalty kick or a free-kick from just outside the area. Either way, the Rage were under pressure as Toronto’s Luke Stedmond stood over the ball. He took the wall out of play with a low bending ball the snuck by the Reading goalkeeper for a 1-0 lead.

Five minutes later Toronto extended their lead following another free kick awarded in unison of the sending off of a Rage defender for a harsh tackle. On the play, the Rage were pressing forward in an attempt to net an equalizer when Toronto won the ball in the back and quickly went forward. The abrupt ball sent a forward in on goal with two defenders trailing. The first defender on the scene dragged down the attacker and was shown a straight red. Toronto took full advantage, knocking the ball around before sending it wide to the left. From there it was centered to target forward Alexander Trujillo, who checked to the ball, let it run past his shoulder and impressively first-timed a side-volley into the back of the net for the 2-0 lead.

Toronto added a third goal just before the final whistle when Mackenzie Wilde put to use an open look from long range. Noticing the keeper was off his line to cut down on the angle of the shot, Wilde looped a shot over the keeper’s head for a three goal lead.

“We had a lot of opportunities in the first half,” said Toronto Head Coach Paul Deabreu. “We should have finished but the Rage held tight in the back. In the second half we switched to a 3-4-3 to get more players in their area and it paid off.”

Tomorrow the Toronto Lynx face California’s Bakersfield Brigade in a North-South, U.S.-Canada match up for Group B supremacy.

“They’re from the sunshine of California and we are from the cold of Toronto,” added Deabreu. “It is not too often we get to face a team from California so I look forward to the match. I don’t know much about them going in, other than the fact that they are from out west.”