Recap of Day 1 from the Disney Qualifiers
September 3, 2016
ORLANDO- The opening day of the Disney Qualifier soccer showcase at the ESPN Wide World of Sports started off with cool weather, followed by some rain from the remnants of Hurricane Hermine. The day was filled with competitive games down the stretch and some beautiful Florida sunshine to cap it off. Here are some of the key matchups from Saturday's action.
Clay County SC 00 USA SOL RED U17 5-2 Weston FC 2000 FPL U17 (FL)
Clay County made the most out of its bevy of scoring opportunities, and down the stretch were able to take full advantage of them and pulled away from Weston in the final minutes of the game. Sarah Skala's free kick in the 7th minute that bounced off the top left crossbar was just the beginning of the chances Clay County would see on the day.
Weston actually scored the game's opening goal in the 18th minute, when Berlin Rodriguez found the back of the net and got past Clay County goalkeeper Rachel Conomea for the 1-0 lead. The girls from Florida would bounce back and receive goals from Meghan Rodriguez and Michelle Kanaskie and take a 2-1 lead heading into halftime.
The game would get knotted at 2 apiece when Weston midfielder Jessica Herman scored in the 46th minute and that 2-2 score would remain up on the scoreboard until the latter moments of the game.
A goal from Cali Larson in the 68th minute changed the total complexion of the game. Larson's goal sparked a couple more in the final two minutes, as Larson added another score and Hayden Bunn also touched in a score as well. With goals being an important factor in the Disney Qualifier, Clay County did not hold up.
Florida Rush 00 Rush II U17 (FL) 2-1 Gulf Coast Texans 00 U17 (FL)
In a game that was paused for a little bit longer at halftime, with remnants of Hurricane Hermine lingering over from the west coast of Florida, both teams had to battle through a weather delay and a defensive struggle on both ends.
Scoring opportunities were very few and far between, as both teams could not sustain good, solid possessions and gain good control on the ball at times. Sebastian Bonilla had a solid shot on goal, but would be denied on his bid.
Just before halftime, the Florida Rush would break the tie when Brian Trautmann broke through and was able to notch his team's first goal of the contest. The extended halftime meant both teams had to seek for cover for over 35 minutes before play resumed around 1 p.m.
The Gulf Coast Texans kept the pressure on the Rush's defense and the persistence finally paid off just a minute after returning to play, as Colby Copeland knocked in the equalizer and that score seemingly proved to be the last one in a game dominated the rest of the way by defense. The Rush would notch the game winning goal in the 66th minute, when Richard Song came through with the clutch score.
Annandale United FC 01 U16 (VA) 1-1 Fort Laurderdale FC 01 Blue U16 (FL)
With the worse of the bad weather heading to the east coast, the rest of the day's games were able to play without issues, but most games had to play with 30-minute halves instead of their original 35 to 40. Annandale and Fort Lauderdale were limited to 60 minutes of play, but didn't waste any time throughout the matchup.
Defense was the name of the game for both clubs, as scoring chances were very rare and getting control at midfield was the main aim in the first half. Annandale United was able to get on the scoreboard just before halftime, as Sebastian Boos got his team on the board with a nifty goal past goalkeeper Giovanni Bonilla-Gadea.
The game truly looked like it was heading towards being a shutout victory for Annandale, as Fort Lauderdale didn't see too many opportunities to score, but one chance did pop up in the final minute of play. Midfielder David Da Cunha scored an incredible goal from over 30 yards out and getting past Annandale goalkeeper Bryce Hasse.
"I just looked up and saw where the goalie was and just kicked it," Da Cunha said. "It was breathtaking. Everything was going through my head all at once. A tie for my team in the final minute, I mean, what more can you ask for? It was beautiful."
Clay County SC 00 USA SOL RED U17 5-2 Weston FC 2000 FPL U17 (FL)
Clay County made the most out of its bevy of scoring opportunities, and down the stretch were able to take full advantage of them and pulled away from Weston in the final minutes of the game. Sarah Skala's free kick in the 7th minute that bounced off the top left crossbar was just the beginning of the chances Clay County would see on the day.
Weston actually scored the game's opening goal in the 18th minute, when Berlin Rodriguez found the back of the net and got past Clay County goalkeeper Rachel Conomea for the 1-0 lead. The girls from Florida would bounce back and receive goals from Meghan Rodriguez and Michelle Kanaskie and take a 2-1 lead heading into halftime.
The game would get knotted at 2 apiece when Weston midfielder Jessica Herman scored in the 46th minute and that 2-2 score would remain up on the scoreboard until the latter moments of the game.
A goal from Cali Larson in the 68th minute changed the total complexion of the game. Larson's goal sparked a couple more in the final two minutes, as Larson added another score and Hayden Bunn also touched in a score as well. With goals being an important factor in the Disney Qualifier, Clay County did not hold up.
Florida Rush 00 Rush II U17 (FL) 2-1 Gulf Coast Texans 00 U17 (FL)
In a game that was paused for a little bit longer at halftime, with remnants of Hurricane Hermine lingering over from the west coast of Florida, both teams had to battle through a weather delay and a defensive struggle on both ends.
Scoring opportunities were very few and far between, as both teams could not sustain good, solid possessions and gain good control on the ball at times. Sebastian Bonilla had a solid shot on goal, but would be denied on his bid.
Just before halftime, the Florida Rush would break the tie when Brian Trautmann broke through and was able to notch his team's first goal of the contest. The extended halftime meant both teams had to seek for cover for over 35 minutes before play resumed around 1 p.m.
The Gulf Coast Texans kept the pressure on the Rush's defense and the persistence finally paid off just a minute after returning to play, as Colby Copeland knocked in the equalizer and that score seemingly proved to be the last one in a game dominated the rest of the way by defense. The Rush would notch the game winning goal in the 66th minute, when Richard Song came through with the clutch score.
Annandale United FC 01 U16 (VA) 1-1 Fort Laurderdale FC 01 Blue U16 (FL)
With the worse of the bad weather heading to the east coast, the rest of the day's games were able to play without issues, but most games had to play with 30-minute halves instead of their original 35 to 40. Annandale and Fort Lauderdale were limited to 60 minutes of play, but didn't waste any time throughout the matchup.
Defense was the name of the game for both clubs, as scoring chances were very rare and getting control at midfield was the main aim in the first half. Annandale United was able to get on the scoreboard just before halftime, as Sebastian Boos got his team on the board with a nifty goal past goalkeeper Giovanni Bonilla-Gadea.
The game truly looked like it was heading towards being a shutout victory for Annandale, as Fort Lauderdale didn't see too many opportunities to score, but one chance did pop up in the final minute of play. Midfielder David Da Cunha scored an incredible goal from over 30 yards out and getting past Annandale goalkeeper Bryce Hasse.
"I just looked up and saw where the goalie was and just kicked it," Da Cunha said. "It was breathtaking. Everything was going through my head all at once. A tie for my team in the final minute, I mean, what more can you ask for? It was beautiful."
Kendall SC 2001 Reserve U16 (FL) 3-2 Orlando City 2001 Purple II U16 (FL)
Goals were at a premium between Kendall and Orlando City in Saturday afternoon's matchup of U16 clubs. Both teams had to play in shortened halves due to the weather delay earlier in the day, but found their offensive groove nonetheless.
Kendall SC 2001 got on a roll in the first half and dominated on both offense and defense. On the offensive end, Kendall was able to notch two goals in the back of the net to take a 2-0 lead into halftime. Defensively, Kendall kept Orlando City's forwards at bay and limited their shots on goal opportunities.
The second half proved to be a totally different story for Orlando City and crew, as they were able to get themselves back into the contest with goals from Yandy Munoz and Charles Broennie. The goals helped Orlando City breathe new life into the game, but Kendall would pull away with a go-ahead goal from Sebastian Leal late in the second half.
"We need to try to stay motivated throughout the game," Kendall coach Robinson Martinez said. "We played our game in the first half. We played the ball good and got good shots on goal. We like this tournament. The fields are in top condition and it's very well run."
Goals were at a premium between Kendall and Orlando City in Saturday afternoon's matchup of U16 clubs. Both teams had to play in shortened halves due to the weather delay earlier in the day, but found their offensive groove nonetheless.
Kendall SC 2001 got on a roll in the first half and dominated on both offense and defense. On the offensive end, Kendall was able to notch two goals in the back of the net to take a 2-0 lead into halftime. Defensively, Kendall kept Orlando City's forwards at bay and limited their shots on goal opportunities.
The second half proved to be a totally different story for Orlando City and crew, as they were able to get themselves back into the contest with goals from Yandy Munoz and Charles Broennie. The goals helped Orlando City breathe new life into the game, but Kendall would pull away with a go-ahead goal from Sebastian Leal late in the second half.
"We need to try to stay motivated throughout the game," Kendall coach Robinson Martinez said. "We played our game in the first half. We played the ball good and got good shots on goal. We like this tournament. The fields are in top condition and it's very well run."
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