The annual Disney Soccer Showcase kicked off at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports for the girl’s groups on Wednesday. The girls said so long to 2014 on a windy, rainy day which was the opposite of what was to be expected in the Sunshine State.

MORE DISNEY GIRLS SHOWCASE COVERAGE

 

Cincinnati United Premier Gold U16 (OH) 2-1 Syracuse Development Academy U16 (NY)

There was a lot of slipping, sliding and missed opportunities with the grass as wet as it was, but Cincinnati got a quick goal out of the gate during a damp early morning matchup and was able to hold onto the ball for much of the remainder to get its first win.

“[The] first game is hard at Disney,” said Michael Litvack, head coach of Cincinnati. “We strung some passes together [and] had a bit of tempo.”

Cincinnati made it a 1-0 game when Ashley Adams found space to slip one by Syracuse’s goalkeeper in the 14th minute. Even though Cincinnati didn’t have many chances in the first half, mainly because they kept slipping in the damp grass, they went into halftime holding that 1-0 lead.

Syracuse has a prime chance in the 42nd minute when Addison Hornsey went on a run and dished the ball to Genna Michitti in the slot. Michitti’s shot was on target but saved by the keeper.

Haley Cox made it 2-0 on the eventual game winner in the 58th minute. Cox found herself alone in the slot and bent the ball into the bottom left corner of the net with a left footed shot.

Syracuse got ignited a small spark after Emily Purtell sent a ball on net that the keeper couldn’t handle cleanly. Cameron McCarthy ran in for the rebound, but slipped in the grass before she could land a foot on the ball. A few minutes later in the 75th, that spark turned into a flame when Michitti was able to sneak the ball into bottom left corner of the net after she received a cross in the box.

That was all she wrote for Syracuse, though, and Cincinnati played the deep ball for the rest of the match to hold on to the lead and take the first game of the tournament.

 

Tampa Bay United Premier U16 (FL) 5-2 Kings Hammer Academy Red U16 (KY)

Tampa Bay took the throne from Kings Hammer as they managed to fill the net with five goals before the final whistle blew. Although Kings Hammer started out with a nice tally, they slowed their roll and allowed four unanswered goals before they were able to find the back of the net again.

“I thought we did a very nice job, particularly in the first half after the first 10 minutes, at really connecting passes and finding that fourth player in the midfield,” said James Cote, head coach of Tampa Bay. “I thought we took care of our chances.”

Ally Brown put Kings Hammer on the board in the 11th minute when she kicked in a loose ball on a diving play. It was her team’s first shot of the game and it would be their last shot for a while.

Tampa Bay knotted the game three minutes later and then put three more in the back of the net before the first half was over. Sophie Wiltshire got Tampa’s first tally when Elaina Laxer played a ball from the sideline to Sabrina Wagner in the middle of the field who took the original shot. The keeper couldn’t handle the ball and it bounced off her chest to the foot of Wiltshire who tapped it in.

Angelica Stege put a cross from Kendra Hoffman into the opposite side of the net in the 18th minute. Wagner got a tally of her own in the 29th minute when a Kings Hammer defender played a ball to her feet. Wagner had all the time in the world to dribble the ball in and roll it into the bottom right. Allyssa Woodring wanted in on the action and got her chance in the 37th minute when buried a ball into the top left corner and made it 4-1.

Sophie Gorman got one back for Kings Hammer in the 47th minute when she finished a ball bottom right after receiving a pass from Payton Black off of a free kick. It wasn’t enough to stage a comeback, though, and Wagner capped the victory as she scored her second goal in the 79th minute to run the final score to 5-2.

 

Jacksonville FC Storm U16 (FL) 3-2 Futura FC Academy Forte Elite U16 (MO)

After traveling quite a way to compete in the prestigious Disney Soccer Showcase, it took Futura just six minutes to score. But Jacksonville shook the sand off its cleats and Leila Azari led the team with all three goals.

“In these events it’s important to get three points,” said Michael Walker, head coach of Jacksonville. “At the end of the day, I think if we can solve some things in the final third [of the match], I think we’ll be able to score some more goals.”

Abigail Groom played a great ball off of a corner kick that sailed by everyone and found the inside of the far post before it found the back of the net. The goal put Futura up, 1-0, in the sixth minute.

Azari answered Groom’s goal with the first of her natural hat trick in the 25th minute. Angeline Daly set up Azari’s first tally when she chipped a ball up the left side to her. Azari went on a run, beat and jumped over a sliding defender, faked a shot and netted the ball into the top right corner. Azari’s tapped in a rebound in the 47th minute for her second goal. She capped the natural hat trick when she found a way to put a foot on a ball that everyone was scrambling for after a corner kick was sent into the box.

Futura found its way back into the match when Kassandra Ginther cut Jacksonville’s lead to 3-2. Jenna Winebrenner created the play when she made a run up the right side and got the ball to Tess Rellihan, who then sent it into the middle to be capitalized into the top drawer by Ginther. 

The remainder of the game was a keep away battle in which Jacksonville controlled.

 

Merrick Force U16 (NY) 2-1 Metro FC Toledo Courage U16 (OH)

Merrick muddled in the midst of Metro’s goalkeeper, Erica Myers, but eventually put two past her as they earned their first victory of the tournament in a cold, damp game at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports. Merrick tallied two late goals in the first half and received a splendid defensive performance by Autumn Brown in their 2-1 victory.

“Until they find their game rhythm it takes time,” said Manfred Kapper, a coach of Merrick. “I think the kids feel good [about the win] and it’s a great environment [at Disney].”

Merrick had the first two quality chances of the game, but both sailed wide of the net. The first chance came from the head of Lauren Marinello and the second from the foot of Keri Birkenhead on a feed from Paige McMahon.

It was Addison Graham who found the back of the net first, though. She put Metro up, 1-0, when she slipped a ball past the goalkeeper on the far side in the 23rd minute.

Kristin Lasker had another try for Merrick a few minutes later, but it was put out of play by the hands of Myers. Devon Daskalakis seemed determined by the play and tied the game at one apiece in the 35th minute. Daskalakis tapped the ball into an empty net after receiving a pass from Lasker, who took a run down the left side and slipped it to her after she drew Myers out of the net on a challenge.

Lasker lit the lamp in the 39th minute with the eventual game winner. She chipped a shot over the keeper that hit the left post before making its way into the back of the net to put her team in front 2-1.

A physical match ensued between the two squads in the second half, and neither team was able to slip one past the other team’s keeper in each team’s first game of the Disney Soccer Showcase.