Chicago Fire U-16s Fight On; U-18s Eliminated from Playoffs

The United States Development Academy Playoffs continued this weekend and it was a bit of good news/bad news for Chicago Fire Country. The U-16 squad have put themselves in a position to advance. The U-18s finished up with a game this morning that unfortunately was purely academic.  The squad was eliminated Saturday with 1-0 loss. Follow me after the break for a breakdown of the scores, the one remaining game, and what the U-16s need to happen in order to defend their USDA National Championship.

The Chicago Fire U-16s did not start off on the right foot on Saturday.  PA Classics defeated them 1-0 in the 11:00 AM time slot.  The team that wins the group is the only team that advances in the USDA playoffs so the U-16s were at a huge disadvantage having 0 points while another team had three. There's no rest for the weary in these tournaments as the Fire had to take the field at 8:00 PM on Sunday night. Fortune shined a little brighter as the Fire not only defeated North Meck SC 1-0 but South Carolina United FC came away with a 2-2 draw against PA Classics. Our U-16 squad is off today and line up against South Carolina United FC on Tuesday at 11:00 AM. The North Meck SC and PA Classics game will be played simultaneously.  The tiebreakers are goal differential, then goals scored, and then head to head.  If the Fire win and North Meck SC and PA Classics tie, the Fire will automatically advance.  You can see that if the Fire tie and the other teams tie, PA Classics would advance.  If the Fire tie and PA Classics lose... well then the math gets a little wild.  Don't forget it goes goal differential, goals scored, and then head to head and PA Classics beat the Fire 1-0.  Tomorrow will be a wild day that starts with the U-16s playing at 11:00 AM CST, the Fire playing Rochester Rhinos at 6:35 PM CST, and the Fire PDL team playing Sporting K.C. at 7:30 PM CST.  Each game is a tournament knockout game with winner and a loser.  A reminder to all Fire teams especially the U-16s - we believe in you.

While there is hope for the U-16s, the U-18s find themselves down and out. This Fire squad actually opened better than the U-16s when they tied the California Development Academy 1-1 in the 5:00 PM time slot on Friday.  Luis Medina scored in the 36th minute but CDA came up with the heartbreaker in the 80th.

Saturday's game at 4:00 PM was against the New Jersey team Players Development Academy. PDA defeated PA Classics 2-0 on Friday so a win over the Fire would eliminate Chicago from the tournament.  The U-18s gave it their all but a questionable call led to a red card for the Fire with 30 minutes to go.  A full strength PDA got the goal they needed in the 83rd minute and the 10-man Fire could not answer.  PDA won 1-0 to all but clinch the group.

To finish the tournament, the Fire were relegated to play the role of potential spoiler by keeping PA Classics from tying PDA.  The games were played simultaneously at 9:00 AM this morning and PDA did lose to CDA 3-1.  The Fire came away with a bittersweet 2-1 win over PA Classics.  Congratulations to all the U-18 players on the roster.  It is always important to finish the season with class and on a high note. 

Ladies and gentleman, your 2010-2011 Chicago Fire U-18s:

Keaton Albert

Zak Allen

Luis Barajas

Peter Beasley

Jacob Brindle

David Caban

Joseph Calistri

Fillipe Cortez

Eduardo Cuautle

Jabari Danzy

Patrick Doody

Nate Esler

Robert Euler

Emanuel Guzman

Daniel Lojek

Luis Medina

Jerrin Moore

Victor Pineda

Anthony Torres

Brady Wahl