Dev. Academy Finals Week: U-15/16 – Dramatic last-minute PK earns De Anza Force crucial three points
HOUSTON – In a back-and-forth match the entire way through, De Anza Force ultimately prevailed on Spencer Ward’s game-winning penalty kick in the 90th minute for a 3-2 victory against Crew Soccer Academy Wolves during the 2012-13 Development Academy Finals Week at the Houston Amateur Sports Park.
De Anza Force improved to 1-0-1 in the tournament to tie Solar Chelsea SC for the lead in Group 2.
De Anza Force got on the score sheet early with a fourth-minute strike by Ramiro Molina. CSA Wolves tied it up in the 15th minute on a rebound by Ahinga Selemani. De Anza’s regular-season leading scorer Carlos Delgadillo put the Force ahead once again with a 31st-minute strike, but Hunter Barone answered back for the Wolves with a shot from just outside the box that found the upper 90 of the left side of the goal.
A foul on Wolves goalkeeper Spencer Ward in the box in the 90th minute gave De Anza a penalty try, and Powell stepped up and buried it for the victory.
With a victory or a draw against Solar Chelsea SC on Thursday, De Anza would clinch a finals berth. In the event of a draw, both De Anza and Solar Chelsea would be tied on points and goal differential, but De Anza would advance on the total goals tiebreaker.
Solar Chelsea SC 0, Colorado Rapids 0: Solar Chelsea SC and the Colorado Rapids both turned in impressive defensive performances in a rainy scoreless draw. Solar Chelsea enters Thursday’s final group game against De Anza needing a win to earn a spot in the finals.
Houston Dynamo 1, Real Salt Lake AZ 0: Dynamo midfielder Christian Lucatero opened the game with a second-minute free kick goal and the defense held Real Salt Lake in check the rest of the way to move into first place of Group 1. The Dynamo (1-0-1, 4 points) jumped ahead of Real Salt Lake (1-1-0, 3 points) on the strength of Lucatero’s pinpoint left-footed free kick that was placed in the upper right corner of the net.
Albertson SC 3, Texans SC Houston 2: Albertson SC earned a crucial three points against hometown Texans SC Houston in a classic back-and-forth contest with plenty of offensive fireworks. Both sides traded goals throughout the match and were deadlocked at 2-2 after Jelani Mark found the equalizer for the Texans in the opening moments of the second half. The game appeared destined for a draw until Albertson’s Arthur Bosua found the back of the net for the second time in the match to give Albertson its third goal and three points in the standings.
