USSDA Winter Showcase: BW Gottschee U-17/18 blanks Chargers SC 3-0

LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. (Via U.S. Soccer) – BW Gottschee Academy U-17/18 downed Chargers Soccer Club U-17/18 in a 3-0 victory on the premier field of the 2015 Development Academy Winter Showcase. Seventeen-year-old Sean McGowan had a vital influence on all three Gottschee goals.

With heavy rain pouring down at the start of the match, both teams had a fair share of the ball. Chargers saw a bit of an opportunity in the 10th minute when a long throw-in was taken, heading off a few players until it was cleared from the box.

It was then Gottschee’s first opportunity to score on a long shot driven by Zaire Bartley from 25 yards out, but the ball was easily caught by Chargers goalkeeper, Usama Abel. Minutes later, Chargers countered with a cross into the box by Julian Hall, but Gottschee goalkeeper, Matthew Dabrowski, was there to incept the pass.

Chargers took advantage of scoring opportunities. In the 28th minute, Robert McCoy received a ball into the box, being wide open. He ducked low to head the ball, only to send it wide of the post. A minute later, a free kick was set just right of the box, where Antonio Colacci sent the ball in. An unmarked Peter Di Napolli got a head on the ball and unfortunately sent it just left of the post. Moments later, Cole McKinney was on a breakaway toward goal. He slowed the ball, trying to get a better angle, accidently mishandling the ball, giving Dabrowski time to easily collect.

In the 42nd minute, Charger Matthew Swain tried to help his team with a goal. With the wind and rain causing great struggles on the field, the ball sailed further than hoped for and ended up out of bounds. Two minutes later, a Gottschee corner kick in the box lead to a bicycle kick from Bartley, only to be collected by Chargers ‘keeper Abel. In the 45th minute, Gottschee finally got the lead. The ball made it to the feet of a few Gottschee players inside the box, unable to make a shot. McGowan came in to receive a deflected ball to send it far post past the ‘keeper, sending the game into halftime with a 1-0 lead.

Just after the half, Bartley tried to play with the wind advantage, shooting from 40 yards out, placing the ball well over the crossbar. In the 57th minute, Colacci charged down the field, sliding a perfect ball through defenders to McKinney who took a long shot off a 1 v 1 situation, deflecting off a defender.

The game was back and forth for a while until Ben-Avir Espinal collected the ball to face a 1 v 1 situation. Once moving past the defender, he struck the ball, only to be saved by Dabrowski’s foot. Minutes after, Stone Barcomb makes his way past Charger defenders into the box, releasing a shot to be deflected. He collects again, but a defender pokes the ball away, eventually landing to the feet of McGowan, who one-touches the ball and sends it to the back of the net.

In second half stoppage time, McGowan slid to receive the ball in the box, sending a defender and the Chargers ‘keeper to follow. He makes it to his feet and see a wide open Bartley yards away, slotting the ball his way for Bartley to easily tap the ball in to earn the final goal of the match.