Late goal gives Fire U-17/18 win over PA Classics in last match at USSDA playoffs

By Curt Herron

Pride was about the only thing at stake for the Fire Academy's U-17/18 team as it closed out its appearance at the USSDA playoffs on Monday.

Already eliminated following a draw and a defeat, the Fire met a PA Classics team that still had a remote chance of qualifying for nationals.

For that unlikely scenario to happen, the Pennsylvanians needed to Players Development Academy to lose while they won by at least four goals.

While PDA did drop its first match after falling 3-1 to California Development Academy, the Fire clearly wasn't going to be routed by anyone.

In fact, the Fire struck first and seemed to be on their way to a 1-0 victory before PA Classics scored in the late going to tie things up.

Chicago battled back, however, and got an unlikely score in the final minute to walk away with a 2-1 win at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas.

The final match capped an emotional roller coaster for the Fire during their four days in the Metroplex, which resulted in a 1-1-1 showing.

After hanging on for a 1-1 draw against CDA in its opener, Chicago saw its hopes dashed following a 1-0 loss to pool winner PDA on Saturday.

With their defeat to PDA tainted by a controversial red card, there clearly wasn't much that separated all four teams that were in the pool.

Ten players on the older Fire team were also members of last year's U-15/16 squad that won the national championship in Carson, California.

While obviously disappointed that they won't be able to play at nationals, the victory in the finale provided some consolation for the Fire.

The Fire (12-7-7) looked like it was on its way to a nice victory until PA Classics (14-11-5) mounted a serious challenge in the late going.

But Chicago watched in dismay as PA Classics finally connected during the 89th minute and then just missed moving in front a bit after that.

Just as it was beginning to look like things might end in a 1-1 draw, the Fire mounted one last challenge, which led to a surprising result.

Victor Pineda sent a shot toward the net and Jacob Brindle just missed getting a touch on the ball, but that wasn't the end of the sequence.

Peter Beasley was definitely in the right place at the right time and the ball deflected off him and went into the net for the match-winner.

"This tournament is obviously competitive and every team is good so you have to show up every day," Beasley said. "We hurt ourselves on the first day by not coming ready to play.

"But we played two other good games and were unfortunate to not get a point on Saturday, because if we had, we could have been going on. I think we learned a few lessons as a team.

"It seemed like anything that could go against us did, but that's the way soccer is. We were young and a lot of guys will be coming back so I think this team has a lot of promise."

The Fire had plenty of chances with the wind edge throughout the final half but were regularly frustrated in their efforts to find the net.

Brindle entered at the break and immediately had a liner tipped away before Keaton Albert followed with an attempt which sailed just wide.

After Zak Allen handled one of the few second-half shots that came his way, Brady Wahl had a header that was halted by keeper William Heavner.

Shortly after Wahl was denied on a liner, Brindle made a nice touch to get past defenders and connected on a short shot in the 63rd minute.

Wahl was a bit wide on an attempt a short time later and then Luis Medina fired in a line drive that was hauled in by PA Classics' keeper.

Not much during the next quarter hour other than another liner from Medina, but then the Pennsylvanians began to make their late challenge.

After a few close calls, Owen Griffith connected in the 89th minute to tie things and just after that, Connor Goldsmith was just wide on an attempt.