Kendall SC’s U15B White Repeat as Disney Showcase Champions

January 5, 2007 - Kendall SC’s U15B White claimed a championship at the Disney Showcase for the second year in a row, winning five matches and allowing only two goals en route to the Copa title. The team had won the Premier bracket in the 2006 Disney Jr. Showcase.

Kendall SC kicked-off the tournament with a convincing 3-0 win over Michigan semifinalists, Vardar Stars Red. With the score deadlocked towards the end of the first half, Jeronimo Giraldo fed the ball in the box to Juan Monsalve, who volleyed it in to give Kendall the lead they would not relinquish. In the second half Monsalve penetrated deep down the right area and crossed the ball to Manuel Stoilov, who tapped it into a wide open net. Gabriel De Mola capped the scoring with a hard drive inside the far post.

The second match against Delaware state champions, Delaware United Blizzard, was a more uneven affair than the final 1-0 score would reflect, but the Blizzard made Kendall sweat it out to the last moment. Although Delaware United did not produce a single shot on goal, they kept repelling Kendall’s consistent attack until with less than 10 minutes left in regulation Cristian Cabrera beat a defender down the left sideline to work his way into the area and draw the defense out. He crossed it back to Monsalve, who combined with Stoilov, who fired a low shot into the back of the net.

With a pass to the Semifinals on the line, Kendall SC met Connecticut’s undefeated Oakwood SC, the defending state finalist. A very close and physical contest broke open in the second half when Monsalve capitalized on a corner kick to score the game’s only goal. The game went back and forth with both teams producing a handful of chances and Kendall’s back line of Carlos Monge, Christian Mera, Gustavo Melendez and Oscar Vazquez holding on to score a third consecutive shut-out.

The road to the championship would only get tougher with a Semifinal match-up against North Carolina state semifinalist Triangle FC Navy, who although smaller than Kendall’s first three opponents, exhibited superior technical ability. That, combined with the absence due to injury of defensive midfielder, Adrian Garcia, allowed them to control the flow of play during significant portions of the match. A defensive breakdown in the midfield during the first half allowed Triangle an uncontested center pass into the area which their forward converted past the diving keeper. Trailing for the first time in the tournament, Kendall did not give up, creating several scoring chances. Finally, midway into the second half Giraldo chipped a pass to Monsalve, who found the back of the net to tie the score. Several close calls ensued for both teams, but neither side could break the deadlock through regulation and two overtime periods. In the ensuing penalty shootout it appeared that neither team would flinch. Each team converted its first four PKs as the tension mounted. After Adam Yepez found the net on Kendall’s fifth try, Jose Diaz de Villegas dove far to his left to deflect what would be Triangle’s final shot and secure a rematch with Oakwood SC in the Final.

After defeating Texas’ Andromeda, Oakwood SC had their minds set on revenge, but Monsalve quickly cooled them off with an early scoring blast from outside the 18. Everything appeared to be going Kendall’s way, but an errant pass in the midfield gave way to a counteract and an Oakwood midfielder wove his way through three defenders before Melendez tried to clear the ball at the last moment, but it deflected off the Oakwood attacker and into the goal. A war of attrition ensued with Kendall losing its two center backs to injury and fatigue settling in. Garcia, who was back in the lineup, defensive midfielder Tony Quiroz, and defensive subs Christian Teran and Gabriel Rafols stepped in to hold the fort against Oakwood’s relentless effort. For the second day in a row the boys would have to march to the penalty spot to decide their fate. Another perfect sequence ensued with each team converting its first six shots. When Garcia slotted in Kendall’s seventh kick, Diaz de Villegas snatched Oakwood’s next shot to seal the victory and claim the championship.