Super Y League Feature

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

BRADENTON, Fla. – For a second straight knockout round game, the Chicago Inferno U13s went up against a team that had not allowed a goal during the 2015 Super Y League National Finals.

For a second straight time, the Inferno bucked the trend as Alek Zdravkovic’s second-half tally was the difference for a 1-0 victory against West Pines United FC to win the SYL U13 National Championship.

“I’m very proud of these guys because they found a way to battle back all tournament,” Inferno Head Coach Dino Delevski said. "We were not the team that didn’t allow any goals. We were the team that had to overcome hurdles, the team that had to crawl their way back in some of the games we played. What it did is created more character and more courage, and a confidence in our mind that we can believe that we can win.”

West Pines had the lion’s share of the ball in the opening half. Even into the second half, the Inferno had a difficult time threatening on the offensive end, but they capitalized on one of the few opportunities through Zdravkovic.

Zdravkovic’s winning sequence began when Chicago intercepted the ball from West Pines’ defense. The Inferno quickly built a give-and-go with Zdravkovic getting the ball back in the middle channel. He split a pair of defenders and then slotted low toward the left of the frame for the game’s only goal.

“It was really tough,” Zdravkovic said of getting through West Pines’ defense. “I really didn’t feel like I was going to score today because of how three people were always on me. It was my golden moment to score that last goal to take everybody on and just believe in myself.”

Heading into Tuesday’s game, West Pines had outscored its opponents 11-0 in four games. It was something the team certainly was aware of, but it did not faze the group.

“They have blood and bones like we do,” Zdravkovic said. “We have to play against whoever is our opponent, and it’s a lot better to play against an opponent that’s actually tough to beat, to create a more entertainment-type of game.”

The Inferno’s patience to get to that stage paid off. Heading in, Chicago was focused on withstanding its South Florida opponent, which enjoyed the upper hand against all of its previous group opponents and then in the semifinals against NJ Stallions Academy.

“We played a team that dominated the first half,” Delevski said of West Pines. “Our main goal was to get to the point where the game gets longer and to stay in the game. This is a team that hadn’t allowed a goal the whole tournament, so any time you play a team that has a strong defense and is a high-scoring team, you’re going to have a hard game.”

For Zdravokovic, the game-winning moment and earning the title are the high points of his youth career.

“It’s one of the greatest things I’ve ever won,” Zdravkovic said. “I’ve been to so many tournaments and everything, but this one was unreal.”

“It’s our second year back and we will keep coming back here,” Delevski said. “I feel from an organizational standpoint these guys have done a tremendous job and every single one of our players embraces this tournament. They look forward to it. We prepare for it. It’s something that allows our club to stand out in our community back in Chicago, but also it creates an extra platform for our players to get recognized, and at this age it’s all about the players.”

U12 Boys Championship – Orlando City SC 2, Long Island Rough Riders 1: Jair Hernandez and Mike Halliday each scored first-half goals, with Hernandez assisting Halliday’s tally, as Orlando City built a two-goal lead and held on for the title. Long Island’s Jadon Potter tallied a goal off of a Bradley Potter assist in the second half, but the Rough Riders were unable to cut further into Orlando City’s lead.