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Late PK Catapults Inferno U14 Girls into Title Match

12/12/2016, 6:45pm EST
By CHARLIE CORR - charlie.corr@uslsoccer.com

Chicago edges Sunrise United in semifinals of SYL Finals


Super Y League / Chicago Inferno

BRADENTON, Fla. – Every time Chicago Inferno’s U14 Girls tallied, Sunrise United SC seemed to have an answer during Monday’s semifinal match at the 2016 Super Y League North American Finals.

That trend came to a close when Kelly Flores converted a late-game penalty kick to help Chicago earn a 3-2 victory at IMG Academy. The Inferno will now face Midwest United on Tuesday in the title match. Midwest United advanced in a penalty shootout to get past Atlanta Fire United.

Chicago opened the scoring against Sunrise with a first-half PK from Nina Nicosia. The ongoing trend after that, though, was the play of Sunrise’s Tianna Rivera, who netted two goals on the evening. Rivera bolted past the Inferno defense and slotted a shot underneath the goalkeeper’s gloves to tie the score at 1-1.

The Inferno managed to grab the lead before halftime with a well-placed shot from Melissa Schneider, capitalizing on a giveaway by Sunrise in the midfield.

In the second half, Rivera leveled the score once again with a right-footed shot that found the right of the frame to make it 2-2.

It stayed that way for quite some time as Sunrise withstood a number of chances by Chicago. In the closing minutes, Sunrise’s goalkeeper was sent off after fouling Kara Mackenzie in the box. Sunrise, which had advanced to the semifinals by virtue of a penalty shootout earlier in the day, had to try and stop one more to keep its hopes alive, but Flores converted, finding the left of the frame.

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