In July of
2007, the Chicago Kickers U15 girl’s team (91') made their first
trip to Minnesota for the Schwan’s USA Cup. The girls started
preparing for the week-long-tournament as soon as school ended. The
team practiced 3 times a week - to prepare for the intense summer
heat expected in Minnesota.
Opening
Ceremonies were held Monday evening. The Kicker's girls put on their
Abe Lincoln top hats and walked in proudly. The girl’s already
knew at that moment that they wanted to return next year. The girls
mingled with players from other states and countries and traded pins
and other things that they had brought with them. It was a great
evening.
The round robin
games started off a little rough with the Kickers losing 1-2 to a
Minnesota team from White Bear Lake. The girls came out stronger the
next day and beat the Centennial Spirit from Minnesota 1-0. The last
playoff game decided if the team would move into the A bracket or
the B bracket. The first half ended with the Kickers behind 0-1. The
Kickers started the second half with tons of energy and scored 2
goals to beat the GV Phoenix Firebirds. The kickers advanced into
the A bracket.
In the
quarterfinals the girls played Damascus Blaze from Maryland. The
girls beat them hands down 2-0 which moved them into the semifinals.
In the
semifinals, The Kickers played rivals United FC from Kenosha,
Wisconsin. Earlier in the year, the Kickers lost to United FC 0-3.
The girls came out stronger than ever and ready for an exciting
game. The Kickers scored 2 goals in the first half. In the second
half, United FC came out pressuring hard but the Kickers stayed
strong and only allowed one goal. The final result was Kickers 2 and
United FC 1.
The Kickers
made it to the Championship game against a Canadian team. The Canadian team scored an early goal. The Kickers
dominated the run of play throughout the game however they lost 0-1.
The Kickers were disappointed, but they held their heads high
knowing it was their first year in the tournament and they plan to
return next year.
