The Chicago Fire Academy U-16 squad is primed and ready to fight for a place in the semifinals of the 2016 U.S. Soccer Development Academy playoffs Wednesday night.
The club is in Miami, Fla. to square off against host side Weston FC on the campus of Florida International University, with kickoff coming at 4 p.m. CT.
The U-16s emerged as Group E winners in the opening stages of the 2016 USSDA playoffs, posting wins in their first two matches against Strikers FC and IMG Academy and finishing top-of-the-group despite a loss to the New York Red Bulls in their final match.
See Also: U-16 Roster and 2015-16 Schedule
Weston FC came out of Group H on the strength of five points, picking up a victory over Crossfire Premier and a pair of draws in its other group stage outings.
The winner of Wednesday's match between the Fire and Weston FC will go through to the national semifinals, scheduled for Thursday, July 14 in Carson, Calif. Follow @ChiFireAcademy, @WestonFC_USSDA and @ussoccer_acad on Twitter for live updates from the match.
The full slate of Wednesday's U-16 quarterfinal contests is as follows (all times Central):
4 p.m.: Chicago Fire vs. Weston FC (Miami, Fla.)
7 p.m.: FC Golden State vs. Real Colorado (Denver, Colo.)
7:30 p.m.: Real Salt Lake AZ vs. FC Dallas (Frisco, Texas)
9:30 p.m.: Real So Cal vs. LA Galaxy (Carson, Calif.)
