HOUSTON(July 7, 2015) -- A game that had a little bit of everything also had a thrilling ending for members of the Chicago Fire Academy U-18 team.
Tasked with going on the road for its quarterfinal contest in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy national playoffs, the sixth-seeded Fire seized a 2-0 lead and a man advantage in the opening half of its matchup with the No. 3-seeded Houston Dynamo. But after the hosts pulled level at three with 15 minutes remaining in regulation, the Fire's Ryan Sierakowski completed a hat trick and delivered the game-winning goal late in stoppage time to lift Chicago to a 4-3 upset victory.
The win moves the Fire (17-4-10) into the semifinals of the USSDA national playoffs, where they will face the Montreal Impact July 16 in Carson, Calif. The other semifinal will pit Real Salt Lake AZ against San Jose Earthquakes.
Sierakowski provided the offensive firepower in the first half, first finishing a pass from Cameron Lindley and later netting his second with a curling shot from distance in the 39th minute. Soon after, a second yellow card against the Dynamo reduced the home side to 10 men.
The Dynamo made their move early in the second half, however, when a handball on the goalline by a Fire player gave the hosts a penalty kick and leveled the playing field at 10 men for both sides. Houston’s Christian Lucatero converted his spot kick, cutting Chicago’s lead in half with 40 minutes still to play.
Chicago’s Andrew Gutman then struck with 25 minutes remaining to restore a two-goal Fire advantage, only to have Houston answer right back with a goal from the top of the penalty area. As the match ticked past the 75th minute, a foul on a Houston corner kick resulted in the Dynamo's second penalty kick of the evening, which Lucatero again buried to level the score at three.
With the match seemingly headed for extra time, a spell of possession in the penalty area ended with the ball on the foot of Sierakowski, who slotted it home for the dramatic winner.
For complete results from the USSDA playoffs quarterfinals, visit USSDA.Demosphere.com.
