Chicago Fire FC Academy Sweeps Columbus Crew Academy, Cleveland Internationals

CHICAGO (June 7, 2021) – The Chicago Fire FC Academy traveled to Ohio to face Columbus Crew Academy on Saturday and Cleveland Internationals on Sunday, coming away with a 10-0-0 record and 46 goals.  

U-15 players Max Padua and Michael Ramírez (Aiden Frick) started the Chicago Fire Academy sweep of the Columbus Crew Academy with one goal each in the 2-0 win. The Fire Academy U-14 team followed suit with a 7-1 victory, with two goals each from Nick Mitrega (Leonardo Orejarena, Judah McCloud) and Omar Ortiz (unassisted), and a goal each from Vladas Simkus (Daniel Zepeda), Makhi Francis (Ortiz) and Jayden Quezada (Ortiz). 

Despite going down 2-0 early in the match, the Fire Academy U-19 came back for the 4-2 win with goals from Missael Rodríguez (unassisted) and Joshua Torres (penalty), and two goals from Noeh Hernández (Torres). At the U-17 level, a Matija Mitrovic hattrick (two penalty kicks) and two goals from Mike Nesci (Mitrovic, Luka Ivancic) gave the Fire a 5-2 win against Columbus. 

The Fire Academy U-13 team also faced Louisville City Academy in a friendly match on Saturday, setting the tone for the weekend with 5-0 win. Vitaliy Hlyut (Andrej Ilich, Dylan Healy) scored twice, and Jack Wesley, Aaron Inech and Derrick Rafacz (Ineh) each scored once. 

Despite going down early 0-1 to Cleveland Internationals on Sunday, the U-13 Fire Academy came back to win 4-1 with goals from Hlyut (unassisted), D. Healy (Hlyut), Ilich (unassisted) and Liam Healy (Oscar Pineda). 

The U-15 Fire Academy followed with a7-2 win against Internationals, with a Ramírez hat trick (Juan Villa), two Kevin Contreras goals (Ramírez, Aaron Deppe), and goals from Frick (Contreras) and Deppe (Aaron Ortiz). 

U-17 Fire Academy goalkeeper Joseph LeBron earned the shutout in the 3-0 win against Internationals. Antonio Costabile, Christian Baumgartner (Mitrovic) and Nesci (Demian Martínez). 

The U-14 squad continued the momentum with a 4-1 win against Internationals, with goals from Orejarena (Daniel Zepeda), Zepeda (Mario Stoka) and two goals from Simkus (McCloud, Martínez). 

Rodríguez assisted Luka Bezerra on two goals to lead the way for a Fire Academy U-19 win, 5-2, against Internationals to close out the weekend. An own goal and goals from Rodríguez (Michael Flores) and Erik Kocs-Washburn (Max Viera) sealed the victory.