AC Milan 5-0 Win Over Chelsea Secures Championship and Undefeated Season
For the past 6 years, FC Milwaukee has hosted a unique intra club indoor league during the 2nd session, at Brookfield Indoor Soccer Complex. Teams are made up of players from our older girls teams and selected via "draft" by participating FCMN staff coaches.
While our older boys teams are just returning to the club for training and gearing up for competition, after their respective high school seasons, the girls take a break from the usual routine of training and competing against their counter parts from other clubs nationwide to intermingle with and compete against fellow team and club mates of various ages.
Needless to say, the environment has proven competitive and fantastic for development. Players distinguish themselves among their peers, FCMN coaches distinguish themselves amongst eachother and some of the battles have become the thing of FCMN Legend.
This season was no different, as FC Milwaukee's version of "The Invincibles" emerged in the form of Rob Harrington's AC Milan who defeated Andrew Frenz' Chelsea, 5-0 in the championship match. Though both teams entered the decisive match undefeated, AC Milan proved a might too much for Chelsea to handle. According to Tony Wright, who watched each game and served as league impresario, AC Milan's big advantage over Chelsea was its championship caliber endurance. AC Milan outlasted and wore down its opponents throughout this year's 6 week season emerging from the battlefield with 6 straight victories.
Wright's Championship Game and League Summary:
It was a fixture in which everything looked under AC's control, as Rob Harrington's side took the lead 10 minutes into the game. The consequences of a soft pass from a Chelsea defender were devastating because of the exquisite skill that ensued after the ball was switched from right to left. Grace Murray controlled the ball and laid it back to Brenna Koeneke who fired past a helpless Maggie Marks in goal.
The roll that Milan were on over the past 5 weeks was resumed it's momentum upon that fateful 1st goal as the team to settled into the match and controlled play for the remaining 15 minutes of the first half. Eventually, AC added to their lead with Murray, again the provider, sliding a pass to a wide open Tessa Estock for goal number 2, just on the stroke of halftime. "We played very well in the first half and two great finishes gave us the advantage," remarked coach Harrington.
After the break, AC again took control of the match and their third goal came after a sustained period of pressure. Koeneke once again finished off a fluid move hammering home a deft pass from Stephanie Fabry. However, the goal and the play of the night was still to come for a rampant AC side.
A perfectly executed 3 versus 2 counter attack, finished with Holly Hough finishing one touch into the top right hand corner after a perfect one touch pass from Dani Rhodes. The move was intiated when Koeneke stole a pass, dribbled at the Chelsea back line and laid the ball off to Rhodes. " That move was impossible to defend," said Harrington. "The ball moved so quickly the defenders just couldn't catch up."
AC wrapped up the evening by adding one more goal late in the game when Dani Rhodes dribbled past two defenders before firing a shot into the bottom right corner of Mark's net. Harrington, a realist above all, was pleased with the teams' performance. " We defended well, which meant we had a lot of the ball and could attack with all five field players. Our movement on and off the ball was great, and when our defenders are able to get forward, we are very difficult to play against.
Chelsea coach, Andrew Frenz was happy with the way his side played this season. "We started slow this year, but really gained momentum as the season wore on. We didn't have many chances tonight, but when we did, their goal keepers kept turning us away-great credit to Coach Harrington and his team," said Frenz.
In other final week action, Real Madrid finished the season with a 6-4 win over Marseilles and Ajax beat Bayern Munich in an enterntaining 3rd/4th place game. "We are extremely thankful to all FC Milwaukee Champions League participants, this year. Our coaches and players embraced the league, the format and the competition; our younger players found their roles within their teams; and our senior players took control and helped their teams improve technically and tactically by creating the correct environment," commented League Director, Tony Wright. " 11 of the 18 games this year were decided by 2 goals or less. This is a testament to how competitive the league has become," he continued.
"A big thank you this season to Peter Knezic, Nick Martinez, Andrew Frenz, Dan Montanye and Rob Harrington for coaching our teams in the league and providing guidance to the players. We look forward to the 2013 season," Wright said.
League Honors:
League MVP-Brenna Koeneke
Golden Boot (most goals)- Olivia Wright (15)/Real Madrid
Golden Boot Runner Up- Stephanie Fabry (12)/AC Milan
Golden Boot Honorable Mention- Emma Scaro (10)/Ajax
Silver Boot (most assists)- Delaney Hughes (7)/Marseilles
Silver Boot Runner Up- Allegra Godfrey (6)-Real Madrid
League MVP/Goal Keeper- Maggie Marks/Chelsea
Rookie of the Year- Dani Rhodes-AC Milan
