From WisconsinSoccerCentral.com
Creighton’s Andrew Ribeiro (Green Bay Notre Dame) and Thierry Zahui scored in a three-minute span in the second half as the Chicago Fire PDL team knocked off the Madison 56ers 2-0 in a second round match of the US Open Cup on Wednesday at Breese Stevens Field.
With the victory in a match postponed by lightning Tuesday night, the Fire advance to play at Major League Soccer’s Sporting Kansas City in the third round.
Madison goalkeeper Kyle Dillman (Madison La Follette) dove and got a hand to Ribeiro’s blast from 20 yards out on the left side, but the ball spun off the keeper’s hand and into the net at the far post in the 66th minute to open the scoring.
“I’d say a ball like that, one out of 10 will go in. And this one did,” Ribeiro said of his first goal of the year. “The keeper made a nice save, but it was a little too hard for him.”
Two minutes later, second-half substitute Thierry Zahui, a native of the Ivory Coast, ripped a shot from the right side that deflected off 56ers midfielder Keith Dangarembwa and past Dillman to double the lead.
The 56ers had several quality scoring opportunities, but Akron keeper David Meves stopped first-half shots by Jed Hohlbein (Middleton/UW) and Trevor Banks (Madison Memorial), and Madison misfired on several chances in the second half.
It was a strange night of soccer Tuesday at Breese Stevens Field. And in the end, not very much soccer.
The Madison 56ers and the Chicago Fire Premier played just more than 17 minutes of their Second Round US Open Cup match before the game was halted by lightning with the Fire ahead 1-0.
The Fire certainly wanted the game to resume, having taken the early lead on Chris Estridge’s goal in the ninth minute.
Indiana midfielder Harrison Petts, who pounded a shot from 23 yards out off the corner of the crossbar and left post in the fourth minute, chipped a ball for Estridge over the 56ers’ backline and the Wake Forest midfielder calmly finished against Madison goalkeeper Kyle Dillman (Madison La Follette).
TheCup.us Match MVP: Andrew Ribeiro
Scoring
Chicago Fire PDL – Andrew Ribeiro (Harrison Petts) 66
Chicago Fire PDL – Thierry Zahui (Chris Estridge) 68
Lineups
MADISON 56ERS: Kyle Dillman; Carl Schneider, Reed Cooper, Sean Ronnekleiv-Kelly, Aaron Nichols; Henry Aiyenero, Keenan Newallo (Keith Dangarembwa 64); Adam Lysak (Josh Thiermann 52), Trevor Banks (Andrew Wiedabach 55), Tenzin Rampa; Jed Hohlbein. Substitutes not used: Colin Mani, Sam Krenzien, David Kommavang, Cody Banks.
CHICAGO FIRE PDL: David Meves; Tyler Polak, Johnny Raj, Kevin Cope, Hunter Gorskie; Jacob Bushue, Andrew Ribeiro (Goffin Boyoko 86), Harrison Petts, Chris Estridge, Brandan King (Thierry Zahui 64); Chris Prince (Paulo Vaz 55). Substitutes not used: Jordan Godsey (GK), Bryan Ciesiulka, Caleb Suri, Drew Russell.
Discipline: M – Wiedabach (caution-dissent, 73), Aiyenero (caution-foul, 75); C – Cope (caution-dissent, 21), Vaz (caution-foul, 77), Raj (caution-unsporting conduct, 79).
Saves: M (Dillman) 4, C (Meves) 2. Shots: M 6, C 20. Fouls: M 15, C 6. Corner kicks: M 1, C 5. Offsides: M 0, C 0.