May 16, 2012

By Dan Shalin

CHICAGO, IL - Chicago Inferno manager Branko Savic admits his first-year team could not have been handed a tougher test than away at Michigan Bucks to open the Premier Development League season.

The contest, which begins at 7:30 p.m. local time on Saturday at the indoor Ultimate Soccer Arenas in Pontiac, Mich., pits long-time beasts of PDL’s Great Lakes Division against a club just welcomed officially into the league in January.

Michigan, with its history and tradition dating back to the mid-90s and stars from major-college programs, several of whom have played for the Bucks for multiple seasons, looks to be a heavy favorite. But Savic said the Inferno will be looking to put in a strong performance on what will be an historic night for the club.

“Our first game is against one of the toughest opponents, not just in our division, but in the league overall,” he said. “They are well established and have top NCAA players and some ex-pros, who have been with them for several years. They are a great organization and we are definitely going in as the underdog."

The game is the first of a back-to-back weekend for the Inferno, who then travel to Ontario for Sunday’s meeting with the Hamilton FC Rage, which takes place at 7 p.m. local time at McMaster University.

Savic estimates that about 90 percent of the Inferno’s 25-man squad will be available for the two games, with a few players still finishing up end-of-year academic commitments at their respective colleges.

The roster has taken shape over the last eight months as Savic and Inferno team President Todd Short have recruited college players, signed some ex-professionals and plucked a few of the best performers from multiple open tryouts.

A portion of the squad was on-hand for the opening of preseason training in late April, while additional players have come into camp over the last few weeks.  

The group continues to get familiar with one another on the field, but Savic said the players have arrived with the right attitude and that team spirit has been good.

The Inferno also have had some success during a three-game exhibition schedule in which they won one and tied one against the St. Louis Lions of the PDL’s Heartland Division and then defeated the Milwaukee Bavarians of the NPSL.

“To be honest, the group of players have come in with the right approach to training, they have an outstanding work ethic, they get along with each other and we have a good group of personalities,” Savic said. “When it comes to talent, some things are missing, but our goal always has been to build a team of good young players, and then to work on their development.”

Based on preseason results, the first Inferno team looks like it has some players capable of finding the net. Chicago scored seven goals in its three preseason games.

Forward/wing Gordy Gurson, the reining Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year at Robert Morris University and the Inferno’s first signing in January, struck twice in a 3-1 win at St. Louis on May 5. The other goal in that game was scored by Brazilian-Canadian Damiem Rolon- Mérette, one of three Inferno players signed from Canadian Soccer League side Capital City FC.

On May 9, the Inferno played their first of nine home games at Wheaton College’s Joe Bean Stadium, coming away with a 2-2 draw against St. Louis Athletic.

The story in that contest was the two-goal performance of Chicago’s 20-year-old midfielder Alberto Lopez, the Aurora, IL.-native perhaps best known for being the Sueño Major League Soccer skills-competition winner in 2009.

Though several Inferno players have shown flashes of brilliance early on, Savic said consistency is what will earn spots in the starting XI.

“When you are playing young players, they often have great games and then drop down and have poor games. There is often no stability when you are talking about young players, which is expected and normal,” Savic said. “These young players have to understand that if they are going to be starters (on the Inferno) they have to establish a stable level of play. Can they play at 70-percent of their ability for four, five, six games in a row, instead of one game at 100 percent and the next game at 20 percent?”

With five days remaining until the season-opener, Savic said he was still trying to fit the right pieces together and determine the team’s best lineup.

The coach said he had not yet chosen a starter from among the three goalkeepers on his roster: Peter McKeown (Loyola-Chicago), Zachary Szymel (Robert Morris) or Troy Osborne (Iowa Wesleyan). Defensively, Savic continues to work on building a cohesive backline. Veteran Vladimir Knezevic, the 36-year-old former player on the indoor Chicago Storm, is being counted on to provide a veteran presence at center back.  

After this weekend’s road trip, the Inferno open the home portion of their PDL schedule on May 25 when they welcome Louisville-based River City Rovers to Wheaton (7 p.m.)

Savic said he got a feel for Wheaton Colleges’ soccer-specific stadium during the preseason match against St. Louis and said there is a lot to like about the facility.

“It’s a great soccer set-up. The stadium holds 2000 people and is in a nice neighborhood and at a nice school,” he said. “The locker rooms are good. The facility itself is really a nice soccer set-up for playing and for fans coming down there to watch the game.”

CHICAGO (May 15, 2012) – The 99th edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup had its share of first-round surprises and tightly contested matches as the 2012 tournament kicked off Tuesday with 16 games across the country. The U.S. Adult Soccer Association regional qualifying teams made their voice heard with four winning squads out of nine entries.

The USASA’s Dulles Sportsplex Aegean Hawks FC garnered its first-ever U.S. Open Cup victory with a 3-1 win against the Carolina Dynamo of the Premier Development League at the Maryland SoccerPlex Stadium in Boyds, Md. The Aegean Hawks advance to the second round on Tuesday, May 22, to face the USL PRO’s Richmond Kickers – an organization well known for its 1995 U.S. Open Cup Final victory against the El Paso Patriots.

Also on Tuesday, the Kansas City Athletics of the USASA overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit and scored three second-half goalson the road to defeat the PDL’s Real Colorado Foxes. K.C. will have a difficult second round assignment next week when it takes on the Orlando City Soccer Club – last year’s USL PRO champion – in Sanford, Fla.

On the west coast, PSA Elite’s USASA team maintained a lead through the bulk of its match as Davis Paul’s two goals paced the team against the PDL’s Portland Timbers U-23s for a 3-1 victory. And USASA side Cal FC, led by Danny Barrera’s two goals, defeated the PDL’s Kitsap Pumas 3-1.

For results and schedule updates of the 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, visit ussoccer.com.

Here is a rundown of Tuesday’s first round:

2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Schedule
FIRST ROUND – Tuesday, May 15
Jacksonville United (NPSL) 2, Orlando City U-23s (PDL) 1: Jacksonville scored two second-half goals, with all of the game’s scoring coming in the second half, and defeated host Orlando City U-23s at the Seminole Soccer Complex in Sanford, Fla.

Reading United AC (PDL) 2, N.Y. Greek Americans (USASA) 1: Pedro Ribeiro and Olutolani Ibikunle netted goals in the 37th and 55th minutes, respectively to build a 2-0 lead and eventually earn the victory against the N.Y. Greek Americans at Fleetwood High School’s Ray Buss Field in Fleetwood, Pa.

Long Island Rough Riders (PDL) 2, FC Sonic (NPSL) 0: The Rough Riders scored two first-half goals and defeated Sonic on the road at Whitehall High School Stadium in Whitehall, Pa. The game originally was scheduled to be played at the Ulrich Sports Complex of Lehigh University, but was moved because of field conditions.

Dulles Sportsplex Aegean Hawks FC (USASA) 3, Carolina Dynamo (PDL) 1: The Aegean Hawks earned their first Open Cup victory on the strength of two Scott Larrabee goals at Maryland SoccerPlex Stadium in Boyds, Md. Matt May added an 86th-minute tally to clinch the win.

Michigan Bucks (PDL) 6, Jersey Shore Boca (USASA) 0: Stefan St. Louis scored two of Michigan’s first three goals and the Bucks netted three goals in each half en route to a victory against Jersey Shore at Ultimate Soccer in Pontiac, Mich. It marked the 10th Open Cup win in the Bucks’ history. Boca made matters difficult with Nick Tarquinio’s red card in the 17th minute, forcing Jersey Shore to play the rest of the match with 10 men.

Georgia Revolution (NPSL) 1, Mississippi Brilla FC (PDL) 0 (OT): The Revolution needed overtime and found its game-winning goal from Hailab Habtom in the 105th minute to defeat Mississippi Brilla at the RYSA Soccerplex in Conyers, Ga.

Brooklyn Italians (NPSL) 3, GPS Portland Phoenix (PDL) 2: Brooklyn netted early goals from Nathaniel Simons in the fifth minute and Christian Turizo on a seventh-minute free kick as the Italians defeated the Portland Phoenix PDL squad at Deering High School’s Memorial Field in Portland, Maine.

Chicago Fire PDL (PDL) 1, Croatian Eagles (USASA) 0: Isaac Kannah’s fifth-minute goal held up for the host Fire PDL during their victory against the Croatian Eagles at the Toyota Park Practice Field in Bridgeview, Ill.

Des Moines Menace (PDL) 3, Milwaukee Bavarians (NPSL) 1 (OT): Des Moines, playing with a 10-vs.-9 advantage in overtime, pulled off a two-goal victory against Milwaukee at a rain-soaked and sprinkler-malfunctioning Bavarian Soccer Park in Glendale, Wis. Lebogang Moloto had both overtime goals for the Menace.

Laredo Heat (PDL) 4, ASC New Stars (USASA) 2 (OT): Second-half substitution Placide Buduri scored two overtime goals to carry the Heat past the ASC New Stars at Texas A&M International University in Laredo, Texas.

K.C. Athletics (USASA) 3, Real Colorado Foxes (PDL) 1: The Athletics overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit and scored three unanswered goals in the second half to defeat Real Colorado at Colorado School of Mines Soccer Stadium in Golden, Colo.

El Paso Patriots (PDL) 3, NTX Rayados (USASA) 1: Naoyas Aizawa scored two El Paso goals and assisted what proved to be the game-winner by Michael Griego to defeat NTX Rayados at Patriots Stadium in El Paso, Texas.

Fresno Fuego (PDL) 2, Stanislaus United Turlock Express (US Club Soccer) 0: Abraham Campos scored a pair of goals for Fresno for the victory against Stanislaus United at Academica Fields in Turlock, Calif. The win had its sour moment from Fresno’s perspective as Nehemias Blanco picked up a red card in the 64th minute.

PSA Elite (USASA) 3, Portland Timbers U-23s (PDL) 1: Davis Paul scored two goals and Christian Ramirez added a first-half goal to lead PSA Elite past the host Portland Timbers U-23s at JELD-WEN Field in Portland, Ore.

Cal FC (USASA) 3, Kitsap Pumas (PDL) 1: Danny Barrera had Cal FC’s first two goals and defeated Kitsap at Bremerton Memorial Stadium in Bremerton, Wash.

Ventura County Fusion (PDL) 6, Fullerton Rangers (NPSL) 2 (OT): Ventura County erupted with four goals in overtime to oust Fullerton at the Santa Ana Bowl in Santa Ana, Calif. Frankie Lopez’s penalty kick goal gave Ventura County a 3-2 lead, and teammates Kennedy Chongo, Willie Rupert and Rodrigo Lopez followed with goals to put the match well out of reach.

SECOND ROUND – Tuesday, May 22
Michigan Bucks (PDL) at Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL PRO): Chartiers Valley Stadium; Bridgeville, Pa.; 7 p.m. ET

Long Island Rough Riders (PDL) at Harrisburg City Islanders (USL PRO): Skyline Sports Complex; Harrisburg, Pa.; 7 p.m. ET

Cal FC (USASA) at Wilmington Hammerheads (USL PRO): Legion Sports Complex; Wilmington, N.C.; 7 p.m. ET

PSA Elite (USASA) at Carolina RailHawks (NASL): WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, N.C.; 7:07 p.m. ET

Fresno Fuego (PDL) at Fort Lauderdale Strikers (NASL): Lockhart Stadium; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; 7:30 p.m. ET

K.C. Athletics (USASA) at Orlando City Soccer Club (USL PRO): Seminole Soccer Complex; Sanford, Fla.; 7:30 p.m. ET

Reading United AC (PDL) at Charleston Battery (USL PRO): Blackbaud Stadium; Charleston, S.C.; 5:30 p.m. ET

Brooklyn Italians (NPSL) at Rochester Rhinos (USL PRO): Sahlen’s Stadium; Rochester, N.Y.; 7:35 p.m. ET

Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL) at Jacksonville United (NPSL): Patton Park; Jacksonville, Fla.; 7 p.m. ET

Richmond Kickers (USL PRO) at Dulles Sportsplex Aegean Hawks FC (USASA): Maryland SportsPlex Stadium; Boyds, Md.; 7:30 p.m. ET

Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL) at Georgia Revolution (NPSL): RYSA Soccerplex; Conyers, Ga.; 7:30 p.m. ET

Laredo Heat (PDL) at San Antonio Scorpions (NASL): Heroes Stadium; San Antonio, Texas; 7:30 p.m. CT

Dayton Dutch Lions (USL PRO) at Chicago Fire PDL (PDL): Toyota Park Practice Field; Bridgeview, Ill.; 6 p.m. CT

Minnesota Stars FC (NASL) at Des Moines Menace (PDL): Valley Stadium; Des Moines, Iowa; 7:30 p.m. CT

Charlotte Eagles (USL PRO) at El Paso Patriots (PDL): Patriots Stadium; El Paso, Texas; 8 p.m. MT

Ventura County Fusion (PDL) at Los Angeles Blues (USL PRO): Norco Community College*, Norco, Calif.; 4 p.m. PT*

* Note: Changed from original May 1 announcement.

2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Schedule (Per Round)
May 15: First Round
May 22: Second Round
May 29: Third Round
June 5: Fourth Round
June 26: Quarterfinals
July 10: Semifinals
Aug. 7 or 8: Final

April 20, 2012

Chicago, IL - Back in September 2011, Inferno president Todd Short and team manager Branko Savic began constructing their soccer network for the club.  One of the teams on their contact list was Capital City FC of the Canadian Soccer League (CSL).  The Ottawa-based club just completed its inaugural season in Canada’s top-flight professional league, falling just short of the 2011 championship by dropping a 1-0 decision to Toronto Croatia in the title match. 

"Capital City technical director Shaun Harris has plenty of experience in the United States with both the United Soccer Leagues and Major League Soccer.  We felt that Shaun’s knowledge of soccer in the U.S. and his experience building a new franchise, makes him a valuable person for us to know," stated Todd Short.

Inferno head coach Branko Savic went on to say, "When I sat in on the conference call with Todd and Shaun, my main goal was to open a door for our players if they were deserving of a shot at professional soccer in Canada.  If we had a player that was looking to the CSL, we could call Shaun and get them a look."

All parties on that phone call back in September must have liked what they heard...fast forward to April 2012 and Capital City FC has entrusted Chicago Inferno with three of their up and coming Under-23 players for the 2012 PDL season:

Emir Zrnic, a midfielder, was born in Bosnia-Herzegovina and lived in Switzerland before coming to Canada.  Zrnic was a gold medal winner in the Canadian games with Quebec in 2009. He has participated with clubs such as Stade de Reims (France),  L’U.S Albi (CFA France), and Montreal Impact (academy).  "Based on what I have seen Emir seems to be the creative midfielder we need.  He has the potential to develop as a player and continue to a career in professional soccer," said Branko Savic.

Damiem Rolon-Mérette, a midfielder and native of Gatineau, went to Brazil and competed with Portuguesa Futebol Clube in Sao Paolo.  He was selected into the Canadian Youth National Teams at U15, U16, and U17 and named captain.  Damiem remained in Brazil at Nacional Atletico Clube, Ole Brasil FC and Camasari of Bahia.

Francis Létourneau-Mathieu, a defender, was born in Hull, Quebec and had collegiate soccer experience playing for Cegep de l’Outaouais. His team won the 2009 gold medal at both the regional and provincial championship.  At the university level, he is a member of the University of Ottawa Gee-gees men’s soccer team.  Mathieu also brings seven years of experience with FC Outaouais AAA club team, where he was part of the 2009 Saputo Cup championship team.

The top developmental men’s league in North America, the PDL features 73 teams within four conferences across the United States and Canada. The PDL season consists of 16 regular season matches for each team, eight home and eight away, and provides elite collegiate players the opportunity to taste a higher level of competition while maintaining their eligibility. In addition to league play, PDL teams compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup as well as various exhibitions. The PDL has proven to be an important stepping-stone for top professionals now playing throughout the world.

Chicago Inferno is set to kick off the 2012 PDL season on May 19th at Michigan Bucks.  The first home match is set for May 25th at Wheaton College against the River City Rovers.

April 13, 2012

By Dan Shalin

Chicago, IL - Like all successful executives, Chicago Inferno president Todd Short has his short-term and long-term objectives.

Since September, Short has been working tirelessly to ready the club for its first season in the prestigious Premier Development League (PDL), the country’s top amateur outfit, which begins play in late May.

Short has hired a head coach, overseen player recruitment, signed up sponsors, found venues for games and practices, entered into charitable partnerships and promoted the team to prospective ticket buyers.

“I think it’s gone as well as possible for a first-year team,” said Short, who gained experience as a PDL executive last season when he headed up the Inferno’s Great Lakes Division rival Chicago Fire Premier. “I have a ‘To Do’ list of 200 items. Having done it last year (with the Fire), I feel I have a good base. You have to take it item by item or it can be overwhelming.”

Through all the planning, Short said he has been mindful of the club’s future. Though he’s looking to present the best possible product on and off the field this season, he is committed to building slowly in order to make the club sustainable and allow it room to grow.

“People are passionate about the game and have ideas about what a club should be. But the key thing (for me as the club’s president) is to look into that crystal ball and come up with ways to be successful over time,” Short said. “We’re a new PDL team and I want to do things we can sustain and build upon. We always want to move forward, not backward."

Short continued: “If we travel in 15-passenger vans the first year, I want to build, so we can travel on a 56-passenger bus in year two. That’s just one example of starting smaller and growing. We don’t want to make decisions, realize it was a wrong step and too costly and then move backward. Our motto is ‘No false starts.’”

One of Short’s first steps last fall was to hire Branko Savic as the team manager. Savic was the player/coach of the 2010 USL-indoor-league champion Chicago Storm, a one-time professional player in his native Serbia and an NAIA All-American at Lindenwood University.

Savic and Short have spent the last several months building a roster, some of the players chosen from the team’s three tryout camps, which have attracted over 150 hopefuls.

As promised, the Inferno’s first squad features collegiate and post high school players, many with ties to the Chicagoland area, and a smattering of former professionals, expected to add veteran savvy and leadership.

Lincolnshire, IL-native Gordon Gurson (Robert Morris University) was the team’s first signing straight off his 18-goal sophomore season in which he was named the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year. Another one of the many intriguing prospects on the roster is Aurora-native Alberto Lopez, who was the 2009 winner of Sueño Major League Soccer, a national soccer skills competition.

The roster also includes 37-year-old Serbian defender Vladimir Knezevic, who played professionally for the Chicago Storm. The team also has reportedly been in discussions to sign Jay Lee Harris, 29-year-old English player who has suited up for multiple English Football League clubs and played in both Scandinavia and Asia.

With a roster featuring players from several countries and soccer cultures, Savic said he looks forward to blending the various styles into a cohesive unit.

“When you look at our team, we pretty much have the ethnic picture of Chicago as a city,” Savic said. “We have Hispanic guys, European, American. We have to put that together and create a group that can think and breathe together as a team.”

Preseason training begins in late April, though current college players will report at various times later in the spring. The club is scheduled to open up the 16-game regular season on May 19 at the Michigan Bucks.

The Inferno will train at Schaumburg’s Olympic Park and play its home games at Wheaton College’s 2,000-seat Joe Bean Stadium, a soccer-specific facility. The regular-season home opener versus River City Rovers currently is scheduled for 7 p.m. on May 25.

Whether playing in their home navy shirts or their road reds, the Inferno’s jerseys will be adorned with the name Kick Energy Drink, the team’s Presenting Sponsor.

Kick, produced by Global Brands Ltd in the United Kingdom and distributed in the U.S. by Dolce Beverage Group LLC of Streamwood, IL, is a growing brand in the energy drink sector. The Kick Energy Drink promotional vehicles and the Kick Girls also will appear at Inferno home games.

Another important Inferno partnership is with Urban Initiatives, a non-profit organization that runs a health and education soccer program for children, many of them underprivileged, in the Chicago Public Schools.

At 3:30 p.m. on May 4, at Chicago’s North Avenue Beach Turf Field, Inferno players will hold a clinic for kids from Urban Initiatives, after which the Inferno will face the kids in an 11 versus 100 soccer game.

“That event is not really about marketing, I just love what Urban Initiatives is doing,” said Short, who often talks about the Inferno’s commitment to community involvement.

The 11 versus 100 game will not be the club’s last child-focused event over the summer. The Inferno also will run two youth soccer camps: from July 16-20 and then from July 23-27, both at Schaumburg’s Olympic Park. The camps are open to boys and girls ages 7-13, who will receive instruction from Savic and several Inferno players.

Chicago Inferno News Release

Chicago Inferno Feature

By Dan Shalin

Chicago, IL - When the Chicago Inferno play their first season in the PDL this summer, the club’s home and road jerseys will feature the increasingly-familiar logo of Kick Energy Drink, the growing global brand introduced today as the team’s Presenting Sponsor.

• Kick Energy Drink humvees will be present at Inferno home games
• The Kick Girls will make appearances and conduct giveaways at home games
• Inferno players will attend Kick in-store promotional events
• Inferno tickets will be given away at Kick events