AC Connecticut Claims First USL Academy Finals Title
- Jonathan Turner
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
BRADENTON, Fla. — AC Connecticut captured its first USL Academy Finals championship on Sunday, defeating Indy Eleven 4–2 in a penalty shootout after a 1–1 draw through extra time. The victory comes one year after falling to the same opponent in the final.
Goalkeeper Luca Marinelli made a crucial save in the shootout, and Preston Alessio buried the winning kick to deliver the long-awaited trophy.
“It means a lot to win this title. Everyone’s pretty passionate here, and we wanted to come for that revenge,” Marinelli said. “We definitely struggled at points, but we struggled together and we also won together.”
Johan Bermudez, who scored the lone goal in regulation for AC Connecticut, said he had been waiting for his moment.
“I started the tournament strong. The last two games I hadn’t scored, so I knew my moment was coming again and I’m glad I was able to help the team in the final,” Bermudez said.
A Quick Indy Response
After conceding their first goal of the tournament in extra time, Indy Eleven responded just three minutes later. A free kick from Edin Cvorovic floated into the six-yard box, where Jose Davila finished to level the match.
Neither side could find a winner in the remaining minutes of extra time, setting up a dramatic shootout to decide the championship.
Marinelli’s stop, a miss off the post from Indy, and successful conversions by Luke Fiscella, Bermudez, Matthias Dick, and Alessio secured the title for AC Connecticut — marking their third straight run to at least the semifinal stage.
“Every game I thought we got a little bit better and progressed,” said head coach Antony Howard. “I think yesterday against Lexington was the first real good performance we put together, and we needed to be good today because Indy were very, very good.”
The Road to the Final
AC Connecticut advanced through a challenging path featuring three USL Championship academies — Miami FC, Sporting JAX, and Lexington SC.
Round of 16: A physical battle with Miami FC ended with a decisive early extra-time winner.
Quarterfinal: After falling behind 2–0 in the opening 20 minutes to Sporting JAX, AC Connecticut stormed back for a 3–2 victory.
Semifinal: A high-tempo matchup against Lexington SC tested the team’s defensive structure, but a dominant second half sealed their spot in the final.
The title makes AC Connecticut the fourth club to win the USL Academy Finals in the competition’s five-year history.
“I think it was being here last year and losing,” Howard said. “Similar to Indy, who had the championship-winning mentality, you’ve got to work to that. I think we learned a lot last year and it paid off.”
Match Flow
The final opened with both sides prioritizing possession and patience. AC Connecticut generated the stronger looks early, forcing Indy goalkeeper Ryan Hunsucker into a pair of tight saves during the first 35-minute period.
In the second half, both teams pushed higher, trading chances. AC Connecticut’s Salvatore Zani struck the crossbar seconds before the final whistle of regulation.
Four minutes into extra time, Connecticut broke through. Working again down the right flank, Michael Asare linked with Samuel Carrias, whose driven cross found Bermudez for his third goal of the tournament.
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