UPSL: Chicago Nation picks up game-winner from unlikely source, holds off New York Shockers 5-4 to advance Elite Eight
- Dan Stickradt
- Jul 21
- 3 min read
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
PARMA, Ohio – Sometimes heroes come from unlikely sources and at unlikely times.
Alley Marley, one of Chicago Nation FC’s center backs, headed home a cornerkick in the 88th minute for a 5-3 lead and his side went on to defeat the New York Shockers 5-4 in a wild United Premier Soccer League Round of 16 match at Byers Field at Robert Boulton Stadium Sunday afternoon in Parma, Ohio.
Chicago Nation will play in the Elite Eight of the UPSL national tournament next weekend at a site to be determined.
Chicago Nation (13-2-0) never trailed in the match, which ended up having more twists and turns than a Rocky Mountain road.
After Daniel Hickiewicz scored his second goal of the game off a Zakhar Shkidchenko cornerkick in the 59th minute, which gave Chicago Nation FC a 4-1 advantage, the Nation FC began to let its guard down.
The New York Shockers took advantage and pushed several more players up in the attack to try to mount a comeback.
Daryl Jeffrey netted his second and third goals of the game in the 67th and 82nd minutes, respectively, to bring the Shockers to within a goal at 4-3.
Marley extended the Chicago lead to two goals at 5-3, only to see Thomas Sams make it 5-4 at the 90+1`mark of stoppage time when he converted a penalty kick goal. That was as close as the Shockers would get as Chicago Nation killed off the last few minutes of stoppage time to complete the victory and advance to next weekend.
Chicago Nation, which extended its win streak to nine games after back-to-back losses in May, took a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute. Mounir Alami broke free down the right side, sent the ball into the box and Cory Pitlik flicked it backwards to Hickiewicz, who buried his shot near the doorstep.
The Shockers (10-2-2) responded on their first shot on goal in an unusual way. Goalkeeper Ryan Henning sent a goalkick about 70 yards downfield and Jeffrey got past his defender and from the top of the 18 blasted home a shot off a one-hop and into the net to tie the game at 1-1.
Chicago Nation regained the lead late in the first half when Shkidchenko slotted the ball into the box and an onrushing Alami tapped it in from six yards out in the 45+2 mark of stoppage time at the end of the half.
Kamran Tejumula pushed the lead to 3-1 with an unassisted goal in the 56th for Chicago Nation FC.
Chicago Nation ended up with a 18-12 overall shots edge in the game, with the Shockers holding a 11-6 edge with shots on goal. Nation also posted a 4-3 edge off cornerkicks with the fourth corner setting up the eventual game-winner.
In conference tournament and UPSL tournament games, Chicago Nation has a 13-7 scoring edge including Sunday's win and have won five straight in a tournament setting. The side owns a 52-13 edge on the scoreboard this season.
The New York Shockers lost in the Round of 16 for the second straight season, both in close affairs. The side finishes the season with a 38-24 edge on the scoreboard.
UPSL: Chicago Nation holds on to knock out Detroit City FC II in Round of 32: https://wix.to/kRpYAEP
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