August - September 2007

Midwest Regional League Recap

09/14/2007 -- The Chicago Magic U14 Girls started slow in their first game going down initially 1-0. However, they came back to win the game. This boosted their confidence for their next game when they responded with their second win. A slow start was also the theme with the Chicago Magic U16 Girls as they also went down at the start of the game with a 1-0 disadvantage. But the experienced squad settled down and it was Shayla Mutz finding the back of the net not once, not twice, but three times within a twenty minute span giving them the win. The CMSC U18 Girls have been criticized by outsiders that their play would trail off with injuries and some players going to college. But the critics were proven wrong, as the girls showed that they could step up and win when needed.

National Soccer Ranking Cup Recap

09/13/2007 -- The Chicago Magic U14 Girls beat the Crew from the state of Michigan 2-0 in the championship final. They also met them in pool play tying them 1-1. The Girls advanced to the finals with a semi-final win over Eclipse South with a defining 3-0 win. "We played well considering these were our first games since July" said Scott Fonfara, Girls Director, "We wanted to use this tournament as a 'pre-season warm-up' for our Midwest Regional League matches.

Three Magic Players in Residency

09/12/2007 -- U.S. Soccer's Under-17 Residency Program's fall semester kicked off last week as more than 40 players resumed training at IMG Academies in Bradenton, Florida. The Residency pool is made of players born in 1990, 1991, 1992 and one player born in 1993. Included in the program are Magic standouts: Brendan King (1990), Josh Lambo (1990) and Perry Kitchen (1992).

Kohl's Fall Boys Best of the Midwest Schedule Posted!

09/09/2007 -- The Kohl's Fall Best of the Midwest schedule for boys has now been posted. The tournament will take place at the new fields of the Hallmark Convention and Sports Complex in Hebron, Indiana . Girls schedules will be posted as early as September 16th. Teams can avoid the drive and long lines on Friday by pre-registering .

Neuqua Valley on Top

09/02/2007 -- Neuqua Valley/Chicago Magic U17 player Robby Gargaro helped his teammates earn a thrilling victory Saturday night. The Wildcats defeated Naperville Central and Chicago Magic standout Tim Zimmer 5-4 in penalty kicks in the Best of the West championship match at Memorial Stadium.

Lambo Named Sierra Mist Man of the Match

08/30/2007 -- The U.S. Under-17 Men's National team were knocked out of the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup this evening in Cheonan, South Korea, when they fell, 2-1, to Germany in the Round of 16. Magic goal keeper, Josh Lambo stood on his head as the old saying goes and earned the Sierra Man of the Match title.

Greek Soccer Club Signs Pari Pantazopoulos

08/28/2007 -- Founded in 1948, Alki Larnaca is a Cypriot football club based in the town of Larnaca. The former Magic player was courted and signed by the Greek club this past summer. He and his new teammates will be playing in the Cypriot First Division, the top division in Cyprus, having gained promotion last season.

Best of the Midwest Brackets Announced

08/27/2007 -- The Kohl's Fall Best of the Midwest soccer tournaments have posted boys and girls brackets for their upcoming tournaments. The tournaments will take place at the new fields of the Hallmark Convention and Sports Complex in Hebron, Indiana . Schedules will be posted as early as September 9th. Teams can avoid the drive and long lines on Friday by pre-registering.

Lambo Records U-17 FIFA World Cup Shutout!

08/26/2007 -- The U.S. Under-17 Men's National Team advanced to the Round of 16 of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup with a 2-0 win over Belgium in their third and final Group E match at the Cheonan Sports Complex in Cheonan, South Korea. Coach Hackworth made a goal keeper change from the last match. Magic standout goalkeeper Josh Lambo received his first start of the tournament and did not disappoint. Lambo earned the USA's first shutout in a FIFA U-17 World Cup since 1999.

Top Drawer Soccer Membership

08/23/2007 -- Top Drawer Soccer (www.topdrawersoccer.com) is a very helpful resource for teams and players as they continue to seek success in the elite youth soccer world and in marketing themselves to colleges. After four years of providing unique and top-quality information to soccer fans in the US with special emphasis on elite youth competition, player development college soccer, exciting changes have been implemented at Top Drawer Soccer. We would encourage all Magic families to check out 'Rankings Plus', 'Players to Watch', and 'College HQ' by subscribing to a Top Drawer Membership.

Best of the Midwest Accepted Teams

08/19/2007 -- The Kohl's Fall Best of the Midwest soccer tournaments have posted boys and girls accepted teams for their upcoming tournaments. The tournaments will take place at the new fields of the Hallmark Convention and Sports Complex in Hebron, Indiana . Brackets will be posted by August 26th, with schedules as early as September 9th.

Magic Placed in Academy Mid-America Conference

08/07/2007 -- The Development Academy kicks off in September with a two-day orientation in Chicago . The first matches of the inaugural season will then begin during the first week of October. Teams will compete in three different types of game weekends - individual conference games, travel partner weekends and showcase weekends to provide them with the optimum balance of playing rhythm, economy of travel and exposure to scouts. Competition will be divided into eight conferences with the Chicago Magic being placed in the Mid-America Conference with the U.S. National teams.

2007 FIFA U17 World Cup News!

08/06/2007 -- U.S. Under-17 Men's National Team head coach John Hackworth has a 21 man roster that includes two Magic standouts in Brendan King and Josh Lambo. Both Magic players will help represent the United States at the 2007 FIFA U17 World Cup from August 18 through September 9th across eight venues in South Korea . "We felt all along that the talented pool of players in this age group is very deep, making our decisions extremely difficult," said Hackworth. "However, we feel that we selected players that have proven that they are dedicated to our team's success at the World Cup."

USMNT U17s Head to Japan

08/06/2007 -- The U.S. U17 (1991's) Men's National Team will travel to Japan for the Toyota International Youth Football Championship, where they will face Japan on August 10 and Australia on August 11 before playing a placement match depending on their results in group play. Head coach Brian Maisonneuve named an 18-player roster for the tournament, which includes Chicago Magic standout, Perry Kitchen who was born in 1992.