By Zach Zook
BLOOMINGTON – The Illinois Fusion 00 Girls Premier team ended its wild season in an inconceivable fashion last week.
After two hours of soccer in the 95-degree Florida heat, the Fusion remained tied with a team from California. Eventually in heartbreaking fashion, after a series of penalty kicks, the Fusion were defeated in the finals of the National Presidents Cup. Although the defeat was upsetting for the team, their success and prospects for a bright future haven’t diminished.
“It’s a chemistry you really can’t describe with the girls and you can tell that they kind of stuck together as young players and developed themselves through the club (Illinois Fusion),” head coach Brandon Menke said. “They’re just now reaping the benefits.”
Six months prior to their second place finish at nationals, the Fusion worked out a partnership with the Chicago Fire Juniors program.
“It gives coaches resources to improve their own abilities,” Menke said. “Whether it’s from their own coaching acumen from the Chicago Fire or it’s pro coaches coming down and giving us clinics or tools on how to plan a session, basically just how to make a player better.”
The entire Fusion club will become the Illinois Fire Juniors with Menke’s team in particular becoming the Illinois Fire Juniors 00 Girls Premier team.
“This is a good move for us to improve our exposure within the area but allow these younger kids an opporunity to be seen and be developed as soccer players and become better as they get older to maybe become like this team that just made it to the national finals,” said Menke.
The Fire has junior clubs all over the midwest with a team in Chicago as well as teams based in Michigan and Indiana. The partnership will provide Menke’s team with both opportunities and resources. Although Menke’s team just had the best finish in club history, he explained that he desires sustained success for the club as a whole and thinks the Fire partnership will help accomplish that.
“I’m hopeful that it’s not just a one time thing and everyone forgets about it,” said Menke. “I hope it’s something that these kids will look forward to and say, ‘Hey I want to do that someday and I have to work hard to become a player like that.'”
The Illinois Fire Juniors will start their first season as a club this fall.
Zach Zook can be reached at [email protected].
