Chisom Ogbonna’s goal nets Mather city title

Updated: October 15, 2011 7:39PM

Many league championship games entail two strong defensive teams battling for a single goal to be the difference.
The Public League City Championship between Mather and Lane was no different.

Chisom Ogbonna’s late first-half goal lifted Mather to a 1-0 victory and the city title at the University of Chicago Saturday.
“It’s hard work paying off, that’s all it is,” Mather coach Branko Cvijovic said. “We had a challenge, but we worked so hard and that’s why I’m so happy.”

With over three minutes to go in the first half, Mather defender Kenan Alihodzic triggered a counter-attack by dribbling the ball from his own box deep into the attacking half of the field.

Alihodzic found a streaking Steven Younus, who juked a defender before finding Ogbonna, who ripped a shot from outside the box into the lower corner of the net to put Mather (14-3-1) ahead.

“We were just focusing on the empty space because they were covering [Qudus Lawal], because they thought when he scored three goals [in the semifinal], he is the only one who can score,” Younus said. “But we’re a team, we have have good players, we share the ball.”

Lane (13-8-1) had a few chances to equalize. Arley Lopez’s shot from three yards out was blocked by goalkeeper Eduardo Garcia (two saves) midway through the second half.

“I just went and put my body out,” Garcia said.

Goalie Zorohn Reed made nine saves for Lane.

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