Josh Williams, 10, takes the ball up field during a German-American friendship soccer game at Grafenwoehr on Saturday. (Seth Robson / S&S)
HOHENFELS, Germany —Heavily favored SHAPE needed a shootout Saturday to win the Army Europe soccer championship with 5-3 conquest of the Stuttgart Stallions.
The multinational SHAPE team, which includes European players from several NATO nations, was undefeated in pool play of this three-day event.
SHAPE had beaten Stuttgart 3-0 in pool play. But forward Isaac Aku put the Stallions ahead 1-0 Saturday with a first-half goal.
SHAPE threw everything at Stuttgart after the break but was thwarted by tough defense. Three or four times, SHAPE forwards were cut down just short of the penalty area, but the eventual champ was unable to convert the resulting indirect free kicks.
After weathering the storm, Stuttgart took the offensive again, with Aku narrowly missing several chances to increase his team’s lead. With only a few minutes to go, SHAPE forward John Fuoco found space and slotted a goal that tied the game 1-1 and forced a penalty-kick shootout.
SHAPE converted all four of its penalty kicks. SHAPE goalkeeper Chrisos Alexoploulos saved one Stuttgart shot, and another Stallion attempt hit the cross bar.
Hohenfels sports and fitness chief Chris Cornelison said the tournament MVP was Fabion Medhanie. The Mannheim player scored 11 goals, nine in regulation and two on penalty kicks, during the nine-team tournament.