Picture courtesy of Brandon Huynh
Central Kansas United continues to make history.
Salina’s United Premiere Soccer League (UPSL) team claimed its first-ever Midwest South Championship last Saturday over one of the league’s preeminent powers, the Dodge City Toros. A 3-1 victory in the championship match marked CKU’s club-record 9th win of the season and helped clinch its first-ever trip to the national tournament.
“It’s hard to describe because it wasn’t just this season,” said head coach Juan Maldonado on the journey CKU has taken. “It’s been three years leading up to this…years of work leading up to this one moment.”
The moment culminated with a euphoric championship celebration. After winning in thrilling fashion, Maldonado told KSAL that having a chance to make history against Dodge City was all him and his team could ask for.
“I didn’t want to have it any other way,” Maldonado said. “They’re one of the best teams historically in the league and shoutout to them [Dodge City] because it was a really good match.”
CKU had its backs against the wall just four minutes into the championship match. On the same play, one of its top defenders, Jorge Mejia, went down with a knee injury, and a foul gave Dodge City a penalty kick. The Toros’ penalty kick hit the post, and Maldonado called the miss a “wakeup call” for his group and a sign that the “soccer gods were on their side.”
From that point on, both teams picked up the pace, but the match remained scoreless. CKU broke through in the 44th minute on a designed set piece, as Juan Lozada blasted a perfectly placed shot into the back of the net from roughly 36 yards away.
Dodge City managed to find the equalizer in the 60th minute and late in regulation the score was tied 1-1, but CKU had to survive a drastic change in the Toros’ strategy.
“From the 80th to the 90th minute, they were actually putting pressure on us,” said Maldonado. “But my guys, they know how to suffer in the tough games so we did not concede in those last 10 minutes.”
As Dodge City pressed, CKU held firm and forced extra time. Maldonado confirmed that confidence was high with his group entering the first extra period.
“We knew going into extra time that we were going to win.”
That confidence was reaffirmed when leading scorer Noel Zimbeva delivered a brilliant goal to give CKU a 2-1 lead.
In overtime, Zimbeva took over. He beat two defenders off the dribble before shooting and scoring from just outside the 18-yard box into the bottom-right corner of the net.
Rodrigo Palacios put the finishing touches on a historic night with CKU’s third goal in overtime, sealing the victory.
After that, reality set in for CKU and its fans. Hundreds packed Bethany College to witness the club’s historic championship, celebrating as the final whistle confirmed its first UPSL Midwest South title.
Now with the week to prepare, CKU has shifted focus to its first round opponent in the national tournament, the Arkansas Wolves.
The Wolves feature a talented group of wingers who use their speed to create scoring chances. To counter that attack, CKU has spent the week emphasizing its defense, knowing it will need another disciplined performance like the one that carried it to a Midwest South championship.
CKU’s national tournament officially begins Sunday, July 5 against the Arkansas Wolves at 3 p.m. in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
