Columbus, GA - The Atlanta Fire United (AFU) u13 Girls Soccer team won the Georgia State Soccer Association (GSSA) State Championship by beating Concorde Fire South 2-1 in the final on Sunday in Columbus.  The victory capped off a nearly flawless tournament in which AFU won all 3 games in group play the previous weekend and easily defeated Concorde Central Saturday in the semi-final by a score of 3-1. 

Dani Marcano scored both goals in the championship game after tallying two assists in the semi-final.  Clara Gastaldi assisted the game winning score by slotting a perfectly weighted ball in front of a streaking Marcano, who beat the last defender and the goalkeeper to touch the ball into the goal.  "The championship was won because the players were determined to make it a team effort in which everyone would play a role.  This was evident by the fact that we had at least 5 different players score goals.  The players that our opponents wanted to shut down often drew 2 and 3 players before dishing the ball off to teammates who were in position to score, often unmarked.  I am proud of the way this group has embraced the team mentality this year.  It is a huge factor in our success", said head coach Denny Jenkins.

The u13 girls proved to be one of the better teams in AFU’s history this year by winning 44 games with only 4 losses and 9 ties in tournament and league play.   The team, comprised of 10 state ODP pool players,  won the state’s highest select league (Athena A) two seasons in a row and won multiple tournaments including the Concorde Challenge cup and the Norcross Nike Cup. 

Players on AFU’s Championship roster include:  Haley Salvador, Kinsey Dziwura, Kayla Thomas, Riley Pinion, Kendall Towe, Casey Couch, Julia Smith, Stephanie Lee, Kendall Parks, Jordyn Missel, Ambria Shutts, Isabelle Grest, Clara Gastaldi, Dani Marcano, and Kelly Hart.