Chicago captured its second straight USL title Aug. 15, defeating Spokane 3-1 for the PDL championship. Coach Bret Hall’s Sockers, who won the D3 Pro League championship last year as the Chicago Stingers, got goals from Chuck Codd, Mike Dunne and Andy McDermott in the final, but relied on a solid defense anchored by tournament MVP Iain Williams to shut down the hometown Shadow before a franchise-record crowd of 3,843 at Spokane’s Joe Albi Stadium. “Our defenders were our best players of the tournament,” said Hall, who began his own professional career nearly 20 years ago with the NASL’s Chicago Sting. Peter Richardson, owner of the Sockers, said he was caught by surprise that his team was able to win the tournament. “[Winning the title] just wasn’t in the plans,” Richardson said. “We had some of our players from last year, but the rest of our team came from our own youth club, local organizations and kids who are in college.”

Semifinals

Aug. 14 in Spokane, Wash. Chicago 1 New York 0. Goal: Harkness 25. Chicago — Throop, Jahr, Williams, Codd, Wilson, Stoka, Harkness (Hudson, 63), Campuzano (Dunne, 72), Hamnett, McDermott, Bobo. New York — Sir, Rambo, McElderry, Danbusky, Alpian, Donahue (Vargas, 55), Hill (Justino, 19), Pachowicz, O’Boyle, Doramodou, Navarino. Spokane 2 Willamette Valley 1. Goals: Higgins (Berto) 65, Rose (Higgins) 68; Howes (Leonetti) 16. Spokane — Mullen, Saunders, Marks, Sleeth, Franson, Hampton (Hollingshead, 77), Brown, Hogenhout (Seely, 58), Berto, Higgins (Cosner, 85), McAllister (Rose, 58). Will. Valley — Hill, Crevar, Ritchie, E.Merten, Kavanaugh, Kummernes, Howes (Curiel, 72), Tomlins, Capadanno, Tedder, Leonetti. Att.: 3,829.

Third-Place Match

Aug. 15 in Spokane, Wash. New York 5 Willamette Valley 2. Goals: Navarino 4, Vargas 38, Navarino 40, Navarino 65, Doramadou (Navarino) 83; Howes 59, Howes (Tedder) 83. New York — Sir, McElderry, Danbusky, Rojas, Rambo (Karavitas, 53), Gallo (O’Boyle, 53), Christopher (Doramadou, 75), Vargas, Santos, Navarino, Pachowicz (Donahue, 67). Will. Valley — P.Merten (Hill, 46), E.Merten, Tomlins, Cronkrite (Tedder, 46), Kummernes, Crevar, Howes, Kavanaugh, Angelo (Curiel, 71), Capadanno, Fries (Leonetti, 46). Att.: 3,843.

Champioship

Aug. 15 in Spokane, Wash. Spokane 1 Chicago 3. Goals: Rose (Brown) 88; Codd 18, Dunne 44, McDermott 73. Spokane — Mullen, Saunders, Marks (Cosner, 76), Sleeth, Franson, Hampton (Hollingshead, 57), Brown, Hogenhout (Seely, 46), Berto, Higgins, McAllister (Rose, 53). Chicago — Throop, Jahr, Williams, Codd, Hudson, Wilson, Stoka (Town, 83), Harkness (Dunne, 30), Campuzano (Bobo, 65), Hamnett (Kuska, 76), McDermott. Att.: 3,843.

All-Tournament Team

Goalkeepers — Roberto Christian Sir (New York), Adam Throop (Chicago). Defenders — Chris Jahr (Chicago), Billy Sleeth (Spokane), Iain Williams (Chicago). Midfielders — Greg Howes (Willamette Valley), Andy McDermott (Chicago). Forwards — JP Capadanno (Willamette Valley), Zane Higgins (Spokane), Joe Navarino (New York), Jeff Rose (Spokane). MVP: Iain Williams (Chicago).