2016 US Youth Soccer ODP Region IV Champions Crowned
1999 Boys | Washington 99*
1999 Girls | Cal South 99*
2000 Boys | Cal South 00*
2000 Girls | Cal South 00*
2001 Boys | Washington 01
2001 Girls | Cal South 01
2002 Boys | Cal South 02
2002 Girls | Washington 02
2003 Boys | Arizona 03
2003 Girls | Washington 03
Soccer News: Champions were crowned at the 2016 US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program (US Youth Soccer ODP) Region IV Championships at Reach 11 Sports Complex in Phoenix. The four-day tournament featured teams of elite players in the 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 age groups, from Region IV, which includes Alaska, Arizona, California North, California South, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
Five championship titles went to Cal South, four titles to Washington and one to Arizona.
Cal South claimed five of the 10 titles today, including the three (1999 Girls, 2000 Boys, 2000 Girls) of the four spots at the ODP Championships at the end of February. Washington, which claimed four titles today, will send the fourth team to the ODP Championships in the 1999 Boys group. Arizona claimed the final championships in the 2003 Boys group.
With programs in all 55 US Youth Soccer State Associations, US Youth Soccer ODP, the original Olympic development program, is available to any player. US Youth Soccer ODP is the only elite player development program that can claim members of Major League Soccer, the National Women’s Soccer League, and the majority of current and past national and youth national team members, as alumni.
Match Highlights:
1999 Boys
Washington 99 defeated Cal South 99 3-2 in a back-and-forth match to claim the 1999 Boys title. After defeating the defending Region IV and National Champions Utah 99 in the semifinals, Cal South was looking to punch a ticket to the ODP Championships, but Washington had other intentions. 2015 ODP Region IV Championships Tournament team player RJ Stretch struck firts for Washington in the 13th minute, but the 2014 champs would respond in the 48thminute with a Spencer Hines goal. Lucas Meek gave Washington its second lead in the 60th minute, only for 2014 and 2015 ODP Region IV Tournament team member Chad Morgan to equalize just a minute later. Mario Vukic was the hero for Washington as his goal in the 78th minute gave Washington its third and final lead.
1999 Girls
2015 Region IV and National Champions Cal South 99 defended its region title after a 4-0 victory over Utah 99. Sydney Carr’s first half brace gave Cal South the lead at halftime. 2014 ODP Region IV Tournament team member Catarina Macario scored her eighth and ninth goal to finish with the most in the tournament as Cal South will now look to defend its national title at the ODP Championships in February.
2000 Boys
Cal South 00 will head to the ODP Championships thanks to a 7-0 finals win over Nevada 00. Omar Ollarzabal’s hat trick gives him four goals for the tournament, which leads the age group. Cal South’s Noel Moncada, Nomar Ibarra, Javier Sanchez and Roberto Rodriguez all also contributed goals also contributed goals in the win.
2000 Girls
Cal South 00 rounds out the group of teams heading to the ODP Championships thanks to a 2-1 win over Utah 00. Cal South’s Trinity Watson broke the scoreless stalemate in the 16th minute, but Alexxis Ward equalized for Utah at the beginning of the second half. Skylar Smith scored the match’s third and final goal for Cal South in the 68th minute, giving Cal South the regional title.
2001 Boys
Washington 01 claimed the 2001 Boys regional title thanks to a narrow 1-0 win over Arizona 01. After a scoreless first half, Alec Diaz finally broke through in the 57th minute when he slipped past the keeper at the top of the box and calmly finished to give Washington the 1-0 lead, and ultimately a finals victory.
2001 Girls
Cal South 01 defeated Oregon 01 3-0 in the finals match of the day for the 2001 Girls title. Samantha Williams scored a first-half brace in the span of five minutes for Cal South, and Lilli Rask added Cal South’s third and final goal of the match in the 35th minute.
2002 Boys
Cal South 02 took home the Region IV title after a 3-0 win over Utah 00. Max Laguna scored 11 minutes into the match, and the score remained 1-0 until the 67th minute, when Victor Cano scored his seventh and eighth goal of the tournament within the span of three minutes to secure the Cal South win.
2002 Girls
Goals from Katherine O’Kane and Zoe Burns gave Washington 02 the 2-0 win over Cal North 02. O’Kane scored five minutes into the match, and midway into the second half Burns doubled Washington’s lead. Cal North was unable to break Washington’s back line as the match ended 2-0.
2003 Boys
Arizona 03 defeated Cal North 03 to win the 2003 Boys age group. Jalen Grant, Juan Verdugo and Alexander Kessler scored goals for Arizona in the span of 11 minutes in the first half. Dante Williams scored for Cal North in the 27thminute, but Kessler scored his eighth goal of the tournament in the 61st minute to secure the 4-1 win.
2003 Girls
Washington 03 defeated Colorado 03 in a match that featured nine goals. Lily Paulson began the scoring in the 12thminute, but just three minutes later Ava Samuelson responded for Colorado. Abigail Arnold, Palmira Scarsella and Kait Raffensperger would find the back of the net for Washington, and Paulson would complete her hat trick before the final whistle, while Colorado’s final two goals came from Stephanie Gwilliam and Gabrielle Clutter.
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* Will represent Region IV at the 2016 US Youth Soccer ODP Championships
