Youth Soccer News: Surf SC BU9 Academy Win Cal South State Cup
It was a stellar performance by the San Diego Surf Academy I team in the Cal South State Cup Presidents Division that brought home the BU9 title after a rain-delayed finals weekend. The team, coach by Dave Currie, battled against a strong FC Golden State side to take a 1-0 victory on Sunday, March 9, at the IE Surf Soccer Complex in Riverside.
The win capped off an amazing tournament that saw Surf SC score 29 goals while allowing only eight and racking up a record of 8-0-0.
The boys were fantastic and deserved it,” said Currie, a hard-working coach who diligently trains his boys to help them develop their skills for success on and off the field. Currie’s BU9 team is an outstanding group of youth soccer players who are passionate about soccer, developing and being the best they can on the field. Always eager to play, these boys always show up and leave everything they can on the pitch. Always modest and soft spoken, Coach Currie was exceptionally proud of their victory and has been impressed by how hard they work.
“Dave Currie is an unsung hero in the world of youth soccer,” said San Diego Surf SC Director of Boys Wayne Harrison. “He doesn’t shout from the rooftops; he is very quiet and incredibly conscientious and goes about his business in an understated but very professional manner. We can all learn from that, me included.”
“His sideline demeanor at games is a lesson for every coach to watch and emulate,” continued Harrison. “He is quiet, he offers advice sparingly; he never loses his temper – I don’t think he even has one. He encourages to a fault; anything he says that seems negative is actually incredibly constructive. When he does offer criticism, the players know it is very important to listen and to take that advice and put it into action.”
That leadership was on display as Currie’s team opened the tournament strong on Saturday, February 15, with a 5-2 win over Arsenal FC BU9 and a stunning 10-1 victory over Chivas Pomona BU09 at Coronado Cays. On Sunday the team closed out a perfect bracket with a 2-0 defeat of Carlsbad Wave F.C. BU9 Black. The next weekend saw the Surf boys in San Bernardino where they took a 2-0 Round of 32 match against United Futbol Club B04 Gold on Saturday, February 22, and a 2-1 Round of 16 game against Strikers FC Academy Rider on Sunday.
The competition heated up in the Quarterfinals that afternoon, where Surf took on the talented LA Galaxy South Bay Gold. At the half Surf found themselves down 3-0, but the boys never gave up. With Currie’s quiet leadership, the team battled back with four unanswered goals to take the 4-3 victory and move on to the Semi-Final match.
“It was another amazing achievement through playing great soccer and maintaining possession of the ball,” said Harrison. “This comes from the players believing in and executing all the hours in training where the real work is done. Dave helps and guides the players to make the correct decisions, which then allows them to continue to learn for themselves and take that into the games.”
With the rainstorms that moved through Southern California, Semi-Final and Final matches had to be pushed back a week. On Saturday, March 8, Surf took the pitch against Total Futbol Academy (TFA), one of the toughest opponents in the tournament. TFA were coming off a series of three knockout games in which they had scored a total of 22 goals and relinquished only four.
In what was perhaps Surf SC’s best game of the tournament, the two sides played through a scoreless first half; then in the second half Currie’s boys caught fire, outscoring TFA 3-1 to earn the right to play for the title.
In another tough match, Surf SC and FC Golden State played down to the wire, with the San Diego boys earning the championship.
It was a complete reversal of the last time the two teams had met a year before, when Golden State had taken a 10-1 win over the team Currie had just taken over.
“We are very proud of these players, who have put so much time and effort into developing their talent,” said Harrison. “As so often happens, this hard work is rewarded. There is no shortcut to achievements like that. We are also very proud of Dave, not just for this win but for the belief he has in the Right Way to play the game. If you teach that, eventually the wins will come. I didn’t expect them to come quite as soon, at U9, but it is fun for us to see it happening already.”
“Surf Soccer Club is all the better for coaches like Dave Currie,” Harrison continued. “From the first day I met him and saw him work I told my wife, we have a diamond here in this man. Even under pressure Dave never advocates not playing the beautiful game. He is all about development, and I am told by many he always has been. He gets my total support with this mentality.”
“Well done Dave and the players,” concluded Harrison. “It was also great for all the parents who put in all the time and effort, and seeing the looks on their faces at the end was precious. It was special for their kids to have such a wonderful tournament and help create life long memories for all concerned.”
Congratulations to San Diego Surf Academy I for their success in Boys U9 Cal South State Cup.
