SoCal Surf Prepares for Home Match in San Diego
UPDATE: SoCal Surf shutout VC Fusion 3-0 earning their second win in their first USL PDL season.
Southern California Surf’s third match of the 2017 PDL season is approaching as amateur soccer in San Diego provides another opportunity for aspiring talent. The PDL club is coming off their first win of the campaign as they prepare for a home matchup.
PDL Soccer News: Southern California Surf of the Premier Development League (PDL) are preparing for their third match of the 2017 campaign as they host Ventura County Fusion on Saturday night.
The former North County Battalion club recorded one win and a loss in the first two fixtures of the season.
SoCal Surf opened their season with a 1-0 loss to San Diego Zest FC at Maffucci Field in downtown Carlsbad. During Week 2, Esteban Reyes led Surf to a 1-0 victory over Orange County SC U23.
Ahead of their third matchup of the season, SoCal Surf remains focused on the road to success as they develop as a top tier soccer organization.
“Our strength is in the level of coaching and the professional environment we are giving these players,” said Jason Barbato, Founder/Owner of Southern California Surf. “This relates to our structure off the field and our game day strength, which is our ability to defend. Defensively we’re a very compact and communicative team. I think where we can grow is in our finishing. We have the technical and tactical ability, it’s just a matter of those things clicking at the same time during the game.”
SoCal Surf’s Head Coach Cody Worden is also the San Diego Surf Soccer Club USSF Development Academy Director and older boys teams enjoy training with the PDL club.
“The relationship we have with San Diego Surf is that the DA U18 team trains with the PDL side,” said Barbato. “They’re getting extremely high level training and majority of those kids are going to D1 schools around the country. We’re also providing a great atmosphere and raising the bar for players once they are on summer break from their school.”
However, SoCal Surf remains not in direct affiliation with the youth club as it opens the opportunity for current, former and future players to represent the region.
“Our name of SoCal Surf is a broader branding,” said Barbato. “There is a reason why we didn’t call the team San Diego Surf. There is a relationship, but they are not synonymous. We wanted to show some differentiation to other local youth clubs so that it wasn’t viewed as a club just for San Diego Surf kids.”
Following the club’s switch from the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) and the rebranding process, SoCal Surf remains grounded with their principles and goals as a soccer organization.
“The guiding principles of our club have not changed. The desire to work well with all the youth clubs in the region hasn’t changed,” said Barbato. “The switch was easy in some ways but difficult in others. We felt as though it was the best move for our club at the time — and still do. The biggest change is the amateur status of the players coming in now that we are a PDL club.”
The status level is substantially higher now. The players are better coached, better tactically and technically as well as in better shape.”
Players to Watch
Midfielder Adam Vargas brings a combination of youth and athleticism to SoCal Surf. Vargas is successful at covering the entire pitch with skills that allow him to win tackles, play out of trouble and roll an assist in a matter of seconds.
Goalkeeper Adam Allmaras has made game-saving plays in both of Surf’s first matches. His skills in goal includes his distribution accuracy as well as the experience he brings to the squad.
Midfielder Nelson Pizarro — a fierce competitor and leader — bring experience playing at the highest level in the country and internationally. Pizarro’s determination to drive Surf to the top of the table is not going unnoticed within the club.
Match Information:
SoCal Surf vs. Ventura County Fusion
Date: Saturday, May 13, 2017
Kickoff : 6:00 p.m. ET
Gates Open: 5:00 p.m. ET
Location: San Diego Mesa College (7250 Mesa College Drive, San Diego, CA 92111)
Tickets: $10 – available here.
Parking Lot 3 provides direct access to the east side of the stadium where the ticket gate will be located. Parking is free as long as student parking lots are utilized. Vehicles will be ticketed if parked in faculty or carpool designated areas.
Unfortunately, due to strict regulations within the stadium, food and drinks other than water are not permitted. We will not be able to sell concessions and food items at this match so fans will need to plan accordingly for dinner and/or snacks.
SoCal Surf will live stream the match on our YouTube match, Facebook live for pre and post-match updates. Twitter will have in-game updates using #SurfLive.
