US Youth Soccer Presidents Cup Day 2 Recap
The second day of the US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup concludes as U13 through U17 age groups compete in the annual tournament in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Youth Soccer News: The 2016 US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup continued in Tulsa, Okla. with the 40 Under-13 through Under-17 Boys and Girls teams taking the field for the second day of play at the Mohawk Sports Complex.
The tournament, which features US Youth Soccer teams from 17 different State Associations, will continue with preliminary games through Saturday, July 16. Consolation and championship matches will take place on Sunday, July 17.
The US Youth Soccer Presidents Cup offers teams the challenge of experiencing different types of play by competing from state to regional to national levels. The Presidents Cup provides teams with a progressive, competitive experience that highlights competition, camaraderie and community.
Head coach of Under-15 Girls FC United Select 2 (IL), Craig Snower shares his appreciation for the US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup.
“We love this event,” said head coach Snower. “It’s phenomenal that US Youth Soccer puts on this event and recognizes the variety of play.”
FC United Select has one win and one tie in the tournament after defeating 00 JASA Coastal Surge Black (NC), 2-1, in Friday’s preliminary match.
Match Highlights:
Under-13 Girls: Hawks Academy (CA-S) 2-1 SAC Premier Blue Flores (MD)
Hawks Academy (CA-S) had an edge on SAC Premier Blue Flores (MD) in the first half when Nicole Goodman took the ball down the sideline and sent the ball toward the goal, which lobbed over the SAC Premier goalkeeper’s head. In the second half, Kelsey Smith of SAC Premier finished the equalizer. Hawks Academy had the final say with a last-minute goal from Morea Grasso. Grasso found the end of a crossed ball and shot the ball to the left corner of the goal, earning the 2-1 win for Hawks Academy. The win earns Hawks Academy a spot in the championship match on Sunday.
“They did well,” Hawks Academy head coach Carlos Basso said. “We got a little bit tired during the second half, and then the subs were a big factor. We pushed forward. We went after the second goal. It was amazing and a great feeling. They deserve it. I’m really proud of them.”
Under-14 Girls: Pateadores Irvine White (CA-S) 2-1 NUU 01 Wave (PA-E)
NUU 01 Wave (PA-E) earned an early lead over Pateadores Irvine White (CA-S) when Alexandra Lewis scored in the 13th minute. It wasn’t until the second half when Emily Vu of Pateadores Irvine scored the equalizer. Eight minutes later, Ashley Zanelli snatched the lead away for Pateadores Irvine, claiming the 2-1 victory. Pateadores Irvine is currently tied for first place in the Under-14 Girls age group with Eclipse Elite 20 (IL) as each team has four points. Both teams will face off for their last preliminary game on Saturday.
Under-15 Girls: FC United Select 2 (IL) 2-1 00 JASA Coastal Surge Black (NC)
00 JASA Coastal Surge Black (NC) built momentum against FC United Select 2 (IL) in the first half as they took multiple shots that traveled just wide or over the goal, but it was a scoreless game at halftime. FC United Select earned the first goal as Fallon Warshauer scored right in front of the goal among a crowded 18-yard box. JASA Coastal Surge tied up the game when Maya Burford dribbled the ball down the sideline and crossed the ball on the ground across the goal for Michelle Voyles to slot past the FC United Select goalkeeper. FC United Select retaliated as a diagonal pass was sent back to Lilly Frentzel who placed the ball in the bottom left corner of the goal. The game ended in a 2-1 win for FC United Select. Sitting in second place of the age group, FC United Select will look to earn a spot in the Under-15 Girls championship match as they face the current first place team, West Coast FC Murphy (CA-S), tomorrow.
“I thought we were a little inconsistent throughout the game but found a few spots to make some plays, and in games like that with two equally matched teams, it’s kind of who makes the plays,” FC United Select head coach Craig Snower said. “[JASA] made a great play to tie it up, and you usually don’t see two quick goals like that. Give our girls credit. They came back after getting scored on in the final minute to give them a really good chance fortomorrow tomorrow.”
Under-16 Girls: FWSC 00 Academy – Strikers (IN) 3-1 Greeneville Galaxy Select (TN)
Greeneville Galaxy Select (TN) got on the board first when Cassandra Worsham put the ball in the back of the net in the fifth minute of the match. In the 23rd minute, FWSC 00 Academy – Strikers (IN) tied up the match with a goal from Kayla Amidon, and just before halftime, Karmen Koch stole the lead for FWSC as she scored. KWSC sealed the 3-1 victory after they worked their way up the field and found Koch to slide the ball on the ground into the goal. As FWSC sits in second place of the Under-16 Girls age group, they will fight on Saturday for a championship match spot against the first place team, California Elite Soccer Club Black (CA-S).
Under-17 Girls: KC Prime Academy Navy 98/99 (MO) 2-2 Dynamo STX Academy (TX-S)
A back-and-forth scoring battle resulted in a 2-2 tie for KC Prime Academy Navy 98/99 (MO) and Dynamo STX Academy (TX-S). In the second minute of the match, KC Prime scored first as Raegan Edwards found the back of the net. Dynamo’s Isabella Marinaro equalized the game in the 24th minute. Going into the second half, Edwards picked up a loose ball at the top of the 18-yard box and hit a straight, fast-paced shot into the left corner of the goal. However, Dynamo tied up the match once again as Sarah Serrano scored in the 84th minute. KC Prime and Dynamo are both still in the running for a spot in the championships, so the last preliminary matches on Saturday will determine who goes through.
Under-13 Boys: FC United Select 1 02/03 Copa (IL) 1-2 02 CASL Juniors Red South (NC)
Marvin Mariche put CASL Juniors ahead in the 17th minute when he found the back of the net. John Cronnolly even the match after hitting a long blast from outside the box beyond the reach of the CASL keeper. Mariche added his second of the match in the 59th minute to pull his team back into the lead. FC United couldn’t find an equalizer and the match finished 2-1 in favor or the North Carolina side. FC United will need a big result tomorrow against group leaders CYSASL La Laja (CA-S) as they currently sit tied in second place tied with CASL.
Under-14 Boys
The Under-14 Boys final is set after both Superior SC Aztecas 02 (TX-N) and Bloomfield Cheetah Thunder (NJ) won their matches today. Aztecas defeated Chicago Firre Juniors North (IL) 2-0 behind two goals from Cesar Flores. In the other match, Bloomfield grabbed a 2-1 lead in the first half and held on through the second half for the win. Marco Colasurdo gave Bloomfield the lead in just the 4th minute of play, but Fire’s Ben Simister equalized just 9 minutes later. William Monroy scored the game winner two minutes later to send his team into Sunday’s final. Aztecas and Blommfield will meet in tomorrow’s final preliminary game in what will be a preview of the final.
Under-15 Boys: Players Elite AP (NV) 3-2 Kearny Reds (NJ)
Defending National President Cup winners Players Elite AP (NV) got an important 3-2 win on Day Two of play against Kearny Reds (NJ). Joao Hornung scored the lone first half goal giving Kearny the lead going into halftime. Players equalized when a saved shot rebounded right to David Herrera who finished his attempt. It wasn’t two minutes before Kearny regained the lead on a rocket of a shot from Jose David Escandon Molina. Alfredo Robles played hero for Nevada when he evened up the score after beating the keeper to the bottom corner. Robles then completed his brace when he scored in the 80th minute, getting around the keeper and hitting it back across the net to score the game winner. The win keeps the Under-15 Boys group close, with F.C. Backmanlake sitting in first with four points and Players and Kearny both with three. Ela Elite rounds out the group with one point and all games will be worth watching tomorrow with each team still having a chance to advance.
“The level of competition for us is much higher this year,” said Players Elite AP Head Coach Ari Paez. “Both teams we’ve played are very good teams and move the ball well and understand how to play the game so it’s been a huge challenge for our boys to step up and get it done.”
“It would be awesome for them to win a second National Presidents Cup. These boys have worked extremely hard and for them to win back to back National titles would be huge for them if they could do it.”
Under-16 Boys: Boilers FC Gold (IN) 0-0 99 FSC Force Premier (NC)
Under-16 Boys Boilers FC Gold (IN) and 99 FSC Force Premier (NC) both came into the game with three points looking to put themselves ahead of the pack by grabbing a win and to move to six points. The game turned out to be an equal match with neither team able to find the back of the net. With the tie, both teams move to four points and allow Alliance Soccer Club Galaxy (MD) to creep within a point after the team defeated Corning NCU Manchester United (CA-N) 2-1. Corning is out of contention for the final with the Day Two loss, but can play spoiler when they play Boilers FC Gold tomorrow.
Under-17 Boys: Rampage 99 Black SC/TL (UT) 2-0 Cape Express 98/99 (NJ)
Rampage 99 Black SC/TL (UT) sealed its place in the Under-17 Boys final with a Day Two victory over Cape Express 98/99 (NJ). Tanner Hart started the scoring in the 19th minute and teammate Grayson Charlton added a second for Utah in the 33rd. Cape Express pressured high during the duration of the second half while controlling most of the possession as Rampage just sat back absorbing the pressure. Even with the constant pressure, Rampage did not break and Cape Express could not pull any goals back. With the loss, Cape Express will need a win on Day Three to guarantee a spot in Sunday’s final.
Source/Photo Credit: US Youth Soccer
