ECNL: Bethesda SC, Freestate Soccer Alliance have tough weekends in Ohio

By Jimmy LaRoue

While many of the Elite Clubs National League’s teams are at its first National Event of the 2012-13 season in Phoenix this weekend, a couple of local clubs’ Under-14s were in action in Ohio this weekend, with the results not faring so well.

Freestate Soccer Alliance was shut out in two matches this weekend, falling 2-0 to Ohio Premier Eagles and 4-0 to Internationals.

Bethesda SC fell 2-0 to Internationals and 2-1 to Ohio Premier Eagles for its first two losses of the season after getting off to a 3-0-0 start.

The two Ohio clubs are part of a four-way logjam at the top of the Mid-Atlantic Conference with 2-0-1 records, along with Carmel United and FC Virginia.

At the ECNL’s first National Event in Phoenix, FC Virginia U-18s lost its first two games on Saturday and Sunday, 4-2 to Concorde Fire of the Southeast Conference and 2-1 to Real Colorado of the Mountain West Conference. FCV did, however, pull out a win on the last day of the event Monday, picking up a convincing 6-1 win over Arsenal SC of the SoCal Conference.

The only other local team at the National Event, Virginia Rush’s U-18s, opened with a 3-0 win over Sereno Soccer Club Saturday, but fell by close margins in its last two games in Phoenix, falling 1-0 to both Sockers FC of the XX Conference and the Atlanta Fire of the Southeast Conference.