Va. State Cup: Under-18 Boys preview

By Jimmy LaRoue

Here’s the breakdown of the Under-18 Boys bracket of the Virginia State Cup semifinals and finals, set for this weekend at the River City Sportsplex in Richmond.

Teams (seed)

• Reston FC 94 (#2)

• ABGC United Force (#3)

• ABGC Knights FC (#4)

• SOCA Lightning (#8)

Schedule

Semifinal: Oct. 27, 4 p.m. – #8 SOCA Lightning vs. #4 ABGC Knights FC, River City Sportsplex #1

Semifinal: Oct. 27, 4 p.m. – #2 Reston FC 94 vs. #3 ABGC United Force, River City Sportsplex #7

Final: Oct. 28, 1 p.m. – SOCA Lightning/ABGC Knights FC winner vs. Reston FC 94/ABGC United Force winner

Soccerwire.com prediction: Two teams from the same club, ABGC Knights FC and ABGC United Force, are in the final four for the second year in a row and have legitimate chances at facing off in the final, but will face stiff tests. SOCA Lightning, who defeated top-seeded and defending State Cup champions PWSI Courage 94 Red in the quarterfinals, faces off against ABGC Knights FC, while Reston FC 94, as the #2 seed, has won convincingly in its first two State Cup matches, though they did lose to PWSI Courage 94 Red in last year’s State Cup final.  ABGC Knights has a 1-0 win to its credit in NCSL play this fall. By a close margin, we’ll put ABGC Knights FC into the final this year against Reston FC, with ABGC Knights squeaking by in the final, reversing last year’s PK semifinal loss.

Team: #2 Reston FC 94

Club: Reston Soccer Association

Head coach: Totan Roy

Home league: NCSL U-19 Division 1 (5-1-0, fall 2012)

Under-17 State Cup Finish: Finalists, lost 1-0 to PWSI Courage 94 Red

GotSoccer State Rank: 2 (Boys U-19)

Goals in 2012 Cup: 15 goals, 2 against

How they got here:

Sept. 29, 2012: #2 Reston FC 94 9, CUSC Burn 0

Oct. 13, 2012: #2 Reston FC 94 6, #7 Beach FC U-18 Boys 2

Team: #3 ABGC United Force

Club: Annandale Boys & Girls Club

Head coach: Danny Wadeson

Home league: VCCL North (2-2-1, fall 2012)

Under-17 State Cup Finish: Semifinals, lost 1-0 to PWSI Courage 94 Red

GotSoccer State Rank: 1 (Boys U-18)

Goals in 2012 Cup: 4 goals, 2 against

How they got here:

Sept. 29, 2012: #3 ABGC United Force 3, Roanoke Star U-18 Elite 2

Oct. 13, 2012: #3 ABGC United Force 1, Virginia Legacy SC Wizards 0

Team: #4 ABGC Knights

Club: Annandale Boys & Girls Club

Head coach: Bo Amato

Home league: NCSL U-19 Division 1 (6-1-0, fall 2012)

Under-17 State Cup Finish: Semifinals, lost 2-1 to Reston FC 94

GotSoccer State Rank: 2 (Boys U-18)

Goals in 2012 Cup: 15 goals, 0 allowed

How they got here:

Sept. 15, 2012: #4 ABGC Knights FC 5, CVU U18 Boys White 0

Sept. 29, 2012: #4 ABGC Knights FC 1, Loudoun 94B Red 0

Oct. 13, 2012: #4 ABGC Knights FC 9, Richmond Kickers Elite 0

Team: #8 SOCA Lightning

Club: Soccer Organization of Charlottesville-Albemarle

Head coach: Brian Kuk

Home league: VCCL South Under-18/19 Boys (3-3-0, fall 2012)

Under-17 State Cup Finish: N/A

GotSoccer State Rank: N/A

Goals in 2012 Cup: 11 goals, 2 against

How they got here:

Sept. 15, 2012: #8 SOCA Lightning 4, FASA Hotspur 94 Elite 1

Sept. 29, 2012: #8 SOCA Lightning 5, CHU 94B ASL Academy 0

Oct. 13, 2012: #8 SOCA Lightning 2, #1 PWSI Courage 94 Red 1