Boys champions crowned at 2014 Virginia Youth State Cup Finals
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — Just two teams remained in each age group in the Virginia State Cup, with teams from across the state coming together for their respective finals in the Under-15s to Under-18s age groups. Played amid very windy conditions at the VYSA Virginia Soccer Training Center, there was a strong feeling of tension in the air as teams battled hard for the state championship.
+ Read: All of our VYSA State Cup Coverage
As with all of our stories for this weekend’s competition, we attempted to predict results of the games using our partner website Report-a-Score.com’s analytical tools.
+ Editor’s Note: We are compiling a list of top performing players for additional story content and recognition. If you coached in State Cup or are a licensed coach/scout who watched games and have opinions on players, please submit up to two (2) players per team here by Tuesday, November 4 at noon.
We’ll have several more stories on specific games and related content from interviews with coaches and VYSA officials in the coming days, but for now, here’s a summary of results, and how reality on the field was far more important than any computer formula trying to pick winners.
Under-15s
Result:
Arlington Eagles Red 2-1 BRYC 99 Elite
RaS Prediction:
Arlington came away with the victory in the Under-15s age group by a score of 2-1 over BRYC, with the margin of victory correctly predicted by RaS. For No. 1 Arlington, it capped a glorious run through the competition, although they conceded their first goal of the tournament in the final. BRYC lived up to their No. 3 seed, especially having seen off No. 2 Loudoun the previous day in the semifinals.
Under-16s
Result:
Arlington Attack Red 3-0 BRYC 98 Elite
RaS Prediction:
Arlington were also victorious in the Under-16s age group, a result that RaS failed to predict correctly. The victors came into the competition as the No. 5 seed against No. 3 BRYC, but showed that often seedings count for little in competition with a superb performance. Arlington conceded just once all tournament, a strong performance especially considering they came up against National No. 1 Loudoun in the semifinal.
Under-17s
Result:
Arlington Impact Red 8-9 (PKs) Virginia Legacy Elite
RaS Prediction:
The last game of the day to be completed was in the Under-17s boys age group, as Arlington and Virginia Legacy played out a superb game that drew legions of spectators from all across the Virginia Soccer Training Center. The two sides were deadlocked at 0-0 after regulation, and could not be separated after overtime, so it went to a penalty shootout to determine the winner. In PKs, the Legacy goalkeeper made himself a hero as he saved two Arlington spot kicks then knocked in the winning goal himself to hand his side the championship.
Under-18s
Result:
BRYC 96 Elite 0-4 Annandale United FC
RaS Prediction:
In the Under-18s age group, No. 2 Annandale eased past No. 4 BRYC by a final score of 4-0, a score that was not predicted at all by RaS. Annandale earned themselves a state championship and conceded just two goals in the process, while BRYC may well have still been suffering the effects of their long game the previous day against Arlington that went to penalties.
