Play begins at US Youth Soccer Region IV Championships in Idaho

Preliminary games day 1 of 3
Standings / Scores 

Boise, Idaho (Via US Youth Soccer) – The 2016 US Youth Soccer Region IV Championships kicked off today at the Simplot Sports Complex in Boise, Idaho.  State champions, US Youth Soccer Far West Regional League champions and select wildcards hoped to get off on the right foot on day one to advance to the knockout rounds.

The top 210 US Youth Soccer boys and girls teams from the 14 State Associations that make up US Youth Soccer Region IV compete for the regional title. States represented including host, Idaho, are Alaska, Arizona, California North, California South, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

Six regional champions from 2015 are back to defend their regional title – Under-13
Boys Total Futbol Academy (CA-S), Under -14 Boys EC Real Galaxy FC 01 (CA-N), Under-16 Girls La Roca Premier PO (UT), Under-17 Boys Seattle United 98 Copa (WA), Under-17 Girls La Roca FD (UT) and Under-18 Girls La Roca Premier (UT)

In addition to the six returning regional champions, four previous US Youth Soccer National Champions are looking to continue their quest for another national title. Under-16 Girls Legends FC 99 (CA-S) is a two-time national champion after winning titles in 2013 and 2015, while Under-19 Boys FC Golden State (CA-S) is the other squad looking to win back-to-back titles. 2014 National Champion Beach FC Academy 97 Joyner (CA-S) and 2013 champions Eastside FC 98 Red (WA) are also competing in the regional championships with the hope of returning to the national championships.

More on today’s games

Under-13 Boys
Santa Clara Sporting 02 Green (CA-N) defeated defending region champs Total Futbol Academy (CA-S) on the first day of play. TFA’s David Diaz broke the scoreless stalemate in the 25^th minute, but second-half goals from Francisco Godinez and Tamba Mattia would put the Far West Regional League Cal North champs up 2-1 for the win.

Joining Sporting at the top of Group D is Sereno SE 03 Chelsea White (AZ) after a 5-1 win over Boise Nationals Bayern (ID). Nationals would gain the early lead thanks to Damian Arguello’s goal in the sixth minute, but Adrian Galindo’s brace paired with goals from Orlando Monroy and Jalen Grant propelled the Arizona side to a Day 1 victory.

Under-13 Girls
So Cal Blues 02 Baker (CA-S) and SC del Sol 03 Lester (AZ) took control of Group D with opening day victories. SC del Sol defeated Colorado Storm South Select (CO) 1-0 thanks to Jayla Patrick’s 43^rd minute goal, while So Cal Blues earned a 3-0 win over LVSA 03 Red (NV) thanks to a goal from Presley Easton and Under-14 U.S. National Team player Simone Jackson’s brace.

Under-14 Boys
LVSA 02 Red (NV) defeated 2015 Region IV Champions and National Finalists EC Real Galaxy FC 01 (CA-N) 2-1 to move to the top of Group D. Galaxy’s Joel Garcia broke the scoreless stalemate in the 35^th minute, but LVSA would get goals from Antino Lopez and Ally Don Jean-Francois to upset the defending champs on day one.

La Roca TJ defeated in-state rival Utah Rangers Premier 02 (UT) thanks in part to two-time US Youth Soccer ODP Region IV Championships All-Tournament team player Nathan Ortiz brace in addition to goals from William Hales and Porter Iverson. Jondre Davilla would find the back of the net for the Rangers.

Under-15 Boys
SC Sporting 00 Green (CA-N) took control of Group A with a 1-0 victory over US Youth Soccer Nevada State Cup champs Downtown LVSC 01 Academy (NV). Rudolfo Pedroza would score the match’s only goal in the 22^nd minute to give his side the 1-0 win.

Seattle United 00 Copa (WA) and Washington Premier 2000 Black (WA)’s instra-state match resulted in a 1-1 draw on the opening day of play. Washington Premier’s Emmanuel Nicasio broke through with a goal in the 33^rd minute, but Nick Hintze would respond for Seattle United with a goal in the 48^th minute. Neither side would be able to find a game-winner as each side left with one point on Day 1.

Under-15 Girls
Northwest Nationals 00 Red (WA) sits alone at the top of Group B after a 2-0 win over US Youth Soccer Hawaii State Cup champions Leahi 01 Premier (HI). Northwest Nationals received a Keile Hansen brace en route to a 2-0 win.

Rio Rapids SC 01 Riot (NM) and Washington Rush (WA) would battle to a 1-1 draw in the other Group B match. Morgan Davis gave Rush the 1-0 lead in the 38^th minute, but Under-15 U.S. National Team player and 2015 ODP Region IV Championships All-Star Hannah Gallegos would equalize for the New Mexico side in the 69^th minute as the match ended 1-1.

Under-16 Girls
Legends FC 99 (CA-S) and La Roca Premier PO (UT) are tied at the top of Group D after each netted 3-0 victories on Day 1. Two-time National Champions Legends FC defeated Rio Rapids SC 00 (NM) after receiving goals from U.S. Youth National Team players Denae Antoine and Angela Morales in the 27^th and 75^th minutes respectively. Sandwiched in between those two goals was Alexis Rushlow’s 48^th minute free-kick goal from almost 30 yards away. After qualifying to the National Championships via the National League in the previous two years, Legends will need to win the Region IV Championships if it wants a shot at winning an elusive third national title.

Defending regional champions La Roca has already secured a spot in the 2016 National Championships after winning the 2015-16 National League Red division title. Anna Escobedo, who tied with teammate and 2015 National Championship Golden Ball winner Olivia Wade with four goals at last year’s National Championships, got La Roca on the board in the 19^th minute, and Marli Niederhauser would double the Utah side’s lead seven minutes later. Wade, who also has experience playing for U.S. Youth National Teams, finished the scoring with her first goal of the tournament in the 33^rd minute for the 3-0 win over Scottsdale Blackhawks 00 Shank (AZ). Legends and La Roca will face off tomorrow in a 2015 National Championships finals rematch.

Under-17 Boys
Goals were hard to come by when defending regional champions and national finalists Seattle United 98 Copa (WA) faced off against a familiar foe in Eastside FC 98 Red (WA) on the opening day of play. While both sides had their fair share of chances, the match would ultimately end in a scoreless draw.

LVSA 99 Red (NV) jumped to the top of Group B after a 1-0 win over Real Colorado National 98/99 (CO). After a scoreless first half, Emmanuel Lopez scored the first and only goal of the match in the 68^th minute as the Nevada side would hold on for the clean sheet.

Under-17 Girls
2013 National Champions Eastside FC 98 Red (WA) began its quest to return to the national championships in convincing form with a 4-0 win over Santa Clara Sporting (CA-N). Mia Powers began the scoring with a goal in the 19th minute. The score would remain 1-0 for over 50 minutes of game time, until a late burst from Eastside resulted in goals from Alexa Kirton, Rilee Castilla and 2013 National Championships Golden Ball Award winner, and Under-17 U.S. Women’s National Team player, Joanna Harber.

The other match in Group A saw a pair of Southern California teams square off as L.A Premier FC (CA-S) defeated Arsenal FC-S Bowers (CA-S) 2-1. Bria Salazar got LA Premier on the board with a goal in the 13^th minute, and Taylor Scott would double LA Premier’s lead in the 33^rd minute. Arsenal would split LA Premier’s lead in half with Christine Maurer’s goal in the 53^rd minute, but the US Youth National League veteran squad was unable to find an equalizer as LA Premier picked up the Day 1 win.

Defending Region IV Champions La Roca made its argument for a second straight title run with a 7-0 win over Boise Nationals Premier (ID). Ashley Cardozo netted a hat trick to go with a Sadie Brockbank brace and goals from Mylee Broad and Zoe Clark.

HSC Bulls Academy 99 (HI) defeated 2014 regional champ Pride Predators 99 (CO) 4-0 to move into a tie for first place in Group C. Alyssa Rasmussen scored a pair of goals in the 24^th and 38^th minutes, and U.S. Under-15 National Team player D’awncey Jones-Black and Akari Shimizu would add insurance goals for the 4-0 win.

Under-18 Girls
2015 Region IV Champions La Roca Premier (UT) got its title defense off to a strong start with a 3-1 win over Bend FC Timbers 97 Red (OR). Brinley Adams began the scoring in the 11^th minute, only for Bend FC to counter in the 50^th minute with Talya Wheeler’s goal to knot things up at one. The defending champs would find their groove towards the end of the match with Adams adding her second goal to go with a Bend FC own goal to make the score 3-1 at the final whistle.

Under-19 Boys
Defending National Champion FC Golden State (CA-S) defeated hometown Boise Nationals Milan (ID) 3-0 thanks to a Pedro Fonseca brace and the 2015 National Championships Golden Ball winner Gabriel Costa’s goal. In the 24^thminute, Costa beat multiple defenders on the left flank before sending a cross on the ground to Fonseca, who buried his shot for the first goal of the match. Costa added a goal of his own in the 67^th minute before Fonseca would add an insurance goal in the 83^rd minute to round out the 3-0 win.

Rio Rapids SC 97 (NM) joins the defending national champs at the top of Group B thanks to a 3-0 victory of its own against Hayward Chelsea (CA-N). Skye Dascher and Shalto Dascher scored for Rio before the 10-minute mark had passed to put Rio up 2-0. Skye Dascher would add his second goal of the match to make the scored 3-0.

Regional winners of the Under-13 through Under-19 age groups earn a berth to the 2016 US Youth Soccer National Championships, July 25-31, at Toyota Soccer Center in Frisco, TX

The US Youth Soccer National Championships will consist of US Youth Soccer Regional Champions in the Under-13 through Under-19 Boys and Girls age groups as well as the US Youth Soccer National League qualifiers in the Under-14 through Under-18 Boys and Girls age groups to complete the field of 96 teams.