US Youth Soccer Far West Regional Championships Day 3 Recap
Preliminary Games, Day 3 of 3
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HONOLULU (Via US Youth Soccer) — Wednesday brought an end to exciting preliminary games at the 2018 US Youth Soccer Region Far West Regional Championships at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex in Honolulu. The chase for the Regional and National Championships continues for the 112 teams who have qualified to move on to Friday’s quarterfinals.
Of the teams advancing to the quarterfinals, 17U Boys LVSA 01 Red (NV) is familiar with what is on the line going into the next round. The Nevada side earned a hard-fought 3-2 win over Fullerton Rangers Blue (CA-S) to top the pool. Head coach Tommy Tate discussed the importance of the last day of preliminary play.
“You want to set yourself up to play a sometimes easier match,” head coach Tommy Tate said. “Normally, in soccer, no game is easy. It’s all about mentality and coming up and finishing chances. I think we’re mature enough to understand that we still have a lot of work to do. Nothing is going to be given to us.”
+READ: US Youth Soccer Far West Regional Championships Day 2 Recap
“These guys have been [in the quarterfinals] before. It’s another game for us to get where we want to go—the ability to win a regional title on Sunday,” Tate said.
Regional winners of the 13U through 19U age groups earn a berth to the 2018 US Youth Soccer National Championships, which will be played July 23-29 at the Toyota Soccer Center in Frisco, Texas.
The US Youth Soccer National Championships will consist of US Youth Soccer Regional Champions in the 13U through 19U Boys and Girls age groups, as well as the US Youth Soccer National League qualifiers in the 14U through 18U Boys and Girls age groups to complete the field of 96 teams.
Highlights from Wednesday:
13U Boys
13U Boys NM Rush Premier 05 (NM) picked up a 6-2 win over Real National (CO). The first half was fairly even as both teams had their chances. Rush took the lead in the 17th minute when a corner kick was cleared but sent back into the 18-yard box, and although the Real keeper got a hand on it, Rush followed up the shot for the ball to cross the goal line. Real responded eight minutes later as Bodie Curtis sent the ball to the top right corner of the goal, but Rush stole the lead right back as the ball was crossed across the goal for Diego Rangel to be on the end of it and pass the ball into the goal. In the second half, Ethan Saiz increased Rush’s lead with a goal, and although Real’s Kadin Bolin scored to keep the team within reaching distance, Rush pulled away with goals from Derek Lozano, Jonathan Little and Samuel Shiller.
14U Girls
Arsenal FC (CA-S) finished on top of its pool in the 14U Girls age group with a 3-0 win over LC Velocity (NM). Arsenal brought on the pressure and created dangerous opportunities. Near the end of the first half, the Cal South side executed one of its chances as Emma Frausto hit a bouncing ball over the keeper’s head. Frausto went on to score again in the first minute of the second half, and two minutes later, Elizabeth Worden made it a 3-0 game. Arsenal finished group play with a 2-0-1 record and heads into the quarterfinals as the top seed of its pool.
15U Boys
FC Portland 03 Navy (OR) claimed a 2-1 victory against Total Futbol Academy (CA-S). It was the Oregon side who went ahead first as Julian Cortez put the ball in the back of the net in the 13th minute. Total Futbol Academy’s Julian Vazquez earned the equalizer, putting the team back into the game at the 30-minute mark. In the second half, FC Portland hung onto the ball, but the play mostly remained in the middle of the field. Denzel Pinto took on a couple Total Futbol Academy defenders, looking to take a shot off, but he was brought down and earned a penalty kick for FC Portland. John Schuler stepped up to the penalty kick mark and got the job done, allowing FC Portland to claim the win.
16U Girls
PacNW 02 Maroon (WA) came back from a two-goal deficit to defeat Leahi 02 Premier (HI), 3-2. Leahi was the team to score first as a build-up play led to Alyssa Enoki slipping the ball past the goalkeeper in the first play of the game. PacNW did not allow the goal to affect its play as it strung passes together and kept the ball after the Leahi goal. The Hawaii side used its speed several times to get in behind the defense and doubled its lead with a Caylie Uyema goal in the 43rd minute. Five minutes later, PacNW got on the board thanks to Bella O’Brien. After playing the ball around, PacNW earned the equalizer in the 75th minute, and in the last few plays of the match, Liberty Palmer scored the game winner.
17U Boys
A back-and-forth match in the 17U Boys age group led to a 3-2 win for LVSA 01 Red (NV) over Fullerton Rangers Blue (CA-S). LVSA scored right after kick-off with a goal from Lincoln Aquino, and there were many more opportunities for the Nevada side in the first half, but the one goal was the only difference separating the two teams at halftime. LVSA continued to search for the assurance goal in the second half, but Fullerton threw a wrench in LVSA’s efforts when Kyle Kirkland scored off of a header. Fullerton stole the lead two minutes later when the Cal South team pulled the same exact play as the ball was crossed from the right side for Kirkland to head the ball into the net once again. LVSA did not stop working and tied up the game as it executed the same play as the two previous goals with Michael Vogel redirecting the ball into the goal off of a header. The game winner came when Antonio Gomez ran onto a through ball, and although the Fullerton keeper stopped the initial shot, Gomez followed up to earn LVSA the win and a spot in the 17U Boys quarterfinals.
18U Girls
The top two teams in Pool C of the 18U Girls age group, Greater Seattle Surf 00A (WA) and Scottsdale Blackhawks Taylor (AZ), tied 1-1 in Wednesday’s match. Abigail Furtmann put Scottsdale ahead in the 18th minute of the match, but Greater Seattle showed determination to get it back. In the first minute of the second half, Keile Hansen drove a strike to the left side netting to tie up the game. Greater Seattle took the momentum and created more chances for itself, including three consecutive shots coming from Francesca Sheppard, but Scottsdale keeper Jazmyn Brass made the right saves to keep the game tied.
19U Boys
Strikers FC North (CA-S) earned its third win of the week after defeating CCV Stars 99 (AZ), 3-0. It only took seven minutes for Strikers to take the lead as Corbin Mercado netted a goal. Benjamin Palafox made it a 2-0 game with his goal in the 52nd minute, and Jacob Chong topped off the match as a cross from Alex Ayala-Rodriguez headed for Jacob Chong, who slid to tap the ball into the near post. Strikers will head into the 19U Boys quarterfinals as the only team with an undefeated record.
