US Youth Soccer Southern Regional Championships – Day 1 Recap
Preliminary Games, Day 1 of 3
Scores & Standings
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BATON ROUGE, LA. — More than 210 teams, including thirteen returning US Youth Soccer Southern Regional Champions and Finalists, kicked off the 2019 US Youth Soccer Southern Regional Championships at Burbank Soccer Park in Baton Rouge, La., and Cajun Industrial Soccer Complex in Gonzales, La.
Teams from all over the southern United States took the field with the goal of taking the next step toward claiming the coveted US Youth Soccer National Championship in their respective age group.
18U Boys FC Dallas 01 Premier (TX-N) head coach Casey Cantor knows how grueling Regionals can get as teams move forward and understands the importance of getting points early.
“It is big time for us to start the event off with three points at a tough competition like Southern Regionals,” Cantor said. “The more points you can get in these first couple of days the less pressure you have to worry about on the last day. As the competition continues here, you find yourself getting tired legs and facing increasingly more difficult competition.”
Cantor continued by talking about the goals of his FC Dallas team moving forward.
“You have to take it game by game and learn lessons from each positive and negative aspect of your match to continue to grow as a team,” continued Cantor. “Results like this are good for the boys’ confidence moving forward. Hopefully, we can use this confidence to continue to press on with wins as our goal is to not only win the Southern Regionals, but to ultimately lift the 18U Boys National Championship trophy.”
The 2019 US Youth Soccer Southern Regional Championships feature over 210 of the top boys and girls teams from the 12 State Associations that make up the US Youth Soccer South Region, with each squad competing for the 2019 regional title. Preliminary games will be held June 21-23, with quarterfinals, semifinals and finals taking place June 24-27.
Notes from a few of today’s games:
13U Girls
06 CSA South Elite (NC) used a goal in each half to earn a, 2-1, victory over Wellington Wave (FL). CSA got off on the right foot as Jaida McGrewscored in just the second minute of play. Wellington almost leveled the score as a dangerous box came into the box from the wing but the finish was clipped over the bar. CSA immediately responded but saw its chance pushed wide by Emma Filice. Just before the end of the half, Noelle Simmons dribbled in close-range and finished her chance to send the teams into halftime tied at 1-1. Lucille Dempsey scored the lone second half goal and the CSA defense held out to give the North Carolina side all three points heading into day two.
14U Boys
OEFC 05 (OK) and Dallas Kicks 05 (TX-N) played to a, 1-1, draw on the opening day of 14U Boys play and each now head into day two with a point each. OEFC scored the lone first half goal when Cooper Falling received the ball and hit a hard knuckling shot from deep that sailed beyond the Kicks keeper. Dallas fought back in the second half and equalized in the 61st minute when Jonathan Jaimes scored. The score held through the final whistle and both teams leave with what could be an important point as group play progresses.
15U Girls
The 2018 Southern Regional finalists, Sunrise Sting 2004 X1 (FL), welcomed Mandeville SC Lakers 04 (LA) to regionals with a, 4-1, victory on the opening day of play. Mandeville was the aggressor in the first 10 minutes of the game and it paid off when the ball got worked in towards Caroline Spalitta who slotted her chance under the keeper. Sunrise started to settle in as the half went on the game started to change. Garcia Padilla Barbara was one of the key points, not only scoring but also being a great distributer of the ball. Padilla Barbara leveled the score in the 18th minute ripping a low rocket that deflected off the keeper and into the side net. Sunrise kept pushing in the first half and Padilla Barbara tallied her second of the game giving her side a 2-0 advantage headed into the second half. Sunrise kept its foot on the gas and added two more goals in the second half, from Emily Thompson and then a late goal from Savannah Hydes. The Sunrise defense locked down and helped the offense to a 4-1 victory.
16U Boys
PPA KSA 03 Pro-Profile (GA) defeated VSHC Steamers 03 Black (AL), 5-4, in a game that was not short of goals scored. Steamers got the game started early with a goal from Jackson Nabors but KSA soon began to dominate the run of play. KSA earned a penalty kick but pulled the chance wide but redeem themselves shortly with a close range finish from Lamech Phillips shortly after. KSA took the lead just four minutes later when a cross into the box found Phillips for a second goal. KSA took a 3-1 lead when Phillips finished KSA’s second penalty kick attempt of the game. Steamers fought back and pulled within one before the halftime whistle as Sergio Sarabia Santoro scored. It was back and forth in the second half with KSA’s Jean Malilo starting the scoring before Steamer’s Jahir Hernandez responded just four minute later. Phillips wasn’t done scoring and added his fourth goal of the game to give KSA a 4-2 advantage with ten minutes to play. Just before the final whistle, Steamers Michael jay Udeh scored but the Alabama side ran out of time and fell 4-3.
17U Girls
In a rematch of last year’s 16U Girls final, Sparta FC 02 Elite (TX-N) set the tone for its 2019 event by earning another win over Rise SC 02 Elite 1 (TX-S). This year’s game finish 3-2 in favor of the North Texas side – another one-goal victory – after last year’s 2-1 win. Sparta struck first in the 10th minute as Kayla Smith sent a corner kick untouched into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead. Rise equalized just two minutes later after earning a penalty kick. Monserrath Gutierrez stepped up and buried her chance to level the score. Sparta took the lead into halftime, once again converting off a corner. This time, the corner was punch straight into the air by the Rise keeper and Reagan Easter found her way amidst a large group of players to head it home to make it 2-1. Sparta kept on the pressure scoring just three minutes into the second half thanks to a Grace Jordan goal. Rise kept battling and pulled one back in the 65th minute when Jenna Murray found the back of the net, but they could find a late goal and Sparta claimed the victory.
18U Boys
FC Dallas 01 Premier (TX-N) earned a big win over Escuela Oficial Houston Rayados (TX-S) in an all Texas 18U Boys match-up on day one.Orlando Castro got FC Dallas started early with a goal in the seventh minute of play to give the North Texas side an early advantage. FC Dallas made it 2-0 in the final whistle as the ball was worked to the center of the box to Jide Adesanya who finished from close range. The second half was all FC Dallas as they started to run away with the game as Castro once again scored early in the half just three minutes in. Adesanya added a second with Carlos Santamaria making it 4-0. FC Dallas continued to turn on the pressure as Joe Perryman added a hat trick with Kevin Adolfo also adding to the scoreline.
19U Girls
The two Group A girls game had no shortage of goals between them as two teams made their way to the front of the pack. 00 CSA Charlotte King (NC) earned a 4-0 win over RISE 01/00 (TX-S) while Solar West B. Williams (TX-N) notched a 6-2 game. CSA scored early to set the tone with a goal in the third minute thanks to an Isabelle Wood goal. Wood added a second at the end of the half before teammates Robin Jackson and Meghan Lang finished the scoring. CSA held the clean sheet as it locked down defensively to grab the win. Solar showed its scoring versatility with six goals from five different goal scorers. Ashley Wilson notched a brace with one of the two goals starting the action. Bulls equalized on a Molly Wanning goal but Solar pulled away heading into the second half with goals from Valerie Solis and Brooke Jones. Rachel Roebuck started the scoring just four minutes into the second half before Wilson andKalynn Bickford finish the solar scoring. With the score at 6-1, Bulls kept fighting to the end and scored in the 90 minute with a goal from Cason Kelly.
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 24-29 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.
Daily reports and complete results from the US Youth Soccer Far West Regional Championships are available on championships.
