Va. State Cup: Under-15 Boys preview

By Jimmy LaRoue

Here’s the breakdown of the Under-15 Boys bracket of the Virginia State Cup semifinals and finals, set for this weekend at the River City Sportsplex in Richmond.

Teams (seed)

FC Richmond Magic 97 (#1)

Arlington Impact Red (#2)

Chantilly Strikers 97 (#3)

Loudoun 97B Red (#5)

Schedule

Semifinal: Oct. 27, 10 a.m. – FC Richmond Magic 97 vs. Loudoun 97B Red, River City Sportsplex #1 Turf

Semifinal: Oct. 27, 12 p.m. – Arlington Impact Red vs. Chantilly Strikers, River City Sportsplex #7 Turf

Final: FC Richmond Magic 97/Loudoun 97B Red winner vs. Arlington Impact Red/Chantilly Strikers winner, 11 a.m., River City Sportsplex #7

Soccerwire.com prediction: In the spring U-14 State Cup, it was Arlington Impact Red who were the top seeded team and FC Richmond Magic 97 came into the one-off tournament as the #8 seed, but FC Richmond defeated Arlington 1-0 in the quarterfinals and went on to win the spring 2012 State Cup title. Now, FC Richmond is the top-seed and Arlington Impact Red the second seed, and both are in the semifinals, and both have had undefeated fall Virginia Club Champions League campaigns in their respective divisions. FC Richmond has proven its spring success wasn’t a one-time deal, while Arlington Impact Red is looking to get a rematch in the final. But first, FC Richmond will have to get past Loudoun 97B Red, the #5 seed, coached by former Arlington coach Grant Smith. Meanwhile, Chantilly Strikers should not be underestimated, as they are the third-ranked team in Virginia and have scored 10 goals while giving up just two in three State Cup matches.

Team: FC Richmond Magic 97 (#1)
Club: FC Richmond
Head coach: Trip Dunville
Home league: VCCL South (6-0-0, 1st place–fall 2012)
Under-14 State Cup Finish: Champions
GotSoccer State Rank: 6
Goals in 2012 Cup: 11 scored, 2 allowed

How they got here:
Sept. 22, 2012: FC Richmond Magic 97 5, Roanoke Star Elite 97 1
Sept. 29, 2012: FC Richmond Magic 97 3, SOCA Lightning 0
Oct. 13, 2012: FC Richmond Magic 97 3, #8 McLean MPS 97 Legend Green 1

Team: Loudoun 97B Red (#5)
Club: Loudoun Soccer
Head coach: Grant Smith
Home league: VCCL North (3-1-1, 3rd place–fall 2012)
Under-14 State Cup Finish: 2nd round loss
GotSoccer State Rank: 9
Goals in 2012 Cup: 10 goals, 6 against

How they got here:
Sept. 22, 2012: Loudoun 97B Red 4, Chesapeake Fury 97 3
Sept. 29, 2012: Loudoun 97B Red 3, VSA Heat 97 White 2
Oct. 13, 2012: Loudoun 97B Red 3, #4 BFC Barca 97 Elite 1