Vista Royal wins U14 Bronze title over fellow Virginina foe 2-1

By Kevin Smith

In the Long Bridge Park finale, the Vista Royals (Va) squared off against Sterling FC White (Va), with both teams aiming for the U14 Premier Bronze crown, but only one team would emerge victorious on a hazy Memorial Day. The first half provided no strong clue as to who the eventual winner might be as Sterling got on the board early with an own goal off a defender’s foot on a corner kick, putting White up 1-0. The Vista Royals stormed back with a goal off of attacker Ryker Saltsman’s foot, tying the game at one less than 15 minutes into the first half.

After even play for the rest of the half, with both teams alternately working deep into opposing territory, we entered the break just as we had started.

The teams continued to play it even after the break, until about ten minutes in when Royals forward Daniel Yurrego buried a shot past the Sterling keeper on a break away, set up by a poorly executed pass back to the goalie out of the Sterling back-line. In the subsequent one on one with the goalie, and with two defenders giving chase, Yurrego’s put his shot low and to the goalie’s left, finding the near corner of the goal from just inside the box.

With the Royals up by one late in the half, Sterling pushed hard into Royals territory, but failed to tie the game up before the final whistle. After 70 hard minutes in the heat and humidity, the Vista Royals found themselves going home champions.