2014 US Youth Soccer Region III Championships Kicks Off in Baton Rouge
Preliminary Games, Day 1 of 3 – Nearly 200 teams, including five former US Youth Soccer National Champions or finalists, kicked off the 2014 US Youth Soccer Region III (South) Championships Friday at the BREC Burbank-Soccer Complex in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
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, presented by the National Guard, in their respective age group.
After coming up just short in last year’s Region III Championships final, Tampa Bay United Premier (FL) started its 2014 campaign with a 2-1 win over FC Alliance 96 Black (TN) in Under-18 Girls play. Abigail Sanchez put Tampa Bay in front in the 30th minute, but Keyle Snyder equalized for Alliance midway through the second half. The Florida side generated several chances after conceding the goal and regained the lead when Darien Davis struck a low cross from Alexis Schweiitzwer past the keeper for what proved to be the game-winning goal.
Under-17 Girls South Carolina United 96 Elite (SC) stalled 97 Louisiana Fire Navy’s pursuit of a second-straight Region III Championship by handing the Louisiana side a 4-2 defeat on Thursday. SCU struck early when Jessica Schifer slid her left-footed shot inside the right post. The Fire responded and leveled the score after a cross fell to Noelle Higginson at the top of the box, and she hit a low, hard shot past the diving keeper. South Carolina went back in front on Schifer’s second tally and extended its advantage to 4-1 after Natalie Thompson scored and Schifer capped off a hat trick. The Fire pressured the SCU goal for the final 20 minutes, but their only breakthrough was an Alexandra Thomas goal in the 82nd minute, as the defending Region III Champions fell to SCU.
In Under-15 Girls play, MFC 99 Premier (MS) started its weekend with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Andromeda FC (N-TX). The teams exchanged chances before Mary Parker gave MFC the lead just before halftime. Parker received a pass from Maggie Overby that put the forward behind the Andromeda defense, and she calmly slid a shot inside the right post. Parker’s goal proved to be the game’s lone tally, as her side held on for the opening-day win.
A pair of goals from Samantha Barnett helped 2013 Region III finalist Oklahoma Football Club 00 (OK) to a 2-0 win over SSC 99 Freedom (SC) on Friday. Barnett opened the scoring in the 10th minute and added a second tally in the 21st minute to give her team an early two-goal advantage. The Oklahoma FC defense made sure those two strikes held up, as the side recorded a clean sheet en route to the 2-0 win.
Concorde Fire Elite (GA) met local side BRSC/CSC Alliance 95 (LA) in Under-19 Boys play, with both teams aiming to advance to Germantown, Md., and compete for the James P. McGuire Cup — the oldest trophy in youth sports. Casey Shultis and Tyler Alexander scored in quick succession for Concorde to give the Georgia side a 2-0 lead at halftime. Christopher Kline pulled Alliance within one in the 82nd minute, but Concorde held on for the 2-1 victory.
In a tightly-contested Under-17 Boys contest, Space Coast United (FL) couldn’t break through against Lonestars 97 Red SAN (TX-S), as the two squads played to a scoreless tie. Space Coast had its share of possession in the attacking half, but the Lonestars’ defense kept its opponents off the scoreboard. The Texas side’s keeper made one of the crucial plays of the game when he got his left palm on a goal-bound shot from a Space Coast forward and parried it away to preserve the tie.
Under-16 Boys 98 Norcross Fury Premier (GA) opened up its weekend with a 2-0 win over FSE 98 (AR). Neither team was able to find the back of the net in the first half, but Alan Mejia put Norcross in front with a goal three minutes after the break. The Georgia side extended its lead via an own goal in the 71st minute before holding on for the 2-0 win. After falling to eventual champion Sunrise Elite 9798 (FL) in the semifinals in 2013, Norcross is off to a good start as it aims to improve on last year’s finish.
A 2-0 win over USC 99 Premier (AL) put 98 Charlotte United Gold (NC) in a promising position after the first day of group play. Karrington Prioleau put the North Carolina side in front early and James Hartman added the second goal in the 54th minute to help Charlotte United win the Under-15 Boys matchup.
Charlotte United head coach Bill Finneyfrock related the Region III Championships format to the FIFA World Cup, saying that the quality of opponents in Baton Rouge can punish a team that isn’t in good form on a given day.
“Winning that first game, getting three points behind you, takes a bit of pressure off — knowing that you don’t necessarily have to win the next game,” Finneyfrock said, adding that following up with a win on Saturday would certainly be nice. “The three group games are critical. If we drop tomorrow, then it comes down to the final group game, and it becomes a knockout game a day early.”
Finneyfrock and Charlotte United would like to build on their run to the Region III Championships semifinal in 2013, but the coach knows they can’t look that far ahead just yet with each game holding so much importance in the pursuit of a berth to the National Championships.
“You’ve got to get out of your group first to have a chance,” he said.
The 2014 US Youth Soccer Region III Championships feature 198 of the top boys and girls teams from the 12 State Associations that make up US Youth Soccer Region III, with each squad competing for the 2014 regional title. Preliminary games will be held June 20-22, with quarterfinals, semifinals and finals taking place June 23-26. All games will be played at the BREC Burbank-Soccer Complex in Baton Rouge, La.
Regional winners of the Under-13 through Under-19 age groups earn a berth to the 2014 US Youth Soccer National Championships, presented by the National Guard, which will be played July 22-27 at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, Md.
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.
Daily reports and complete results from the US Youth Soccer Region III Championships are available on http://championships.usyouthsoccer.org/regionIII/.
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