Final Matches Set for US Youth Soccer Region IV Championships
Final matches are set for the 2016 US Youth Soccer Region IV Championships as teams prepare to battle it out for a berth to the US Youth Soccer National Championships. Six defending regional champions entered the tournament with only Under-16 Girls La Roca Premier PO and Under-17 Boys Seattle United 98 Copa still in the hunt for the final win.
Youth Soccer News: Teams have earned berths in the final matches at the 2016 US Youth Soccer Region IV Championships, in Boise, Idaho. The winners of Sunday’s games in the Under-13 through Under-19 age groups qualify for the US Youth Soccer National Championships, the oldest and most prestigious youth soccer national championship, July 25-31 at the Toyota Soccer Complex in Frisco, Texas.
The Under-14 through Under-18 Boys and Girls age groups will be streamed live for the second year in a row. All of the links to the live streams along with a schedule can be found here.
Of the six defending regional champions that entered the tournament, only Under-16 Girls La Roca Premier PO (UT) and Under-17 Boys Seattle United 98 Copa (WA) remain to defend their titles in the finals. All four of the former National Champions are still in the running for a regional title as Under-16 Girls Legends FC 99 (CA-S), Under-17 Girls Eastside FC 98 Red (WA), Under-18 Girls Beach FC Academy 97 Joyner (CA-S) and Under-19 FC Golden State (CA-S) will all look to return to nationals with a win tomorrow.
The US Youth Soccer National Championship Series (State, Regional and National Championships) creates a unique environment where any team is open to compete, but only those that earn their way can progress to the next stage until the National Champion is decided. That environment attracts scouts from universities, professional teams and U.S. Soccer National Teams looking for players that can move on to the next level of play.
Match Highlights
Under-13 Boys
Strikers FC Chingirian (CA-S) defeated FC Golden State PDA 2003 (CA-S) 2-1 in a battle of Southern California sides to claim a spot in the finals. FC Golden State’s Juan Bonola became the first player at the 2016 Region IV Championships to reach double digits in scoring with his 10th goal in the 10th minute, but Noah Mangosing knotted the score at one with a goal in the 21st minute. The 1-1 score would remain for over 40 minutes of game-play before Sean Foster gave Strikers its first lead in the 63rd minute to put his team through to the final.
FC Alliance 02A (WA) won a battle of Washington teams against Seattle United 02 Copa (WA) 1-0 to claim the other finals spot. Things looked to be heading into extra time until Alliance’s Mark Dormoh scored the game-winner in the final minute to put his side through to the finals.
Under-13 Girls
The Under-13 Girls finals will be an all-Cal South affair as So Cal Blues 02 Baker (CA-S) will face-off against SD Surf Academy (CA-S). Blues defeated Seattle United 02 Copa (WA) 3-0 thanks to goals from U.S. Under-14 National Team players Reilyn Turner and Simone Jackson. Jackson’s brace gave her the most goals in the age group with eight, while Turner is in second with seven goals. SD Surf defeated LA Roca PO (UT) thanks to Alyze Eckhardt’s goal in the 53rdminute and Madison Smith’s sixth goal of the tournament four minutes later.
Under-14 Boys
Eastside Timbers Ajax (OR) defeated defending regional champs and national finalists EC Real Galaxy FC 01 (CA-N) 2-1 in extra time to advance to the finals. Eastside’s Keller Storlie began the scoring with a goal in the 52nd minute, only for Jose Amezcua to counter for the Northern California side. It was Storlie again giving Eastside the lead with his goal in extra time, his fifth of the tournament, to put the Oregon squad up 2-1 for good.
LVSA 02 Red (NV) also required extra time to defeat Real Colorado National 01/02 (CO). Brennan Leck gave Real the 1-0 lead in the 38th minute, but Marcus Delgado equalized for LVSA with a goal in the 60th minute. Timothy Stephens would be the hero for LVSA after he scored the eventual game-winner in the 80th minute as the match ended 2-1.
Under-14 Girls
USA Stars 02 (CA-N) defeated HSC Bulls Academy I 02 (HI) 3-0 to advance to the finals. Emma Seymour began the scoring in the 30th minute, and Lauren Helwig would add a pair of goals in the 36th and 41st minutes to make it 3-0. Fullerton Rangers 01 White (CA-S) would require a little more drama in its victory over LA Roca Premier FD (UT) as neither team was able to find the back of the net in regulation and extra time, resulting in kicks from the mark.
Under-15 Boys
SC Sporting 00 Green (CA-N) edged out a 1-0 win over Fullerton Rangers 00 White (CA-S). After 66 minutes of scoreless play, Lucas Tager broke through for Sporting with a goal, and the North California side’s defense held on for the 1-0 win.
Rio Rapids SC 01 (NM) secured the other spot in the finals with a 2-1 win over Classic SC 00 Premier (AZ). Classic’s Zachary Bayola broke the scoreless stalemate in the 45th minute, but Steven Lee would equalize for Rio in the 54th minute. It was Lee again who scored to break the 1-1 draw in stoppage time and claim the 2-1 win.
Under-15 Girls
Rebels SC Elite (CA-S) defeated Scottsdale Blackhawks 01 Taylor (AZ) 2-1 to move on to the Under-15 Girls finals. Scarlett Camberos and Jacqueline Barrientos gave Rebels a 2-0 lead in the first half. Allison Broderick got Scottsdale on the board with a goal in the 64th minute, but Rebels would hold on for the 2-1 victory.
Rebels will take on FC Salmon Creek Nemesis 00 Ellerston (OR) after the Oregon side defeated Washington Rush (WA) 2-0. Baylee Groom began the scoring in the 36th minute, and Ava Benedetti would double Salmon Creek’s lead for the 2-0 win.
Under-16 Boys
Strikers FC North (CA-S) became the second Irvine Strikers team to advance to the finals with a 2-0 win over Players SC 00 Elite (NV). Noah Engstrom and Nathaniel Santana scored goals within the span of five minutes to put Strikers up early, and the Southern California team never looked back, claiming its fourth clean sheet in five games and a spot in the finals.
EC Real Pumas (CA-N) will join Strikers in the final after a 2-1 win over LA Galaxy South Bay Gold (CA-S). Marco Ceja opened the scoring in the fifth minute with a goal for Pumas, but five minutes later Cade Flanagan brought things level with his goal. Carlos Pacheco broke the 1-1 draw with the final goal of the match in the 65th minute.
Under-16 Girls
Legends FC 99 (CA-S) and La Roca Premier PO (UT) will square-off once again, this time with the 2016 Region IV Championships on the line after both sides earned 1-0 wins. U.S. Under-17 Girls National Team players Emily Knous (Legends) and Olivia Wade (La Roca) scored for their respective teams. The finals match will be a rematch of last year’s National Championships final. The two sides played twice at the 2015 National Championships, and another time in group play of this year’s regional championships. Two times the sides fought to a draw, with the third time being the national finals when a last-minute goal from Kaylee Ramirez secured Legends FC’s second National Championship.
Under-17 Boys
Defending regional champs Seattle United 98 Copa (WA) secured the opportunity to win back-to-back regional titles after defeating SC Del Sol 99 Colavacchia (AZ) 3-0. Ian Mejia scored a pair of goals in the ninth and 53rd minute, while Paul Rothrock added the third goal for the Washington team in the 68th minute.
LA Premier FC White (CA-S) will take on the defending champs after a 2-1 win over Capital FC Timbers 98 Red (OR). LA Premier went up 1-0 with Jorge Orellana’s goal right before halftime, and Jediel Nunes doubled LA Premier’s lead with a goal in the 54th minute. Armando Lopez Ruiz brought Capital back within one goal, but the come-back attempt wasn’t completed as the match ended 2-1.
Under-17 Girls
2013 Region IV and National Champions Eastside FC 98 Red (WA) defeated defending regional champions La Roca FD (UT) 2-1 to advance to the finals. Olivia Van Der Jagt started the scoring with a goal in the 10th minute. Sadie Brockbank tied the match at one with a goal in the 34th minute, only for U.S. Under-17 National Team player, Joanna Harber to score just four minutes later to make the score 2-1, and it would stay that way up to the final whistle.
Celtic Storm 99 Premier (UT) defeated HSC Bulls Academy 99 (HI) 2-0 to claim the other finals spot. Brooklyn Vogelsberg scored her fourth and fifth goals of the tournament to move into a tie for the most in the age group, and the Celtic defense held the other two players with five girls in the age group, U.S. Youth National Team players Sunshine Fontes and Kylie Minamishin without a goal for the clean sheet.
Under-18 Boys
2015 Region IV finalists South San Jose PAC Indios (CA-N) will return to the finals after a 4-0 semifinals win over TSA 98 Red (AZ). Albert Munante’s brace combined with goals from Brian Alvarez and Angel Gil-Briseno gave Indios the 4-0 win.
US Youth Soccer National League veteran DMS11 Academy (CA-S) will join the Indios in the final after a 3-1 win over Crossfire Oregon 97 Green 1 (OR). Crossfire struck first with a goal in the 42nd minute, but the second half belonged to DMS with goals coming from Diran Bebekian, Adrian Becerra and Salvador Segura.
Under-18 Girls
2014 Region IV and National Champions Beach FC Academy 97 Joyner (CA-S) defeated 98 Celtic FC Premier (UT) 2-1 to advance to the finals. Taylor Bistline netted her sixth goal of the tournament to put Beach up 1-0 in the 27th minute, and Natalee Taylor Wells doubled the Southern California side’s with a goal right before halftime. Jacqueline Kimble brought Celtic within one with a goal in the 90th minute, but there was no time for an equalizer as the final whistle blew moments later.
FC Nova 97/98 (ID) is the sole hometown team that remains, but the Idaho side got the job done in the semifinals with a 3-2 win over West Coast Wild (CA-N). Karli Stone gave Nova a 2-0 lead with goals in the fifth and 47th minute. Delanie Sheehan would cut Nova’s lead in half with a goal in the 68th minute, but Maya Chavez would give Nova its second two-goal lead by scoring in the 75th minute. Wild’s Haley Bostard brought the score to 3-2 after her goal in the 81st minute, but Nova would prevent a third goal from being scored as the match ended 3-2.
Source/Photo Credit: US Youth Soccer
