MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (July 11, 2019) – The 2019 US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup, presented by Chipotle, kicked off Thursday at the Richard Siegel Soccer Complex in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The four-day event features 48 US Youth Soccer Boys and Girls teams in the 13U through 18U age groups that have earned their way to the National Presidents Cup via success in their respective US Youth Soccer Regional Presidents Cup events.
The quality of competition was on display as 17 of 24 games on the first day of play were either ties or finished with teams within two goals of each other.
The US Youth Soccer Presidents Cup offers teams the challenge of experiencing different types of play by competing from state to regional to national levels. The Presidents Cup provides teams with a progressive, competitive experience that highlights competition, camaraderie and community.
The US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup will continue preliminary games through Saturday, July 13. Championship and third place matches will take place on Sunday, July 14.
A few highlights from Thursday’s matches:
13U Boys
Each of today’s 13U Boys games ended in a, 1-0, draw. SASA Spirits 2006 Blue 1 (IL) defeated Pipeline SC 2006 (MD) with the game’s lone goal coming from Grant Selke in the 64th minute. Miners FC 06 (TX-S) also earned itself a clean-sheet in its, 1-0, victory over Las Vegas Pros Futbol 06 (NV). Bryan Salas played hero for the South Texas side, scoring the game winner in the 14th minute. Miner’s defense held strong through the final whistle to help it earn three points.
13U Girls
Sporting Stl Academy-Bryant (MO) defeated Century V West (PA-W), 2-1, to open its National Presidents Cup schedule. Sporting’s Graysen Wheeler sent her team into halftime with a, 1-0, lead as she scored in the 30th minute. Just over 15 minutes after the second-half whistle, Sporting doubled its advantage with Calli LaBarbera getting on the score-sheet. Century V pulled one back thanks to a Kamela Ward goal, but could not find an equalizer before the final whistle. Real Colorado 06 Olympico (CO) earned a, 1-1, draw against Impact FC 06 Bertelsen (TX-N). Impact scored inside the first minute of play, but conceded a goal to Real Colorado’s Raleigh Kotzker just a few minutes before the halftime whistle. With neither team able to add a game winner before the final whistle, each now heads into day two with a point.
14U Boys
Ukrainian Nationals 05 Red (PA-E) earned a, 1-1, draw against LG Celtics First XI 05 (IL). Celtic’s Larry Martinez Jr. gave the Illinois side the lead just before halftime but, just on the opposite side of the second-half whistle, Riley Martin leveled the score in the 45th minute for Ukrainians. Downtown LA SC 05 (CA-S) made a statement in its first match with a big win over OKC United FC Mejia (OK). Downtown took a, 3-0, lead into halftime with Gabril Mier starting the scoring in just the eighth minute of play. Kevin Paniagua and Daniel Cruz finished the first half scoring and then Cruz added a second early in the second half. Downtown’s Aaron Rojas Narvaez added the final Cal South goal but Downtown couldn’t hold the clean-sheet as OKC’s Francisco Perez finished his opportunity just before the final whistle.
14U Girls
DASC 05 (SD) earned a, 2-0, victory over Century V East 05 (PA-W) scoring goals just before the end of each half. Hailee Christensen scored just before the first-half came to a close and then Chloe Dondlinger added a late second half goal. The DASC defense did its job to secure the clean-sheet, earning the South Dakota side all three points. AVSC Storm Academy (CA-S) defeated FC Westlake 05 Red (TX-S) to earn all three points in its opening match. Victoria Villegas scored in the opening minute and then added her second just two minutes later. Anjel Rodriguez finished the first half scoring before adding two more in the second half to complete her hat-trick. Lillian Guffey added the sixth before Villegas also finished her hat-trick to make it seven for the day.
15U Boys
In 15U Boys play, Chicago Rush Select (IL) defeated SAC United Blue (MD), 4-1. Chicago Rush took a, 2-0, first half lead with goals from Kellen Klosterman and Braeden Roth before SAC’s Kelvin Arias pulled it within one early in the second half. Rush pulled away in the second half as Jack Walsh and Grant Glorioso each added goals to push Rush to a, 4-1, victory. In the other 15U Boys game, Heat FC 04 AS (NV) defeated R9 Ronaldo Academy (FL), 1-0. After a scoreless first half, Heat FC earned its win on a lone goal from Adrian Figeroa. Heat’s defense locked-down and pushed the Nevada side to victory.
15U Girls
15U Girls Sporting Iowa 2004 Academy 1 (IA) defeated Valley SC Voodoo (PA-E), 2-1, to earn all three points in its opening match. After a scoreless opening half of play, Sporting took the lead as Anna Van Wyngarden and Jocelyn Bice each scored to push the lead to 2-0. Voodoo’s Sarah Fishers cut the lead in half with twenty-three minute to play, but the Iowa defense held strong to secure the win. Cal South’s Beach FC (CA-S) earned a, 3-0, win over 04 CR WG Burgundy Rapids (NC). Sarah Amara scored the lone first half goal and then Tessa Simmons put the game away by scoring twice midway through the second half.
16U Boys
TAFC 03 BATA (VA) earned a shut-out in its, 3-0, victory over Westside United FC 2003 Elite (IN). Joshua Espinoza-Veliz added to his six regional goals, as he scored twice in the opening half to give TAFC a, 2-0, lead heading into halftime. Anthony Suarez finished the scoring with a goal in the 54th minute to give TAFC the, 3-0, win. After going down early to Sporting United 03 (TX-N), Heat FC 03 AS (NV) battled its way back in the second half to a, 3-1, victory. Omar Munoz scored first to put the North Texas side in the lead but Heat used three goals from three different goal scorers to push its way to victory in the second half. Luis Rosales started the scoring and then Omar Coronel and David Villanueva finished the job to seal the win.
16U Girls
Three Rivers Rampage’s (MN) defensive held strong in its, 1-0, win over Keystone FC Elite 2003 (PA-E). Cedar Jorgenson’s second half goal was the lone goal of the game as Rampage earned the clean-sheet and a full three points on the day. It was just as close in the other 16U Girls match as Solar 03 Wells (TX-N) earned a tight, 1-0, win over Crossfire Premier 03 A (WA). Solar scored the game’s only goal in just the third minute of play as Olivia Rueckert found the back of the net early. After over 75 more minutes play, neither side would score again as Solar held on for the win.
17U Boys
ZYSA 02 Green (IN) defeated Union SC Spartans (NJ), 1-0, on its way to earning a full three points from its first game. After a scoreless first half, Erick Martinez played the goal-scoring hero with a late second half goal in the 75th minute. With the win, ZYSA picks up its third shutout over the course of Regionals and Nationals. After going down in the first half, Dallas Kicks 02 Selecao (TX-N) clawed its way back to a, 2-1, win over Players SC Elite 02 (NV). Players’ Josue Figueroa scored the lone first half goal, as the Nevada side headed into halftime with a slight edge on the scoreboard. The goal was just the second goal Kick’s has conceded throughout Regionals and Nationals. Kicks’ Mark Garcia equalized in the 69th minute before Shane Anderson finished the scoring in the 78th minute to give the North Texas side the win.
17U Girls
Chicago Fire Juniors West 2002 Red (IL) continued its high scoring ways in a, 5-2, victory over Rage United SC Xtreme (PA-E). Rage United took the lead early with a goal from Madison Angrey in the fifth minute of play but Chicago didn’t let the lead last. Chicaco added four straight goals – Nina Bradshaw, Natalie Drover, Emmara Gruber, Alaina Wildenradt – to earn a big, 4-1, lead in the second half. Rage’s Ana Weiss cut the lead to two, but Chicago’s Kaylin Smith quickly added the fifth and final goal. Chicago’s five goals came from five different goal scorers and showcases why the Illinois side could be one of the highest scoring teams at the event. In the other 17U Girls game, Plant City FC Lancers (FL) battled its way back from a, 2-0, deficit to draw, 2-2, against LVSA 02 Red (NV). LVSA took a commanding first half lead with goals from Jada Grance and Makenna Arboreen but couldn’t hold in the second half. Plant City’s Riley Amell cut the lead in half in the 53rd minute and then Katherine Carnes scored in the final minute to complete the comeback. With the result, both teams earn a point after the first day.
18U Boys
In 18U Boys play, DC Stoddert Blue Metros (MD) earned a tight, 1-0, victory over Keliix Intra (MN). Peter Laursen scored for DC just before the halftime whistle as the Maryland side took a, 1-0, lead into halftime. DC Stoddert held the edge through the final whistle to earn a full three points and handed Keliix its first loss after it went a perfect five-for-five at Midwest Presidents Cup. In a high scoring affair, West Texas Rush Sharks White (TX-S) bested California Rush 01 Cinza (CA-S), 5-2. Sharks got on the scoreboard first with a goal from Mario Felix but California equalized in the 45th minute. The teams exchanged a flurry of goals midway through the second half as Sharks Arthur Santana and Sebastian Benitez scored within a minute of each other before California Rush’s Jesus Melgoza pulled one back to keep it within one. Emiliano Ruiz Valenzuela doubled Sharks’ advantage three minutes later and then Quinton Brown made sure there was no comeback with an insurance goal in the 89th minute.
18U Girls
Minnesota’s Keliix Intra (MN) earned a, 1-0, victory over CSA – Monmouth 2001 Showcase (NJ) to open 18U Girls play. After a scoreless first half, the teams continued their struggles to find the back of the net through much of the second. Keliix’s Nicole Branch finally broke the deadlock in the 80th minute and then the Minnesota side held through the final whistle for the win. In the other game, CC Aztecs/Coast (CA-S) scored twice in the second half to push it to a, 2-0, victory over Rage FC (TX-S). With neither team able to figure out the opposing defense in the first half, the two teams went into halftime scoreless. CC Aztecs took the lead just three minutes into the second half as Cynthia Flores figured out the puzzle to score a goal. Haley Obenshain added a goal in the 80th minute to help ensure the win and the full three points.
