MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (July 12, 2019) – The 2019 US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup, presented by Chipotle, continued in Murfreesboro, Tenn., with the 48 13U through 18U Boys and Girls teams taking the field for the second day of play at Richard Siegel Soccer Complex.
The tournament, which features US Youth Soccer teams from 20 different State Associations, will continue with preliminary games through Saturday, July 13. Championship and third place matches will take place on Sunday, July 14.
The third day of play will be full of exciting matches, as only one gender age group – 15U Girls – has set both of its final two teams after two days of play. With eleven more final match-ups to be decided, almost every game will have meaning tomorrow in deciding who will advance to play for a National Presidents Cup title.
A few highlights from Friday’s matches:
13U Boys
It will be a tight race tomorrow as three of the four teams in the 13U Boys age group are still in contention for a spot in the final. SASA Spirits 2006 Blue 1 (IL) earned a, 2-2, draw against Miners FC 06 (TX-S) while Las Vegas Pros Futbol 06 (NV) kept itself in the running with a, 4-2, win against Pipeline SC 2006 Black (MD). Miners and SASA sit tied at the top of the chart with four points each with Las Vegas creeping just behind after securing three points today. Las Vegas will need a win over SASA Spirits in tomorrow’s match to earn a spot in the 13U Boys final.
13U Girls
Sporting Stl Academy-Bryant (MO) scored late to earn a, 2-1, victory over Impact FC 06 Bertelsen (TX-N) and secured a spot in the 13U Girls final with one game remaining. Sporting’s Lana Adams scored the lone first-half goal to give the Missouri side a lead headed into halftime. With just less than 10 minutes remaining, Impact’s Brooke Bowman equalized. Just two minutes later, Calli LaBarbera scored her second goal of the event to put Sporting back in the lead. Sporting’s defense held through the final whistle to secure the victory. Real Colorado Olympico put itself in a great spot to advance to the final after a, 4-0, win over Century V West (PA-W). Gabriell Beaudry notched a brace while teammates Sophie Redner and Raleigh Kotzker added goals to complete the scoring. Real Colorado will need at least a tie against the group leaders tomorrow to seal its spot in the final.
14U Boys
Downtown LA SC 05 (CA-S) locked down its spot in the 14U Boys final with a, 4-2, victory over Ukrainian Nationals 05 Red (PA-E). Downtown took the lead nine minutes in as Gabriel Mier added his third goal of the event. Within the next minute, Ukrainian Nationals leveled thanks to a fortunate own goal. Daniel Cruz added a goal before the end of half to give the Cal South side the lead at the halftime whistle. Downtown increased its lead 10 minutes after the second half whistle but Ukrainian’s Nolan Helsel pulled one back to give his team life. Anthony Herrera added a late insurance goal for Downtown to seal the victory. In the other 14U Boys game, LG Celtics First XI 05 (IL) drew, 1-1, with OKC United FC Mejia (OK). LG’s Colin Chough added the lone first half goal but OKC’s Francisco Perez leveled the score in the 44th minute. With the draw, LG sits behind Downtown with two points with both OKC and Ukrainians holding one point each. With all three teams below Downtown in contention for the final spot, it will be an exciting final day of group play.
14U Girls
DASC 05 (SD) are one step closer to the 14U Girls final with a big win over FC Westlake 05 Red (TX-N). Hailee Christensen moved to the top of the age group goal scoring charts, scoring four of DASC’s goals. Chloe Dondlinger added two with Mia Mullenmeister and Taite Scheafter rounding out the scoring. Just as impressive, DASC’s defenders and goalkeeping duo have kept two consecutive clean sheets. Century V East 05 (PA-W) defeated AVSC Storm Academy (CA-S), 2-1, and now holds an important head-to-head tiebreaker headed into the final day of play with each tied with three points apiece. AVSC will now need to do something that no one else has been able to do, in order to give itself a chance to advance – earn at least a point off DASC 05.
15U Boys
R9 Ronaldo Academy (FL) defeated Chicago Rush Select (IL), 2-1, as it bounced back after a loss on day one. Gabriel Ocaris Salcedo started scoring in the eighth minute but Chicago equalized just three minutes later as William Kalsto found the back of the net. Salcedo sent Ronaldo Academy into half with the lead as he scored in 30th minute. With neither side able to add an additional goal, the Florida side held for the victory. Heat FC 04 (NC) secured its second straight victory with a, 3-1, win over SAC United Blue (MD). SAC took the lead in the 18th minute with a Samuel Molz goal but Mario Juarez Jr., leveled the score before halftime. Heat finished the job in the second half as it added goals from Dominique Lothamer and Oliver Castaneda to secure the win.
15U Girls
The 15U Girls final match-up is set after the second day of play. Sporting Iowa 2004 Academy 1 (IA) earned a, 3-0, shutout victory over 04 CR WG Burgundy Rapids (NC) while Beach FC used two second half goals to comeback and defeat Valley SC Voodoo (PA-E), 2-1. Sporting’s Jocelyn Bice scored her second and third goals of the event and Avery Korsching added a second half goal to press Sporting to a win. In the other game, Beach went down, 1-0, at half as Voodoo’s Kyra Lesko gave her team the lead. Beach battled back in the second half and scored two goals as Sydney Trump scored from close range and then Bella Toney immediately added a second as she poked one by the goalkeeper. Sporting and Beach will meet tomorrow in a preview of the 15U Girls final.
16U Boys
Heat FC 03 AS (NV) earned a big win over TAFC 03 BATA (VA) to give it six points heading into the final day of play. Alan Soriano started the scoring in the eighth minute before David Vaillanueva scored a hat trick, in just three minutes, to push Heat to a, 4-0, halftime lead. Noah Byrd and Omar Coronel added goals and Villanueva added his fourth of the match before the final whistle. Heat FC now has 10 goals to its name while allowing just one in two games. Westside United FC 2003 Elite (IN) held off Sporting United 03 (TX-N) to win, 3-2. Westside scored two goals in the first half from Anthony Forte and Matthew Miller but Sporting began to battle back. A Omar Munoz second half brace got Sporting close, but Miller scored his second of the game in the second half to keep Westside one goal ahead at the final whistle.
16U Girls
Three Rivers Rampage (MN) defeated Solar 03 Wells (TX-N), 2-0, to earn its second straight shutout victory and sealed its spot in the 16U Girls final. Three Rivers defensive prowess was once again on display and Ava Johnson provided the offensive finishes. After a scoreless first half, Johnson added goals in the 55th and 73rd minutes to push the Minnesota side to victory. After a day one defeat, Keystone FC Elite 2003 (PA-E) bounced back and earned a, 3-0, victory over Crossfire Premier 03 A (WA). Keystone’s Shelly Williams and Alison Sekpovic pushed Keystone to a, 2-0, halftime lead and then Sekpovic added a goal in the second half to seal the victory. Keystone will face Solar in tomorrow’s final group play match. A win will put either team into the final match while a tie will give the edge to Keystone on goal differential.
17U Boys
ZYSA 02 Green (IN) defeated Dallas Kicks 02 Selecao (TX-N), 4-1, to earn its second straight victory. ZYSA’s Andy Bonilla started the scoring in the 24th minute as he dribbled around the Kick’s keeper for a finish and then Alex Carr got in 1v1 and chipped a looping shot up and over to give ZYSA a, 2-0, edge headed into halftime. There would be no comeback for the Kicks today as ZYSA’s Bonilla completed his hat trick in the second half to push the Indiana side to a commanding, 4-0, advantage. Kick’s Peyton Montgomery added a late consolation goal in the 87th minute to spoil the ZYSA clean sheet. Players SC Elite 02 (NV) defeated Union SC Spartans (NJ), 4-1, to keep itself in contention for a spot in the 17U Boys final. Kicks and Players each sit three points behind ZYSA (6) and each game will have meaning as the top three teams will be battling for a spot in the final.
17U Girls
Chicago Fire Juniors West 2002 Red (IL) clinched its spot in the 17U Girls final after its, 5-0, victory over Plant City FC Lancers (FL). Nina Bradshaw started the scoring and then an own goal, on a deflection right in front of net, gave Chicago a, 2-0, lead. Bradshaw finished her hat trick in the second half and Morgan Furmaniak got in on the scoring to finish Chicago’s second straight game with five goals. LVSA 02 Red (NV) earned a close, 2-1,victory over Rage United SC Xtreme (PA-E) to slide it into second in the group heading in the to the final day of group play. After giving up two late goals yesterday, LVSA held through the final whistle to earn the victory and an important three points. Plant City will need a big win over Rage United tomorrow and some help from Chicago if it wants a shot to play for the 17U Girls title.
18U Boys
Keliix Intra came back in the second half to earn a, 2-1, victory over West Texas Rush Sharks White (TX-S). West Texas took the lead in the 17th minute when Sebastian Benitez scored the lone first half goal. It looked like West Texas could hold through the second half for the victory but Keliix’s Ramzi Ouro-Akondo clawed one back in the 74th minute and then Edward Rosenthal added the game winner in the 81st. The Keliix defense held on through the final whistle to earn the victory and an important three points to keep it in the hunt for a spot in the final. DC Stoddert Blue Metros defeated California Rush 01 Cinza (CA-S), 3-2, to earn another tight victory. DC’s Andres Kelley opened the scoring but Rush’s Jesus Melgoza leveled the score just before the halftime whistle. DC pressed in the second half, grabbing goals from Alexander Cirino and Lukas Huntington to earn a, 3-1, advantage. Rush’ Eric Church pulled his team within one with just five minutes to play, but the Cal South side could not find an equalizing goal before the final whistle.
18U Girls
Rage FC (TX-S) held on to earn a, 3-2, victory over Keliix-Intra Premier (MN) and an important three points. Rage held a tight, 2-1, lead over Keliix headed into halftime with Sydney Varela and Biana Chacon scoring first for Rage and then Lillian Selberg adding a goal in the final minute of the first half. Rage took a two-goal advantage early in the second half with a goal from Alexandra Cereceres in the 49th minute but the two-goal lead didn’t last long as Meerah Thompson answered just one minute later for Keliix. Rage’s defense held off the Keliix as it looked for an equalizer to earn an important three points. CC Aztecs/Coast (CA-S) defeated CSA – Monmouth 2001 Showcase (NJ), 3-0, to earn its second straight win and second straight clean sheet. Cynthia Flores scored the lone first half goal in just the ninth minute of play as the Cal South side took a, 1-0, edge heading into half. Aztecs shut the door late in the second half as Flores added a second goal and then Araneg Leon scored in the 81st minute. Aztecs will face a Keliix side tomorrow that will come out flying, as the Minnesota side will need a positive result against the group leaders in order to give itself a chance at a spot in the 18U Girls final.
