North Texas, N.C. Pace Region III Youth Titles

The US Youth Soccer Southern Regional Championships has concluded, crowning 12 teams that will represent Region III at the US Youth Soccer National Championships, July 26-31, at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, FL. The top team from each region will meet to determine the National Champion.

In addition to six teams from North Texas and three from North Carolina, two teams from Oklahoma and a team from Georgia will advance to the National Championships in four weeks.

Of the three remaining champions from 2004, only Solar 89 SC (TX N) would earn a chance to return trip to the National Championship. The scoreboard remained empty through regulation and overtime to bring Solar and 88 CASL Elite (NC) to midfield to take kicks from the mark to determine who would advance as the Under-16 boys champion. These teams met as Under-14 at the regional finals in North Carolina where CASL defeated Solar in kicks and went on to win the National Championship. Last year, Solar lost in the final of the National Championships. Through five the score was knotted at three with a miss and a save for each side.

Going into sudden death both sides scored on their first three kicks and that's when Joshua Mikulewicz (TX) who hadn't allowed a goal all week made a save on Adam Williams (NC) to give Solar's Miles Kruzich center stage. Kruzich fired past a leaping Jarrett Davis (NC) to give Solar the win (7:6) and another shot at the Under-16 D.J. Niotis Cup awarded to the National Champion.

In the Under-16 Girls final, Hurricane Futbol Club of Oklahoma met the Greensboro Twisters Green of North Carolina. The Hurricane's knocked off last year's regional champions (Dallas Texans 89 Red) in kicks to advance while Greensboro defeated GSA 89 Phoenix Red. Entering the championship Greensboro had only 13 players and considered a change in their playing strategy to conserve energy.

"We tried to play it safe and we lost our first game of the week so we shelved that and just played our style and things worked out great for us," said Chris Brewer, head coach. "We actually lost another player to injury on Monday so we were down to 12. These girls had tremendous heart and character all week and particularly today."

Greensboro's Maria Lubrano scored in the 26th and 33rd minutes to give her side the two-point advantage. In the 78th Katherine Richardson found the back of the net for the Hurricanes who made a charge late but time expired and Greensboro is headed to Disney.

The one-time National and four-time Regional Champion, Atlanta Fire United (Under-19 Boys) advanced over CESA 85 Premier (SC) 2:1 on goals by Chad Chambers (32:00) and Tomek Charowski (43:00). Massoud Roushandel, Head Coach said, Òthis team has been together for ten years and this is a culmination of ten years of hard work, I am very proud of these guys.Ó

The 2005 US Youth Soccer National Championship Series, providing approximately 124,000 players on 7,200 teams from US Youth Soccer's 55 State Associations the opportunity to showcase their soccer skills against the best competition in the nation while emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play, is the country's most prestigious national youth soccer tournament. The US Youth Soccer National Championships cap a yearlong series of competitions for boys and girls teams in multiple age brackets.

Complete scores from today's US Youth Soccer Southern Regional Championship matches are below.

2005 US Youth Soccer Southern Regional Championships

Championship Finals | June 29, 2005

U-14 Boys

Houstonians FC (TX S) vs. Tulsa Soccer Club 91 (OK), 1:4

Goals: Jonathan Wright (OK) (18:00) (42:00), David Perez (TX) (30:00), James Gross (OK) (48:00), Thomas Shannon (OK) (55:00)

U-14 Girls

Dallas Texans Red (TX N) vs. ESC 91 Black (OK), 0:2

Goals: Caitlin Mooney (OK) (39:00), Jasmine Simmons (OK) (52:00)

U-15 Boys

Boca Juniors (FL) vs. 89 CASL Elite (NC), 1:2 OT

Goals: Conor Byrne (NC) (42:00), Vincent Dibullo (FL) (53:00), Shawn Guderian (NC) (109:00)

U-15 Girls

Dallas Texans Red (TX N) vs. ESC 90 Black (OK), 1:0

Goals: Melissa Henderson (TX) (71:00)

U-16 Boys

Solar 89 SC (TX N) vs. 89 CASL Elite (NC), 0:0 (Solar on kicks 7:6)

U-16 Girls

Hurricane FC 89 (OK) vs. GSC Twisters Green (NC), 1:2

Goals: Maria Lubrano (NC) (26:00) (33:00), Katherine Richardson (OK) (78:00)

U-17 Boys

TN FC Blue (TN) vs. Dallas Texans Red 88 (TX N), 0:4

Goals: Stephen Brown (TX) (13:00), Bahram Sajjadi (TX) (43:00), Phillip Nigh (TX) (52:00), Andre Akpan (TX) (58:00)

U-17 Girls

CASL Spartan Elite (NC) vs. Mississippi United (MS), 2:0

Goals: Molly Skinner (NC) (12:00), Mallory Schmidt (NC) (81:00)

U-18 Boys

AFC Lightning 87 (GA) vs. Dallas Texans Red 87 (TX N), 1:2 OT

Goals: Dathan Knott (GA) (40:00), Lee Nguyen (TX) (70:00), (93:00)

U-18 Girls

Sting 87 Royal (TX N) vs. Dallas Texans Red (TX N), 0:0 (Sting on kicks 4:3)

U-19 Boys

CESA 85 Premier (SC) vs. Atlanta Fire United (GA), 1:2

Goals: Chad Chambers (GA) (32:00), Tomek Charowski (GA) (43:00), Luis Arrietta (SC) (86:00)

U-19 Girls

Dallas Texans Red 86 (TX N) vs. Challenge 85/86 (TX S), 1:0

Goals: Kerri Hanks (TX N) (25:00)

______________________________________________________

2005 US Youth Soccer Region III Championships | Regional Champions

Under-14 Boys

Tulsa Soccer Club 91 (OK)

Under-14 Girls

ESC 91 Black (OK)

Under-15 Boys

89 CASL Elite (NC)

Under-15 Girls

Dallas Texans 90 Red

Under-16 Boys

Solar 89 SC (TX N)

Under-16 Girls

GSC Twisters Green (NC)

Under-17 Boys

Dallas Texans Red 88 (TX N)

Under-17 Girls

CASL Spartan Elite (NC)

Under-18 Boys

Dallas Texans Red 87 (TX N)

Under-18 Girls

Sting 87 Royal (TX N)

Under-19 Boys

Atlanta Fire United (GA)

Under-19 Girls

Dallas Texans Red 86 (TX N)

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Maryland Teams Still In Contention

The four teams hailing from Maryland posted a record of 1-0-3 on the day, while the two defending National Champions split their games. The defending champion Atlanta Concorde Fire of the Boys Under-17 division are now winless in round-robin play and are all but finished with their title defense.

Georgia's other regional champons split their games. The Tophat 07 Gold lost their U14 girls game with Slammers FC (CA-S) 3-0, while U19 Peachtree City Lazers downed Kolping Ben-Gals (OH-S) 2-1 on Kristen Rhyne's two goals.

North Carolina's two teams in nationals, also split games. The CASL Elite boys topped Crossfire-James (WA) 4-1 on goals by Watson Williams, an own goal and two by Brett King. The U17 Greensboro Twisters Green dropped their second game in the tournament, falling 1-0 to the Sereno '86 Golden Eagles (AZ).

In the Girls Under-16 division, the Bethesda Excel hosted the Eclipse Select in the primetime match. In front of more than 1,275 local fans, the Excel topped the Eclipse 3-1. The Excel opened scoring at the 13-minute mark. Play appeared to be moving away from the Eclipse net when a header brought the ball back towards the 18-yard mark. Brittany Tegeler got her foot on the ball, placing it past the Eclipse goalkeeper to take the early lead.

Amanda Poach made it 2-0 for the Excel in the 21st minute. The Eclipse got on the board in the 39th minute when Stephanie Zare headed a cross to the far post. Tegeler struck again in the 75th minute, receiving a through ball inside 18 yards and pushing a toe-poke past the opposing keeper.

Earlier in the day, the Bethesda Dragons took on the Dallas Texans Red 85 at 8:00 a.m. in the Girls Under-18 division. Both teams came out strong in spite of the early hour. In the first half the Dragons pressured the Texans, controlling possession throughout. The Texans goalkeeper, Stephanie Connors, kept the game scoreless with stellar play in the net.
The game remained scoreless for most of the second half until the Texans' Amy Berend broke the ice in the 82nd minute. In the 85th minute, Zoe Bouchelle chipped a floater from 22 yards out past Connors, netting the equalizer to salvage a point for the home team.

Maryland's Casa Mia Bays battled the Irvine Strikers in the Boys Under-15 class. Following the lead set by the Dragons, Casa Mia played to a 2-2 draw. Irvine opened up the scoring with a goal from Nelson Rios in the 25th minute. Casa Mia tied the match with a shot from Matt Beckman in the 65th minute. Irvine regained the lead when Robert Garcia netted one in the 70th. Stephen Romeo scored the final goal in injury time to level the score for the Casa Mias.

Casa Mia Head Coach Stephen Nichols hoped his team would fall back into their normal playing style before its final preliminary match on Friday.

" Sixty out of the 80 minutes we played a great game. The tie is unacceptable to me. Giving away two goals in uncharacteristic of us," said Nichols. "There were a lot of missed opportunities, we will make adjustments for the next time we play."
The Baltimore Bays and Sereno 86 Golden Eagles of the Boys Under-17 group played to a scoreless draw. Further action in the same division saw the Chicago Magic SC hand defending National Champions, the Concorde Fire their second loss of the tournament. With a final score of 4-1, Chicago opened up scoring in the 3rd minute and never looked back.
Although suffering a 3-2 loss in their first match, defending National Champions FC Delco Arsenal remained hopeful to repeat, posting a 5-2 win over the Edmond SC Royals in the Boys Under-19 group. FC Delco's offense dominated the match, boasting five goals from as many players, spanning from the 23rd to 89th minute of the match. After two early goals from the FC Delco, the ESC Royals tied the game at two-a-piece in the 57th minute. Delco came back with three unanswered goals to close out the game.
Depsite earning three points on the day, FC Delco Head Coach Alan Mezger will continue to examine the team's play. "Our defense usually carries us, for some reason offense is carrying us. The defense has played together for 3 to 4 years, today they looked like strangers to each other. We will address this hopefully in the next two games."
Youth soccer's ultimate prize is at stake this with 48 teams from 39 clubs and 19 states squaring off in six boys and girls age brackets, Under-14 through Under-19. Round-robin play for the SNICKERS® US Youth Soccer National Championships, being held for the second year in a row at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, Md., continues Thursday, July 24th and Friday, July 25th. National Champions will be crowned following games on Sunday, July 27th.

U14 Boys
Thurs. July 24 '88 CASL Elite (NC) 4, Crossfire-James (WA) 1,
Goal Scorers: (NC) Watson Williams (14:00), (2) Brett King (39:00), (59:00), Own Goal (65:00); (WA) Kyle Montgomery (05:00)
Thurs. July 24 Vardar (MI) 4, Nether Mustangs (E-PA) 2
Goal Scorers: (2) Spence Thompson (13:00), (36:00), Brad Randolph (20:00), Kenny Simon (39:00); (E-PA) Karl Reddick (18:00), Marcus Barr (44:00)
U14 Girls
Thurs. July 24 FC Delco Fusion (E-PA) 1, Eclipse Select (IL) 0
Goal Scorers: Libby Van Buren (35:00)
Thurs. July 24 Slammers FC (CA-S) 3, Tophat '07 Gold (GA) 0
Goal Scorers: Taylor Fallon (07:00), Leslie Grady (50:00), Christina Murillo (52:00)
U15 Boys
Thurs. July 24 Irvine Strikers (CA-S) 2, Casa Mia Bays (MD) 2
Goal Scorers: (CA-S) Nelson Rios (25:00), Robert Garcia (70:00); (MD) Matt Beckman (65:00), Stephen Romeo (80:00+)
Thurs. July 24 Lou Fusz SC (MO) 6, Dallas Texans Red '88 (N-TX) 4
Goal Scorers: (MO) (4) Matthew Spiess (7:00), (15:00), (49:00), (80:00), (2) William Ferris (40:00), (72:00); (N-TX) (3) Jonathan Villanueva (16:00), (22:00), (57:00), Andre Akpan (53:00)
U15 Girls
Thurs. July 24 Sereno '88 Golden Eagles (AZ) 3, Cincinnati United Premier Red (OH-S) 0
Goal Scorers: Carly Dobratz (03:00), (2) Jessica Myers (52:00), (78:00)
Thurs. July 24 PDA Wildcats (NJ) 2 Dallas Sting '88 (N-TX) 0
Goal Scorers: Sara Murphy (59:00), Elisabeth Redmond (67:00)
U16 Boys
Thurs. July 24 Albertson Red Storm Clash (E-NY) 1, Dallas Texans Red '87 (N-TX) 1
Goal Scorers: (E-NY) Own Goal (24:00); (N-TX) Lee Nguyen (18:00)
Thurs. July 24 Javanon '87 SC (KY) 1, Southern California United (CA-S) 0
Goal Scorers: (KY) Darren Yeagle (23:00)
U16 Girls
Thurs. July 24 Dallas Sting '87 (N-TX) 1, San Diego Surf (CA-S) 1
Goal Scorers: (N-TX) Anne Candee (43:00); (CA-S) Tracy Wooster (53:00)
Thurs. July 24 Bethesda Excel (MD) 3, Eclipse Select (IL) 1
Goal Scorers: (MD) Brittany Tegeler (13:00), (75:00) Amanda Poach (22:00); (IL) Stephanie Zare (39:00)
U17 Boys
Thurs. July 24 Chicago Magic SC (IL) 4, Concorde Fire (GA) 1
Goal Scorers: (IL) Jack Smithson (03:00), Nick Mentgen (51:00), John Partyka (67:00), Drew DeGurian (73:00); (GA) Nick Stowe (68:00)
Thurs. July 24 vs. Sereno '86 Golden Eagles (AZ) 0, Baltimore Bays (MD) 0
No Goals Scored
U17 Girls
Thurs. July 24 3 Sereno '86 Golden Eagles (AZ) 1, '85 Greensboro Twisters Green (NC) 0
Goal Scorer: Levise Robertson (30:00)
Thurs. July 24 Carmel United Commotion (IN) 1, PDA Galaxy (NJ) 0
Goal Scorer: Jill Sarbaugh (90:00+)
U18 Boys
Thurs. July 24 Marin United (CA-N) 3, Syracuse Blitz Blizzard (NY-W) 2
Goal Scorers: (CA-N) Kamani Hill (18:00), Jacob Miller (65:00), Andrew Nourafshan (70:00); (E-NY) Kevin Toomey (48:00), Frank Monteleone (69:00)
Thurs. July 24 Michigan Wolves (MI) 2, Tulsa Nationals '85 (OK) 1
Goal Scorers: (MI) Nik Djokic (13:00), Brian Popeney (64:00); (OK) Austin Woolard (45:00)
U18 Girls
Thurs. July 24 Dallas Texans Red '85 (N-TX) 1, Bethesda Dragons (MD) 1
Goal Scorers: (N-TX) Amy Berend (82:00); (MD) Zoe Bouchelle (85:00)
Thurs. July 24 Tsunami Sota (MN) 4, Colorado Girls Soccer Academy (CO) 1
Goal Scorers: (MN) Sarah Johnson (20:00), Emily Redberg (32:00), Caroline Smith (45:00), Shannon Schneeman (70:00); (CO) Aria Hudetz (88:00)
U19 Boys
Thurs. July 24 Sockers FC Chicago (IL) 3, Colorado Rush Nike (CO) 1
Goal Scorers: (IL) Nathan Micklos (34:00), George Fleps (70:00), Adam Ruud (83:00); (CO) Aaron Ryan
Thurs. July 24 FC Delco Arsenal (E-PA) 5, Edmond SC Royals '84 (OK) 2
Goal Scorers: (E-PA) Sammy Castellanos (23:00), David Kinneman (45:00), Andrew George (70:00), Jeff Larentowicz (86:00), Fred Chambers (89:00); (OK) Keegan Hudson (39:00), Austin Felice (57:00)
U19 Girls
Thurs. July 24 Elk Grove United '84 2 (CA-N), FC Bucks Challenge (E-PA) 1
Goal Scorers: (E-PA) (2) Adele Letro (45:00+), (73:00); (CA-N) Patricia Dalton
Thurs. July 24 Peachtree City Lazers (GA) 2, Kolping Ben-Gals (OH-S) 1
Goal Scorers: (GA) Kristen Rhyne (48:00), (73:00); (OH-S) Angie Scarlato

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Maryland Teams Lead The Way In Nationals

The four teams hailing from Maryland posted a record of 2-1-1 on the first day of the 2003 SNICKERS® US Youth Soccer National Championships at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, MD, while the two defending National Champions suffered losses.

The Casa Mia Bays of the Boys Under-15 division shutout the Dallas Texans Red 88 by a score of 2-0. The Texans netted an own goal in the 21st minute before Casa Mia's Stephen Romeo tallied another in injury time. The Bethesda Excel played to a 1-1 draw against the San Diego Surf in the Girls Under-16 class. The Surf took control of the game early with a goal from Leigh Ann Robinson in the 18th minute. Bethesda's Amanda Poach answered to tie the game in the 56th minute.

The Bethesda Dragons, of the Girls Under-18 group, have a challenge ahead of them after dropping their first match to the Tsunami Sota (Minn.) by a score of 2-1. Caroline Smith tallied both goals early for Tsunami Sota in the 7th and 15th minutes. Melissa Hornfeck netted the lone-goal for Bethesda in the 22nd minute.

The Baltimore Bays hosted the marquee match of the day against defending National Champions, the Concorde Fire (GA) in the Boys Under-17 class. Patrick Healey gave Baltimore a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute, dribbling through traffic and chipping the ball over the opposing goalkeeper. Play was suspended in the 55th minute due to severe weather.

Following an almost 90-minute delay, play resumed. In the 59th minute, Healey struck again, this time, on a header from 6 yards out with the assist to Eric Frey. Less than one minute later, Tomasz Charowski put the Concorde Fire on the board, on a restart from 15 yards away. In the 75th minute Nick Stowe evened the scored on another header with the assist going to Ryan Kell. The game's deciding tally was knotched in the 88th minute on a break away goal by Baltimore's Matthew Curran.

The FC Delco Arsenal, the only other defending National Champion to return to defend their title, suffered a 3-2 loss to the Sockers FC Chicago in the Boys Under-19 group. FC Delco matched each of Chicago's goals, almost playing to a draw before Chicago's Adam Ruud scored the gaem-winner in injury time.

For more information please visit http://www.usyouthsoccer.org/NatChamps

SNICKERS® US Youth Soccer National Championships
Maryland SoccerPlex, Germantown, Md.
Round-Robin Results - Wednesday July 23, 2003

U14 Boys
Wed. July 23 Vardar (MI) 1, Crossfire-James (WA) 0
Goal Scorer: Brad Randolph (63:00)
Wed. July 23 Nether Mustangs (E-PA) 2, '88 CASL Elite (NC) 1
Goal Scorers: (E-PA) Hunter Woron (18:00), Jordan Griffith (44:00); (NC) Brett King (12:00)

U14 Girls
Wed. July 23 FC Delco Fusion (E-PA) 7, Tophat '07 Gold (GA) 0
Goal Scorers: (2) Ashley Kershaw (07:00), (26:00), Justine Woolner (15:00), Julie Edwards (28:00), Teresa Rynier (54:00), Libby Van Buren (59:00), Katelyne Capps (70:00+)
Wed. July 23 Slammers FC (CA-S) 3, Eclipse Select (IL) 2
Goal Scorers: (CA-S) (2) Christen Press (06:00), (40:00), Cynthia Mendoza (48:00); (IL) Brittany Johnson (24:00), Tara Strickland (43:00)

U15 Boys
Wed. July 23 Irvine Strikers (CA-S) 3, Lou Fusz SC (MO) 1
Goal Scorers: (CA-S) (2) Robert Garcia (27:00), (79:00), Roberto Molina Hernandez (47:00); (MO) Michael Hanley (55:00)
Wed. July 23 Casa Mia Bays (MD) 2, Dallas Texans Red '88 (N-TX) 0
Goal Scorers: Own Goal (21:00), Stephen Romeo (80:00+)

U15 Girls
Wed. July 23 PDA Wildcats (NJ) 2, Cincinnati United Premier Red (OH-S) 1
Goal Scorers: (NJ) Sara Murphy (47:00), Elisabeth Redmond (64:00); (OH-S) Ashley Vaughn (80:00)
Wed. July 23 Sereno '88 Golden Eagles (AZ) 2, Dallas Sting '88 (N-TX) 2
Goal Scorers: (AZ) Carly Dobratz (05:00), Jessica Myers (22:00); (N-TX) Melisa Siley (02:00), Amanda Nimtz (67:00)

U16 Boys
Wed. July 23 Albertson Red Storm Clash (E-NY) 2, Southern California United (CA-S) 2
Goal Scorers: (E-NY) Kevin Davies (14:00), Michael Grella (43:00); (CA-S) Diego Barrera (40:00+), Michael Clegg (57:00)
Wed. July 23 Dallas Texans Red '87 (N-TX) 4, Javanon '87 SC (KY) 3
Goal Scorers: (N-TX) (3) Lee Nguyen (26:00), (39:00), (78:00), Own Goal (41:00); (KY) (2) Darren Yeagle (10:00), (58:00), Dustin Downey (55:00)

U16 Girls
Wed. July 23 Dallas Sting '87 (N-TX) 5, Eclipse Select (IL) 2
Goal Scorers: (N-TX) (2) Anne Candee (09:00), (60:00), (2) Amanda Alders (26:00), (71:00), Jennifer Kacergis (34:00); (IL) Vanessa Lawson (54:00), Dominique Locascio (80:00+)
Wed. July 23 Bethesda Excel (MD) 1, San Diego Surf (CA-S) 1
Goal Scorers: (MD) Amanda Poach (56:00); (CA-S) Leigh Ann Robinson (18:00)

U17 Boys
Wed. July 23 Sereno '86 Golden Eagles (AZ) 4, Chicago Magic SC (IL) 0
Goal Scorers: (2) Robert Findley (62:00), (70:00), Michael Ross (73:00), Cody Russell (83:00)
Wed. July 23 Baltimore Bays (MD) 3, Concorde Fire (GA) 2
Goal Scorers: (MD) (2) Patrick Healey (18:00), (59:00), Matthew Curran (88:00); (GA) Tomasz Charowski (59:00), Nick Stowe (75:00)

U17 Girls
Wed. July 23 PDA Galaxy (NJ) 3, '85 Greensboro Twisters Green (NC) 0
Goal Scorers: Carolyn Kennington (49:00), Tyhira Glenn (66:00), Kaley Guthrie (81:00)
Wed. July 23 Sereno '86 Golden Eagles (AZ) 7, Carmel United Commotion (IN) 0
Goal Scorers: Stephanie Kron (14:00), Nicole Maybery (20:00), Brittany Bode (22:00), Levise Robertson (45:00), (3) Alissa Oldenkamp (47:00), (49:00), (62:00)

U18 Boys
Wed. July 23 Michigan Wolves (MI) 2, Syracuse Blitz Blizzard (NY-W) 0
Goal Scorers: James Katikos (32:00), Nik Djokic (66:00)
Wed. July 23 Marin United (CA-N) 1, Tulsa Nationals '85 (OK) 1
Goal Scorers: (CA-N) Gage Hills (29:00); (OK) Brian McCurdy (62:00)

U18 Girls
Wed. July 23 Dallas Texans Red '85 (N-TX) 1, Colorado Girls Soccer Academy (CO) 1
Goal Scorers: (N-TX) Kerri Hanks (61:00); (CO) Marian Dalmy
Wed. July 23 Tsunami Sota (MN) 2, Bethesda Dragons (MD) 1
Goal Scorers: (MN) (2) Caroline Smith (07:00), (15:00); (MD) Melissa Hornfeck (22:00)

U19 Boys
Wed. July 23 Colorado Rush Nike (CO) 5, Edmond SC Royals '84 (OK) 2
Goal Scorers: (CO) Travis Hendricks (25:00), Colin Clark (38:00), Antonio Porras (63:00), (2) Brian Cvilikas (78:00), (90:00+); (OK) Todd Robichaux (39:00), Jordan Leach (87:00)
Wed. July 23 Sockers FC Chicago (IL) 3, FC Delco Arsenal (E-PA) 2
Goal Scorers: (IL) Scott Olsen (03:00), Steven Reuter (47:00), Adam Ruud (90:00+);
(E-PA) Ashley Kozicki (12:00), David Walters (58:00)

U19 Girls
Wed. July 23 Peachtree City Lazers (GA) 3, FC Bucks Challenge (E-PA) 3
Goal Scorers: (GA) Allison Graham (09:00), Dana Van Winkle (48:00), Tabitha Lowey (57:00); (E-PA) Own Goal (16:00), Kelly Stevens (75:00), Meghan Farrell (89:00)
Wed. July 23 Elk Grove United '84 2, Kolping Ben-Gals (OH-S) 1
Goal Scorers: (CA-N) Adele Letro (77:00), Jessica Hewins (80:00); (OH-S) Angie Scarlato (65:00)

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Adu Leads List Of Youth All-Americans

Freddy Adu, who is the youngest player in the U.S. U-17 Men's National Team residential program in Bradenton, FL, was named to the NSCAA Boys Under-15 All-America Team. Heather O'Reilly, and Ashlyn Harris, who led the U.S. to the FIFA Under-19 Women's World Championship, were named to the Under-17 All-America team.

Adu has already been approached by European professional clubs such as Italian powerhouse Inter Milan. Both O'Reilly and Harris have reportedly made verbal commitments to sign with the UNC Chapel Hill Tar Heels.

U-17 Boys: Arturo Alvarez (Houston), Bryan Amos (Plano, Texas), Chad Barrett (Beaverton, Ore.), Sam Brill (Newton, Mass.), Adam Cristman (Glen Allen, Va.), Hugh Cronin (Winston-Salem, N.C.), Ryan Guy (Carlsbad, Calif.), Aaron Hohlbein (Middleton, Wis.), Andrew Kartunen (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.), Peter Lowry (Irvine, Calif.), Kiel
McClung (Palmdale, Calif.), Nathan Norman (Rochester, Mich.), Ramon
Nunez (Dallas), Patrick Phelan (Windsor, Conn.), David Roman
(Monroeville, N.J.), Ryan Solle (Broadway, N.C.), David Worthen
(Morehead, N.C.), Mike Zaher (Las Vegas, Nev.).

U-16 Boys: Eric Blythe (Stillwater, Minn.), Scott Bolkan (Salem, Ore.),
Phillip Calderon (Miami), Nicholas Colaluca (Providence, R.I.),
Daniel DeMasters (Lititz, Pa.), Sho Fujita (West Bloomfield, Mich.),
Israel Jones (Medina, Ohio), Colin Kirk (Aurora, Ill.), Garry Lewis
(Orange Park, Fla.), Enrique Llanos (Miami Beach, Fla.), Ryan Nowak
(Katy, Texas), Ryan Quinlivan (Bonita, Calif.), Brad Ramsey
(Winston-Salem, N.C.), Kevin Reiman (Yorktown Hts., N.Y.), Lucas
Rodriguez (Lenexa, Kan.), Matt Smith (Haw River, N.C.), Conrad Taylor (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Keith Vereb (Bowie, Md.), Michael Videira (Milford, Mass.), Kenzo Webster (Monroe, Mich.).

U-15 Boys: Freddy Adu (Potomac, Md.), Anthony Ampaipitakwong (Carrollton, Texas), Cody Arnoux (Wilmington, N.C.), Fernando Ayala (Maspeth, N.Y.), Mario Burstein (Marietta, Ga.), Akoi Gabriel (Des Moines, Iowa), Robert Goldsberry (Tampa), Juan Guzman (Charlotte, N.C.), Jesse Henderson (West Bloomfield, Mich.), Kenichiro Kaneko (Irvine, Calif.), Kyle Knotek (Geneva, Ill.), Eric Lichaj (Downers Grove,
Ill.), Kyle Nakazawa (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.), Evan Newton
(Virginia Beach, Va.), Jeff Scannella (Alpharetta, Ga.), Tommy
Strackhouse (Flemington, N.J.), Mark Wiltse (Belle Mead, N.J.),
Christopher Ye (Englewood, Colo.).

U-17 Girls: Zoe Bouchelle (Cockeysville, Md.), Jennifer Buczkowski (Elk Grove, Ill.), Rachel Buehler (Del Mar, Calif.), Amy Burlingham (Costa Mesa, Calif.), Mary Castalanelli (Lodi, Calif.), Bristyn Davis
(Locust Valley, N.Y.), Shannon Foley (Rancho Santa Margarita,
Calif.), Kerri Hanks (Allen, Texas), Ashlyn Harris (Satellite Beach,
Fla.), Katherine Krambeer (Brooklyn Park, Minn.), Stephanie Kron
(Paradise Valley, Ariz.), Darby Kroyer (San Ramon, Calif.), Stacy
Lindstrom (Laguna Niguel, Calif.), Heather O'Reilly (East Brunswick,
N.J.), Julie Ryder (DeKalb, Ill.), Becky Sauerbrunn (St. Louis),
Carrie Schmit (La Mesa, Calif.), Angie Woznuk (El Cajon, Calif.).

U-16 Girls: Yael Averbuch (Upper Montclair, N.J.), Lindsey Beam (Greer, S.C.), Amy Berend (Lewisville, Texas), Amanda Cinalli (Maple Heights, Ohio), Christina DiMartino (Massapequa Park, N.Y.), Marti Desjarlais (Oconomowoc, Wis.), Caroline Dew (Encinitas, Calif.), Erin Doan (Dearborn, Mich.), Elizabeth George (Alamo, Calif.), Valerie
Henderson (Orinda, Calif.), Brittany Klein (Arcadia, Calif.),
Caroline Lea (Lakewood, Colo.), Stephanie Logterman (Austin, Texas),
Stephanie Lopez (Elk Grove, Calif.), Ashley Phillips (West Peabody,
Mass.), Lorraine Quinn (Farmingdale, N.Y.), Denay Riley
(Washingtonville, N.Y.), Jessica Rosted (Kent, Ohio).

U-15 Girls: Ameera Abdullah (Denver), Millie Allen (Thornton, Colo.),
Brittany Bock (Naperville, Ill.), Kelsey Davis (Thousand Oaks,
Calif.), Meagan Holmes (Timonium, Md.), Michelle Imgram (Clifton,
Va.), Kimberly Keener (Winston-Salem, N.C.), Nicole Krzysik (Clifton,
N.J.), Amanda Lebo (Telford, Pa.), Meagan McCray (Novato, Calif.),
Mandy Moraca (Mantua, N.J.), Stephanie Rocco (Sacramento, Calif.),
Amy Rodriguez (Lake Forest, Calif.), Courtney Rosen (Brecksville,
Ohio), Hayley Siegel (Ellicott City, Md.), Kimberly Silos (Ontario,
Calif.), Mary-Helen Tomer (Diamond Bar, Calif.), Caroline Walden
(Guilford, Conn.).

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Brazil Beats U.S. U20s In Title Match

A sloppy giveaway by the U.S. in its defensive end allowed Edno to find Tavares free in the area. The striker went in alone on Steve Cronin and slotted the ball under the sliding American goalkeeper. For the first time in this tournament, the U.S. had conceded the opening goal of a match.

The U.S. men opened the tournament with a 2-1 loss to Brazil before winning consecutive matches over Italy, Ukraine and Uruguay to advance to tonight's final. Brazil finished the tournament undefeated in five matches.

Cronin, who made three saves tonight, was named the tournament's top goalkeeper. His biggest test came in the 43rd minute when he stoned Brazilian striker Marcelo in a one-on-one.

"I thought we played well in the second half tonight, but you can't expect to beat Brazil if you only play one half", said U.S. coach Thomas Rongen. "This tournament was a very positive experience for this team, and I think we learned a lot that will help us when the (CONCACAF world championship) qualifying tournament comes around in November."

The first half was a stagnant one, as both teams showed the wear and tear of playing five international matches in six days. The U.S. outshot the Brazilians 5-4 in the half, but Brazilian goalkeeper Diego made four saves to keep the Americans off the board.

Striker Mike Magee, who scored four goals in his only other start of the tournament, started tonight in place of suspended captain Devin Barclay who was suspended for accumulating three yellow cards in earlier matches. Magee had the best American chance in the first half, slipping behind the defense to get to Eddie Johnson's flick but goalkeeper Diego slid out to block Magee's shot.

Johnson nearly equalized in the 65th minute, but his flashing header from a corner kick from midfielder Justin Mapp was somehow pushed just wide by Diego.

Brazil committed twice as many fouls as the Americans, 24-12, and had six players receive yellow cards, three in stoppage time of the 80-minute match.

This tournament was the final match preparation for the U.S. before World Youth Championship qualifying at Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston, S.C., from November 13-17. The top two teams from the four-team round robin qualify for the 2003 world under-20 tournament in the United Arab Emirates from March 25-April 16.

Notes: The U.S. scored 11 goals in the tournament, the most of any team. Tbe U.S., playing a man down for the second time in the tournament, defeated previously unbeatn and unscored upon Uruguay 5-2 in the semifinals. In group play the U.S. rallied from a 1-0 deficit to beat Italy 2-1 on goals by Johnson and Barclay, and routed Ukraine 5-2 behind Magee's four goals.

When these two teams met in the opening game of the tournament, U.S. midfielder Ricardo Clark (Furman) received two yellow cards and was sent off in the 34th minute, leaving the Americans with 10 men for the remaining 46 minutes.

Brazil 1, United States 0
Lineups: United States - Steve Cronin, Chefik Simo, Ryan Cochrane (Jordan Stone 41), Chad Marshall, C.J. Klaas, Justin Mapp (Raul Palomares 76), Ricardo Clark, Ned Grabavoy (Knox Cameron 73), David Johnson (Mike Ambersley 41), Eddie Johnson (captain), 20-Mike Magee. Brazil - Diego, Marquinhos (captain), Glauber, Vinicius, Edno, Wendel, Dudu, Marcelo (Bruno Moraes 85+), Leandro (Ygor 78 ), Caca, Tavares.
Scoring:
Brazil - Tavares (Edno) 9.
Shots: United States 7, Brazil 7. Saves: United States 3, Brazil 5. Corner kicks: United States 5, Brazil 12. Fouls: United States 12, Brazil 24. United States: United States 2, Brazil 4. Yellow card cautions: Brazil - Dudu 54, Glauber 55, Leandro 77, Edno 83+, Diego 85+, Ygor 86+.
Attendance: 5,000 in L'Alcudia, Spain Weather: 68 degrees; cool, clear.

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Regional Under-20s Held In Charleston

In November, the four-nation Group B qualifying tournament will include the U.S.. Canada, the second-place team from Central America and the winner of a playoff between the Caribbean Group B and Group C winners. A round robin format will be used with each country playing the others once. The top two finishers advance to World Youth Championship in the United Arab Emirates which runs from March 25 to April 16 in 2003.

CONCACAF, the confederation for North America, Central America and the Caribbean, will hold another qualifying tournament in Panama from October 16-20.

"We've been training and preparing for this event for almost a year now and I think this team is ready for the challenge ahead of us," said U.S. under-20 coach Thomas Rongen. "We have a nice mix of college and professional players, and I think Blackbaud Stadium and the fans there will help us reach our goal of qualifying for next year's world championship."

The U.S. under-20 men have posted a 10-5-9 record in 2002, scoring nearly twice as many goals (39-20) as a variety of competition, including full internationals and club opponents. The final roster will not be released until the tournament approaches, but numerous Major League Soccer players -- those born Janaurya 1, 1983 or after -- are eligible. Among them are including strikers Santino Quaranta (D.C. United), Eddie Johnson (Dallas Burn) and Devin Barclay (San Jose Earthquakes), and midfielders Craig Capano (Chicago Fire), Bobby Convey (D.C. United), Justin Mapp (D.C. United), Santino Miguel Saavedra (Chicago) and Jordan Stone (Dallas Burn).

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Atlanta Fire Captures National Title

The Atlanta Fire capturned the Under 16 boys national title Sunday at the SNICKERS® US Youth Soccer National
Championships (SNICKERS® Cupat the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, MD, with a 2-1 win over FC Delco Dynamo II from Downingtown, PA. It was the Atlanta team’s first national championship

Joe Howie gave the Fire a first-half lead with a goal in the 39^th minute. Domenick Raimo tied the score with FC Delco Dynamo II’s only goal of the game 13 minutes into the second half. The game-winner was scored by Jonathan Leathers in the 76^th minute.

In the Under-19 boys final, Texans 82/83 (Houston) won its second
consecutive title by handling Far West champion Blast SC (San Bernardino, Calif.), 4-1, to win the James P. McGuire Cup. The McGuire Cup has been awarded annually to the Under-19 champion since 1935, except during World War II.

The Atlanta Fire and Texans 82/83 were the only Region III championship teams.

The Far West Regional (Region IV) teams cornered the gold market, winning eight of 12 age-group titles at the Maryland SoccerPlex.

Sizable crowds throughout the day saw Far West teams dominate the girls division, sweeping all six age groups, and adding two boys titles.
California-South accounted for six of the Far West champions, with
California-North and Colorado teams winning one title apiece.

The San Diego Surf Under-19 girls won their second national championship in three years, avenging last year's loss to the Michigan Hawks in the Under-18 final with a 7-2 romp in the rematch. San Diego also won the Under-17 crown in 2000.

Far West girls teams also swept the titles when there were four age groups (Under-16 through Under-19) in 1996 and 2000.

The Rochester (N.Y.) Jr. Rhinos Elite, the youth arm of the A-League
Rochester Rhinos, claimed New York West's first national championship, 1-0, over the Aiken (S.C.) Fire in the Under-15 boys final.

Like the Texans club, two FC Delco (Downingtown, Pa.) boys teams split their finals. The Under-18 Arsenal swamped Texans 83/84, 5-1, to win the club's sixth US Youth Soccer national championship. FC Delco Dynamo II fell short of a second straight national title, losing to the Atlanta Fire, 2-1, in the Under-16 boys final.

Region I (East) and the Southern region (Region III) each won two age-group titles.

2002 SNICKERS US Youth Soccer
National Championships
SNICKERS Cup
Championship Final Results
Sunday, July 28

Under-14 Boys
La Jolla (Calif.) Nomads 2, Maryland SC 88 Bays (Baltimore) 0
Goal Scorers: Rhett Bernstein 3, Andres Leon 47.

Under-14 Girls
Slammers FC (Newport Beach, Calif.) 2, Bethesda (Md.) Eclipse 1
Goal Scorers: (S) Krysten Bradshaw 23, Alexa Orand 34; (B) Brooke Bumbry
15.

Under-15 Boys
Rochester (N.Y.) Jr. Rhinos Elite 1, Aiken (S.C.) Fire 0
Goal Scorer: Jamey Loucks 11.

Under-15 Girls
Laguna Hills (Calif.) Eclipse 3, Chantilly (Va.) Milan 0
Goal Scorers: Jenesa Bradshaw 30, Kasey Moore 40+, Kiki Bosio 70.

Under-16 Girls
West Valley Samba (Northridge, Calif.) 2, Busch SC (St. Louis) 1
Goal Scorers: (WV) Shari Summers 18, 24; (B) Ashlee Pistorious 44.

Under-16 Boys
Atlanta Fire 2, FC Delco Dynamo II (Downingtown, Pa.) 1
Goal Scorers: (A) Joey Howie 39, Jonathan Leathers 76; (D) Domenick Raimo 53.

Under-17 Girls
Pleasanton (Calif.) Rage 2, Tsunami Sota (Minneapolis) 1
Goal Scorers: (P) Tina Estrada 59, Kelsey Quane 67; (T) Caroline Smith 18.

Under-17 Boys
Irvine (Calif.) Strikers 5, Chicago Magic SC 0
Goal Scorers: Kevin Long 32, Jonathan Bornstein 43, 65, Matt Basin 50, Joe Salinas 75.

Under-18 Boys
FC Delco Arsenal (Downingtown, Pa.) 5, Texans 83/84 (Houston) 1
Goal Scorers: (D) Freddie Chambers 11, Ashley Kozicki 17, Kevin Coleman 43,
Jeff Larentowicz 49, Dominic Poplizio 69; (T) Mpoki Tenede 56.

Under-18 Girls
Colorado Girls Soccer Academy (Littleton) 4, Atlanta FC 88 Lightning White 1
Goal Scorers: (C) Marian Dalmy 22, Kathryn Grandinetti 42, Amber Swinehart 56, Lisa Steepleton 90; (A) Keri Pendergrass 55.

Under-19 Boys
Texans 82/83 (Houston) 4, Blast SC (San Bernardino, Calif.) 1
Goal Scorers: (T) Mira Mupier 8, Sandy Gbandi 28, Andres Rota 65, Marcus Storey 70; (B) Adolfo Gregorio 69.

Under-19 Girls
San Diego Surf 7, Michigan Hawks (Livonia) 2
Goal Scorers: (SD) own goal 2, Brenna Mullen 5, 70, Laura Greenberg 20,
Krystal Sandza 61, Kim Castellanos 83, 86; (M) Amanda Lentz 16, Lindsey Gusick 51.

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Second Day At Maryland Soccer Plex

Minnesota and New York West are two state associations with little or no history at the SNICKERS® US Youth Soccer National Championships. But two teams are on their way to changing that as the second day of group play was completed Thursday at the 
Maryland SoccerPlex. 

The Tsunami Sota (Minneapolis) Under-17 girls and Rochester (N.Y.) Jr. Rhinos Elite Under-15 boys are two of the tournament's most intriguing - and potent - teams thus far. Both have scored a tournament-best eight goals while going 2-0 and are in strong position to advance to championship finals Sunday. 

The 48 boys and girls teams in age groups Under-14 through Under-19 will complete round-robin play Friday. The top two teams in each age group as determined by points qualify for the finals. Teams earn three points for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss.

Tsunami, the first Minnesota girls team to play at the national 
championships since 1991, feature the event's most prolific goal scorer. 
Caroline Peterson, a Kansas recruit, knocked home three goals for the second day in a row, leading Tsunami to a 4-2 win over the HBC Fury (Huntington, N.Y.). 

The Jr. Rhinos, the first New York West team to win a Region I title and qualify for the national championships, slipped past the winless Palos Verdes (Calif.) Raiders, 2-1. Chris Nacca scored the go-ahead goal in the 36th minute for the Jr. Rhinos (2-0). 

The GSA 85 Phoenix Red form Georgia dropped their first game in the national tournament, falling to the Pleasanton Rage from California 2-0 in the Under-17 girls division. 

The home-favorite Bethesda Fury will have to battle to defend its national title after a 1-0 loss to the Colorado Girls Soccer Academy (Littleton). The Fury, last year's Under-17 national champion, meets group leader Atlanta FC Lightning '84 White on Friday. Atlanta FC posted its second win with a 4-2 win over Busch SC (St. Louis), which fell to 0-2. 

Bethesda's club mates split their matches. The Eclipse Under-14 girls 
stopped the Atlanta FC Lightning '88 White, 3-0, to improve to 1-1, while the Alliance Under-17 boys fell to 0-1-1 after a 2-1 loss to the Irvine (Calif.) Strikers. 

The Strikers (2-0) cliniched a berth in Sunday's championship final with the victory. 

Both FC Delco teams in the field won to remain undefeated. The Arsenal Under-18 boys (2-0) will play Sunday thanks to a 4-1 thumping of winless NFC Vincere (Omaha, Neb.). The Texans 83/84 Red (Houston) and Classic FC Bandidos (Albuquerque) played a scoreless match, leaving the Texans with four points and the Bandidos with one. 

Jerry Yirenki's goal in the 64th minute gave Delco's Dynamo II Under-16 boys a 1-0 win over the Sereno '86 Golden Eagles (Phoenix). Dynamo II is tied with the Atlanta Fire, a 3-1 winner over the Michigan Wolves (Midland), for first place with four points. Sereno and the Wolves have one point each. 
 
Other highlights included: 

Under-19 boys - Both games ended 3-3, putting last year's Under-18 national champion, Texans 82/83 (Houston), atop the table with four points. Former national champions Stony Brook (N.Y.) Panthers and Chicago Magic SC have two points apiece, and Blast SC (San Bernardino, Calif.) has one point courtesy of its draw with the Magic. 

Under-19 girls - The San Diego Surf are in position to play in a national 
final for the third year in a row, coming from behind to knock off Challenge 82/83 (Spring, Texas), 2-1. Kim Castellanos scored her third goal in two days for the Surf. Nicole Bregar also has three goals after notching both goals in the Michigan Hawks' 2-0 win over the HBC Magic. 

Under-15 boys - The Aiken Fire, the first boys team from South Carolina to reach the national championships, rebounded from a 6-2 loss to Rochester with a 3-1 victory over Sockers FC Chicago, putting both teams at 1-1. Eric Baffour scored two goals for Aiken. 

Under-15 girls - Chantilly (Va.) Milan needs a win Friday to advance to a second consecutive national final. The 2001 Under-14 runner-up fell to Sting '87 (Dallas), 1-0. Chantilly meets group leader Laguna Hills (Calif.) Eclipse, which has four points after a scoreless match with the Windy City Pride (Chicago), the Pride's second 0-0 result. Sting '87 is second with three points, followed by Windy City (two) and Chantilly (one). 

Under-14 boys - The Maryland SC 88 Bays (Baltimore) tripped the La Jolla (Calif.) Nomads, 1-0, on Brandon Fischer's goal in the 41st minute to move to 2-0. Kirk Quavas scored two goals to boost the Chicago Magic SC past the IAYMCA Eagles (Alpharetta, Ga.), 4-0. The Magic and Nomads each have three points, while the Eagles are 0-2. 

Cal-South girls - Three California-South girls teams - the Surf, Under-16 West Valley Samba (Northridge) and Under-14 Slammers FC (Newport Beach) - are 2-0. The Samba dominated Challenge 85/86, 3-0, as Tracy Lansing scored her fourth goal. West Valley has eight consecutive shutouts including Far West Regional play. Slammers slipped past Team Chicago, 2-1, on goals by Alexis Mielke and Alexa Orand. 

SNICKERS®, the No. 1 candy bar in the United States, is fueling youth players as they develop into the country's future soccer stars. SNICKERS® is the Official Snack Food of US Youth Soccer. Masterfoods USA, one of America's leading snack food manufacturers, is a division of MARS, Inc. 

US Youth Soccer-The Game for ALL Kids! is the largest member of the United States Soccer Federation, the governing body of soccer in the United States. US Youth Soccer registers more than 3.1 million players ages 5-19 annually in 55 member state associations. US Youth Soccer programs provide a fun, safe and healthy environment for players at every level of the game. 

Snickers Cup Second Day Of Round Robin 

Under-19 Girls 
Michigan Hawks (Livonia) 2, HBC Magic (Huntington, N.Y.) 0 
Goal Scorers: Nicole Bregar 3, 60. 

San Diego Surf White 2, Challenge 82/83 (Spring, Texas) 1 
Goal Scorers: (SD) Kristen Rogers 64, Kim Castellanos 78; (C) Cristina Echavarry 39. 

Under-18 Girls 
Colorado Girls Soccer Academy (Littleton) 1, Bethesda (Md.) Fury 0 
Goal Scorer: Laura Probst 5. 

Atlanta FC Lightning 84 White 4, Busch SC (St. Louis) 2 
Goal Scorers: (A) Melanie Schneider 27, Kristin Stewart 36, 90, Kristin Rhyne 85; (B) Jennifer Nobis 52, Ryan Hanley 63. 

Under-17 Girls 
Tsunami Sota (Minneapolis) 4, HBC Fury (Huntington, N.Y.) 2 
Goal Scorers: (T) Caroline Smith 33, 57, 69, Kelsey Hans 84; (HBC) Bristyn Davis 20, 86. 

Pleasanton (Calif.) Rage 2, GSA 85 Phoenix Red (Lilburn, Ga.) 0 
Goal Scorers: Christina Estrada 6, Kelsey Quane 85. 

Under-16 Girls 
West Valley Samba (Northridge, Calif.) 3, Challenge 85/86 (Spring, Texas) 0 
Goal Scorers: Alysha Hoven 36, Gina Farias-Eisner 56, Tracy Lansing 73. 

Busch SC (St. Louis) vs. VISTA Firestars (Springfield, Va.), 7 p.m. 

Under-15 Girls 
Sting 87 (Dallas) 1, Chantilly (Va.) Milan 0 
Goal Scorer: Jessica Jarrell 49. 

Windy City Pride (Chicago) 0, Laguna Hills (Calif.) Eclipse 0 

Under-14 Girls 
Slammers FC (Newport Beach, Calif.) 2, Team Chicago 1 
Goal Scorers: (S) Alexis Mielke 4, Alexa Orand 55; (TC) Maria Della Torre 30. 

Bethesda (Md.) Eclipse 3, Atlanta FC Lightning 88 White 0 
Goal Scorers: Hilary O'Sullivan 7, Melissa Kim 41, Vasiliki Anagnostopoulos 70+. 

Under-19 Boys 
Stony Brook (N.Y.) Panthers 3, Texans 82/83 (Houston) 3 
Goal Scorers: (SB) David Musinski 10, Jose Sura 70, Anthony Barberio 81; (T) Jason Cunliffe 18, Marcus Storey 20, Mira Mupier 31. 

Chicago Magic SC 3, Blast SC (San Bernardino, Calif.) 3 
Goal Scorers: (C) Alberto Boy 21, Ryan Singer 52, Ned Grabavoy 62; (B) Leonard Griffin 45+, 53, Rick Cobb 71. 

Under-18 Boys 
Classic FC Bandidos (Albuquerque, N.M.) 0, Texans 83/84 Red (Houston) 0 

FC Delco Arsenal (Downingtown, Pa.) 4, NFC Vincere (Omaha, Neb.) 1 
Goal Scorers: (D) Sean Shannon 3, Sammy Castellanos 48, Ashley Kozicki 55, David Kinneman 90+; (V) David Amdor 33. 

Under-17 Boys 
Chicago Magic SC 1, Dallas Texans 85 Red 0 
Goal Scorer: Humberto Lara 90. 

Irvine (Calif.) Strikers 2, Bethesda (Md.) Alliance 1 
Goal Scorers: (I) Tannen Wels 34, Michael Thomas 86; (B) Brian Yi 23. 

Under-16 Boys 
Atlanta Fire 3, Michigan Wolves (Midland) 1 
Goal Scorers: (A) Tomasz Charowski 35, Chris Davis 54, Cristan Duvall 76; (M) Joshua Mahoney 6. 

FC Delco Dynamo II (Downingtown, Pa.) 1, Sereno 86 Golden Eagles (Phoenix) 0 
Goal Scorer: Jerry Yirenki 64. 

Under-15 Boys 
Rochester (N.Y.) Jr. Rhinos Elite 2, Palos Verdes (Calif.) Raiders 1 
Goal Scorers: (R) Chris Brugger 18, Chris Nacca 36; (PV) Nick Rippeto 31. 

Aiken (S.C.) Fire 3, Sockers FC Chicago 1 
Goal Scorers: (A) Eric Baffour 16, 61, Jordan Gilbert 20; (S) Alex Mangan 80. 

Under-14 Boys 
Maryland SC 88 Bays (Baltimore) 1, La Jolla (Calif.) Nomads White 0 
Goal Scorer: Brandon Fischer 41. 

Chicago Magic SC 4, IAYMCA Eagles (Alpharetta, Ga.) 0 
Goal Scorers: Kirk Quavas 31, 56, Joe Sauerman 33, Taylor Waspi 68. 

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Youth National Championships Get Underway

GERMANTOWN, Md. (July 24, 2002) - It was an uneven performance for past champions during the opening day of the SNICKERS® US Youth Soccer National Championships (SNICKERS® Cup) at the Maryland SoccerPlex. 

Eight teams with national titles to their credit finished the first round of 
group play 3-2-3, including a pair of match-ups between past champions in the Under-19 boys and girls divisions. 

The 48 boys and girls teams in age groups Under-14 through Under-19 began round-robin play, which runs through Friday. The top two teams in each age group as determined by points advance to the national championship finals Sunday. Teams earn three points for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. 

Both match-ups of past winners were reprises of national finals. The San Diego Surf took a measure of revenge for its loss to the Michigan Hawks in last year's Under-18 girls final by clipping the Midwest Regional champions, 4-1. 

Last year's Under-17 girls champion, the Bethesda (Md.) Fury, looked strong with a 4-0 win over Busch SC (St. Louis) in Under-18 play. After a scoreless first half, the four-time Region I champions pulled away as Ali Wean scored goals in the 55th, 56th and 60th minutes and Noelle Keselica added another three minutes later. 

Three other players scored three goals each to tie Wean for the tournament scoring lead.  Caroline Smith recorded a hat trick for 
the Tsunami Sota (Minneapolis) in their 4-3 win over last year's Under-16 girls champion, GSA '85 Phoenix Red (Lilburn, Ga.). Brian Usinger scored all of his goals in the first half to boost the Rochester (N.Y.) Jr. Rhinos Elite past the Aiken (S.C.) Fire, 6-2, in Under-15 boys action. Tracy Lansing knocked home her goals in the second half for the West Valley Samba (Northridge, Calif.) Under-16 girls in their 4-0 win over Busch SC. 

Atlanta FC coach Brian Moore had a successful day, leading the Under-14 Lightning '88 White to a 3-0 win over Team Chicago followed with a 1-0 win for the Under-18 Lightning '84 White over the Colorado Girls Soccer Academy (Littleton). 

A repeat of the 2000 Under-17 boys title match between the champion Stony Brook (N.Y.) Panthers and Chicago Magic resulted in a 1-1 tie. The Magic won the Under-16 title in 1999. 

The third champion in the Under-19 boys group, the Texans 82/83 (Houston), quieted Blast SC (San Bernardino, Calif.), 2-0, for a positive start to their quest for back-to-back titles. 

In Under-16 boys action, the 2001 Under-15 national champion FC Delco Dynamo II (Downingtown, Pa.) and Michigan Wolves (Midland) also tied, 1-1. Peter Sokolski scored in the final minute to draw FC Delco even, seven minutes after Jacob Peterson had put Michigan ahead.  

The two girls teams representing HBC (Huntington, N.Y.) opened their second consecutive visits to the national championships with shutout wins. The Under-19 HBC Magic dumped Challenge 82/83 (Spring, Texas), 1-0, and the Under-17 HBC Fury stopped the Pleasanton (Calif.) Rage, 2-0. 

Other highlights included: 

Under-18 boys - FC Delco Arsenal (Downingtown, Pa.) closed down the Classic FC Bandidos (Albuquerque, N.M.), who are making their second consecutive appearance, 2-0. 

Under-17 boys - The Irvine (Calif.) Strikers started their second trip to 
the national championships with a 3-2 win over another returning team from 2001, Dallas Texans '85 Red. Irvine bounced back from a 2-0 deficit to reverse last year's 3-0 round-robin loss to the Texans. 

Under-16 boys - The Atlanta Fire, also making a second straight appearance, erased a 2-0 deficit in the second half to earn a 2-2 draw with the Sereno '86 Golden Eagles (Phoenix). 

Under-15 boys - Mike Bradley, son of MLS Chicago Fire coach Bob Bradley, scored twice for Sockers FC Chicago in its 3-1 win over the Palos Verdes (Calif.) Raiders in the Under-15 boys division.  

Under-15 girls - Chantilly (Va.) Milan, the Under-14 runner-up last year, battled the Windy City Pride (Chicago) to the day's only scoreless draw. The Laguna Hills (Calif.) Eclipse smothered Sting '87 (Dallas), 4-0, behind Amy Rodriguez's two goals. Rodriguez also had two goals in the Far West Regional final. 

Under-14s - All four matches ended in shutouts. In addition to the Atlanta FC Lightning '88 White's win, the Slammers FC (Newport Beach, Calif.) picked up a victory on the girls side, while the La Jolla (Calif.) Nomads White and Maryland SC 88 Bays (Baltimore) each earned three points in the boys group. 

2002 SNICKERS® US Youth Soccer National Championships 
SNICKERS® Cup 

Round-Robin Results - Day 1 
Wednesday, July 24 

Under-17 Girls 
HBC Fury (Huntington, N.Y.) 2, Pleasanton (Calif.) Rage 0 
Goal Scorers: (HBC) Shannon Donovan (32), Pam Schneck (83). 

Tsunami Sota (Minneapolis) 4, GSA 85 Phoenix Red (Lilburn, Ga.) 3 
Goal Scorers: (T) Caroline Smith (14, 22, 80), Katherine Krambeer (52); (GSA) Meredith Kohn (33), Michelle Hoddeson (37), Elizabeth Guess (75). 

Under-15 Girls 
Laguna Hills (Calif.) Eclipse 4, Sting 87 (Dallas) 0 
Goal Scorers: Kasey Moore (16), Amy Rodriguez (27, 78), Kiara Bosio (30). 

Windy City Pride (Chicago) 0, Chantilly (Va.) Milan 0 
Goal Scorers: None. 

Under-14 Boys 
La Jolla (Calif.) Nomads White 2, Chicago Magic SC 0 
Goal Scorers: Laurence Sisk (13), Eric Avila (70+). 

Maryland SC 88 Bays (Baltimore) 3, IAYMCA Eagles (Alpharetta, Ga.) 0 
Goal Scorers: Jonathan Ports (20, 27), Matt Beckman (43). 

Under-16 Boys 
Michigan Wolves (Midland) 1, FC Delco Dynamo II (Downingtown, Pa.) 1 
Goal Scorers: (M) Jacob Peterson (73); (D) Peter Sokolski (80) 

Atlanta (Ga.) Fire 2, Sereno 86 Golden Eagles (Phoenix) 2 
Goal Scorers: (A) Cline Beam (63), Ryan Roushandel (72); (S) Bubba Bradley (31), Mike Gavin (35). 

Under-15 Boys 
Rochester (N.Y.) Jr. Rhinos Elite 6, Aiken (S.C.) Fire 2 
Goal Scorers: (R) Brian Usinger (13, 34, 40+), Aaron Acello (44), Jamey Loucks (48), Keith Manscuk (57); (A) Sani Hadziahmetovic (62), Wallace Winkler (79). 

Sockers FC Chicago 3, Palos Verdes (Calif.) Raiders 1 
Goal Scorers: (S) Mike Bradley (11, 50), Nick Fiore (64); (PV) Nick Rippeto (19). 

Under-14 Girls 
Atlanta FC Lightning 88 White 3, Team Chicago 0 
Goal Scorers: Kelley O'Hara (12), Kathleen Jacobsen (30), Adrienne Garofalo (66). 

Slammers FC (Newport Beach, Calif.) 1, Bethesda (Md.) Eclipse 0 
Goal Scorer: Alexa Orand (19). 

Under-19 Boys 
Stony Brook (N.Y.) Panthers 1, Chicago Magic SC 1 
Goal Scorers: (SB) Alex Gavilla (51); (C) Jeff Klitzke (54). 

Texans 82/83 (Houston) 2, Blast SC (San Bernardino, Calif.) 0 
Goal Scorers: Joey Gaworecki (18), Jason Cunliffe (80). 

Under-18 Girls 
Bethesda (Md.) Fury 4, Busch SC (St. Louis) 0 
Goal Scorers: Ali Wean (55, 56, 60), Noelle Keselica (63). 

Atlanta FC Lightning 84 White 1, Colorado Girls Soccer Academy (Littleton) 0 
Goal Scorer: Melanie Schneider (54). 

Under-16 Girls 
Challenge 85/86 (Spring, Texas) 1, VISTA Firestars (Springfield, Va.) 0 
Goal Scorer: Caitlin Robbins (12). 

West Valley Samba (Northridge, Calif.) 4, Busch SC (St. Louis) 0 
Goal Scorers: Gina Farias-Eisner (42), Tracy Lansing (55, 75, 79). 

Under-19 Girls 
HBC Magic (Huntington, N.Y.) 1, Challenge 82/83 (Spring, Texas) 0 
Goal Scorer: Lauren Ritchie (76). 

San Diego Surf White 4, Michigan Hawks (Livonia) 1 
Goal Scorers: (SD) Kristen Rogers (13), Kim Castellanos (36, 83), Brooke Roby (67). 

Under-18 Boys 
FC Delco Arsenal (Downingtown, Pa.) 2, Classic FC Bandidos (Albuquerque, N.M.) 0 
Goal Scorers: Fred Chambers (3), Ashley Kozicki (78). 

Texans 83/84 Red (Houston) 2, NFC Vincere (Omaha, Neb.) 1 
Goal Scorers: (T) Lance Watson (6), Payton Webb (72); (V) Ryan Brown (45). 

Under-17 Boys 
Irvine (Calif.) Strikers 3, Dallas Texans 85 Red 2 
Goal Scorers: (I) Kevin Long (44), Benny Feilhaber (48), Jonathan Bornstein (66); (D) Steven Trumbo (18), own goal (42). 

Bethesda (Md.) Alliance (Md.) vs. Chicago Magic SC, later 

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U-19 Women Qualify For World Championship

Two questions remained after CONCACAF qualifying for the first ever Under-19 Women’s World Championship. Who can beat the United States team, and did the U.S. run up the score against Costa Rica?

Coach Tracey Leone’s U.S. women romped through three qualifying games, beating Suriname, Haiti and Costa Rica by a combined 34-1 score. However, some probably left the game feeling that the U.S. has poured it on a bit.

The berth in the World Championship came on a 14-1 pasting of Costa Rica before 4,000 at Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacolet, Trinidad & Tobago.

"It was a peak performance that reflected all the great things about American women's soccer," said Leone apparently failing to grasp that her team’s need to score six times in the second half -- once in injury time -- exhibited extremely poor sportsmanship. "Great preparation, great passion and mental toughness, great togetherness and a beautiful possession, attacking and exciting style of soccer with great goals for the fans."

The U.S. won Group B with a 3-0 record and will join Mexico, the Group A winner, as the representatives of the region of North America, Central America and the Caribbean in the 12-nation world tournament in Canada in August. Mexico romped over Trinidad & Tobago 5-1 to earn advancement.

The Americans did not allow a shot in their first two wins, and gave up the only game in the tournament after the score was 8-0.. While the U.S. could rationalize routing Suriname 15-0 in its first match, saying goal differential was all important because it would break any ties in the standings, no such excuse could be used against Costa Rica. All the U.S. needed against Costa Rica was a tie to advance to the world championships.

And, of course, the thought of the U.S. needing the benefit of goal differential in a tournament where it won by an average of 11 goals per match and permitted a total of two shots on goal in three games is ridiculous. The Americans were simply piling it on a defenseless opponent in Suriname.

After two matches where the U.S. outshot its opponents 85-0, 44 of those attempts going on frame, 16-year old goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris finally had to face a shot. And one got by her.

In this match, the U.S. piled up a 38-5 advantage in shots, 27-2 on goal. If there was any worry the Costa Ricans were about to stage a comeback after Martha Chavez’s goal in the 58th minute, the U.S. quickly responded with tallies by Kelly Wilson in the 59th and Megan Kakadelas in the 60th.

The next four goals were pure hubris, particularly the final one, coming off a free kick by Allison Graham in stoppage time. The sporting thing to do? Miss by a mile.

"We wanted to close out this amazing trip in style and with a great performance," said Heather O'Reilly who had four goals and three assists. "To end on one of our best performances ever is a great feeling. We didn't want Costa Rica to think they had a chance of taking our spot in the World Cup and we finished awesomely tonight."

Wilson also had four goals, three coming in the second half, giving her 10 for the tournament, three more than teammates O’Reilly and Lindsay Tarpley who had seven apiece.

"Over the past year and half, the team has put in a tremendous amount of commitment and sacrificed a lot of things to be in the position the play in a World Cup," said Tarpley, the U.S. captain. "We feel like we've come to the end of a wonderful and successful long journey and now we are ready to start another one. We're are going to be very excited to show the world what we can do in Canada."

The truth of the matter is American participation in the world championships was pre-ordained. Every participant in CONCACAF qualifying, including Mexico which the U.S. did not have to play, was dwarfed by the size of the American talent pool and the resources put into assembling and training the team.

United States 14, Costa Rica 1

Lineups: United States - Ashlyn Harris (Megan Rivera 70), Jessica Ballweg, Jill Oakes, Kendall Fletcher, Lori Chalupny, Allison Graham, Annie Schefter, Manya Makoski (Kerri Hanks 53), Lindsey Tarpley - captain (Megan Kakadelas 46), Heather O'Reilly, Kelly Wilson. Costa Rica - Siliva Arias, Ana Isabel Valverde (Desiree Guardia 46), Monica Salazar, Lizeth Matamoros, Shirley Cruz, Megan Chavez, Martha Chavez (Louise Wilson 77), Maricela Rojas, Yendry Cambronero, Karol Segura, Laura Sanchez.

Scoring:

• United States - Oakes (unassisted) 7th minute.
• United States - O'Reilly (Wilson) 23.
• United States - Wilson (Tarpley) 25.
• United States - O'Reilly (Tarpley) 28.
• United States - Tarpley (O'Reilly) 37.
• United States - O'Reilly (Tarpley) 42.
• United States - Tarpley (O'Reilly) 45.
• United States - Schefter (Tarpley) 47+.
• Costa Rica - Chavez (unassisted) 58.
• United States - Wilson (unassisted) 59.
• United States - Kakadelas (Wilson) 60.
• United States - Wilson (Fletcher) 68.
• United States - O'Reilly (Oakes) 76.
• United States - Wilson (O'Reilly) 80.
• United States - Graham (unassisted) 91+.

Shots: United States 38, Costa Rica 5. Shots on goal: United States 27, Costa Rica 2. Saves: United States 2, Costa Rica 13. Corner kicks: United States 13, Costa Rica 0. Fouls: United States 8, Costa Rica 5. Offside: United States 2, Costa Rica 2. Yellow card cautions: United States - Tarpley 20; Costa Rica - Salazar 27.

Referee: Virginia Tovar (Mexico). Referee Assistants: Jackeline Saez (Panama), Joseph Taylor (Trinidad & Tobago). Attendance: 4,000 at : Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacolet, Trinidad & Tobago. Weather: Hot, humid, 80 degrees.

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Draw Announced For Region III Championship

The US Youth Soccer Region III youth championships will come to Arkansas for the first time, June 27-July 2, in Little Rock. Competition in the 2002 tournament will be in U14-U19 boys and girls divisions.

Taking part in the tournament will be the state champions from Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, Oklahoma, North Texas and South Texas. The winners from Region III, along with the regional champions from the other three regions in the U.S., will advance to the national tournament in July.

The Region II tournament will be held in Toledo, Ohio, June 21-26.

DRAW FOR THE 2002 SOUTHERN REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS - N. Little Rock, AR

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Youth National Championships Begin

Eight Region III teams are among the 32 regional champions who began play today (July 25) for national youth championships at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Lake Buena Vista, FL. The United States Youth Soccer National Championships will conclude Sunday with eight national championship games.

Competition for boys and girls teams is in the U16-U19 age groups, and 18 USYS state associations are represented. Three teams from the Colorado Rush Soccer Club (Lakewood) from Region IV qualified, and the Sting Soccer Club (Dallas) and Charlotte (N.C.) Soccer Club, both from Region III, each has two teams here.

You can access the daily results from the National Championship links on our Home page.

One boys’ team that didn’t have to leave its home state to compete is the U17 Team Boca Gunners from Boca Raton, FL. Jackson FC will represent Region III and Mississippi as the U19 Region III champion. It is interesting to note that all four of the regional champions from Region III are from Texas, while none of the boys’ teams hail from the Long Star State.

Two Virginia girls’ teams will represent Region I. The Prince William Sparklers are the U16 regional champs, while the Chantilly Hotspurs are in Florida as the Region I U17 champions.

Six past national champions return looking to repeat this year. The under-19 girls division features two previous winners: the Northport\Cow Harbor (N.Y.) Piranha (1997, 1999) and Colorado Rush Nike (1998).

The FC Delco Dynamo (West Chester, Pa.) under-19 boys are making their fourth consecutive national championship appearance and won the under-17 title in 1998.

The Colorado Rush's under-18 girls and the Chicago Magic Sockers under-17 boys are seeking back-to-back titles, while the Weston (Conn.) Wild Thing under-18 girls claimed the under-16 crown in 1998.

Teams will play a round-robin schedule against the other three regional champions in their age group from Tuesday through Friday. The top two teams in each group as determined by points advance to the winner-take-all championship finals on Sunday.

This tournament completes the yearlong competition, which begins with more than 7,200 teams with 124,000 players participating in all 50 states.

Under-19 boys: FC Delco Dynamo (West Chester, Pa.) Under-18 boys: FC Delco Black (West Chester, Pa.) Under-17 boys: West Babylon (N.Y.) Panthers Under-16 boys: FC Westchester (N.Y.)

Under-19 girls: Northport\Cow Harbor (N.Y.) Piranha Under-18 girls: Weston (Conn.) Wild Thing Under-17 girls: Chantilly (Va.) Hotspurs Under-16 girls: Prince William Sparklers (Woodbridge, Va.)

Under-19 boys: Vardar III (Southfield, Mich.) Under-18 boys: Scott Gallagher (St. Louis) Under-17 boys: Chicago Magic Sockers Under-16 boys: Sockers FC (Palatine, Ill.)

Under-19 girls: Windy City FC (Chicago) Under-18 girls: Michigan Hawks (Livonia) Under-17 girls: Carmel (Ind.) Cosmos II Under-16 girls: Internationals (Cleveland)

Under-19 boys: Jackson (Miss.) FC Under-18 boys: Charlotte (N.C.) SC Blue Under-17 boys: Team Boca Gunners (Boca Raton, Fla.) Under-16 boys: Charlotte (N.C.) SC Blue

Under-19 girls: Sting '81 (Dallas) Under-18 girls: Challenge 81/82 (Houston) Under-17 girls: Sting '83 (Dallas) Under-16 girls: D'Feeters '84 (Dallas)

Under-19 boys: Colorado Rush Nike (Lakewood) Under-18 boys: Wolfpack (Huntington Beach, Calif.) Under-17 boys: San Juan Lightning (Sacramento, Calif.) Under-16 boys: Tempe (Ariz.) Pros

Under-19 girls: Colorado Rush Nike (Lakewood) Under-18 girls: Colorado Rush Nike (Lakewood) Under-17 girls: San Diego Surf Under-16 girls: Southern California Blues (Dana Point)

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Legacy Of Albert Medina, 20, Will Be Realized
With Growth Of Ozarks Soccer
By Rob Kerby

(Sunday, November 28, 1999) -- On Tuesday, at a factory in Harrison, Ark., a bolt came undone, a bracket snapped and a large piece of equipment fell onto a 20-year-old soccer player. He was crushed under its weight. And now I sit thinking about Albert Medina's legacy.

Sincere and focused as a high school player, the boy slept through referee class. His miserable test scores and worse re-test scores prompted us to begin what has become an institution around here, mandatory referee tutoring for kids. We try to make it fun for those who think they want to ref. We want them poised on the edge of their chairs, ready to impress the visiting instructors that they know the dimensions of a field and the five things a goalkeeper can't do unless they want to have to defend themselves against an indirect free kick.

Because of Albert, just yesterday, we instructed seven 11- and 12-year-old referee candidates on restarts, then drove to a local church where a junior high youth group was taught a few secrets of 3-v.-3 soccer. We then rode with the church kids to a youth center in Harrison where everybody climbed and rappelled down an artificial mountain and swung on a trapeze-like contraption called a "barn swing" and bowled with a frozen turkey -- and had a great time.

Our guys loved it. But quietly, they all wanted to talk about Albert.

He was a member of the first-ever Green Forest High School soccer team, a squad that beat everybody in northwest Arkansas just a few short years ago, astonishing our area, raising immense hopes in town that we might take a state championship -- and inspiring a lot of folks that the impossible could happen here.

Albert's was a ragtag team at best. Three girls, including my oldest daughter. Several delinquents, including one that is serving time in prison today. The goalkeeper was an assimilated Hispanic boy with a carefully developed Arkansas drawl who hated for anybody to know that he had been born in Mexico. The coach worked at the local poultry plant under an assumed name since he had slipped into the United States illegally.

Albert was the team captain. He was a tall, muscular junior whose main talent was tenacity. He never gave up. Never.

Well, if his heart wasn't in something, he didn't try. Referee class is a prime example. He attended out of respect for me -- because I wanted him to go. But paying attention was too much. Sitting around talking about soccer was beyond his comprehension. Soccer is to be played. Soccer is to be lived. And who wants to be an "arbitro" -- a referee -- anyway? Come on, coach, can't we just play?

Albert's services were Friday at Nelson's Funeral Chapel in Green Forest, Ark. We cut short Thanksgiving plans with family in Tulsa to return for the funeral.

Albert's was the first soccer team in our area that successfully mixed local longtime residents' kids with the newcomer Hispanics -- and demonstrated that truly superb soccer can be played on uneven hayfields. His was the first soccer team that got the attention of the local newspaper and radio station -- when they caught the vision that a bunch of country kids in T-shirts emblazoned with "Gary's Backhoe Service" could play this newfangled game darn well against the big-city yuppies in their fancy Umbros.

Albert was certain we would take the Arkansas State Scholastic Cup. But in Little Rock, we were humbled. The whole weekend was physical. It was rough. Our girls were battered and bruised and crying on the bench. Our macho boys were furious and dishing it back -- only they didn't know how to get away with it -- so they were getting the cautions while the real culprits were snickering behind the referees' backs.

A livid and determined Albert took it upon himself to win this thing single-handedly out of sheer teen-age will. He went down so many times in hard tackles that we lost count. We'd carry him off the field, ice him down, then he'd demand to rejoin the fray. Somewhere he'd picked up a favorite pair of aluminum shin guards. They'd been padded once upon a time, but had deteriorated down to bare metal and straps. They had to be worn over a pair of socks and under a second pair. But he attached special significance to these weird shin guards. He wore them no matter what.

As he pulled them off on the sidelines, I was astonished that they were bent and distorted. He twisted them back into shape. Suddenly, I understood what was going on out there. He went back in -- only to go down again. Then again. And again. The final time, he was so disoriented that the referee ordered him -- forcefully -- off of the field. Protesting, the high schooler retreated to the bench where he nursed his wounds and demanded to return. We sent him back in.

We lost. And he wept. Private, bitter tears of disappointment. He had been so sure of victory. He had dreamed of holding high the State Cup. He had talked of playing in front of a cheering stadium. He had worried about whether he could look good on TV, talking to the news media. I had tried to explain that even if we did win, there would be no stadium and certainly no clamoring press.

He just smiled. He knew that glory was just around the corner. Albert was a leader. A dreamer.

We weren't equipped yet to provide him what he deserved. But because of Albert, we began taking the next group just younger than him to tryouts for northwest Arkansas' premier squad, the Arkansas Comets. Because that worked, and because of Albert, we saw there was a need for our own program, The Quest, which actually beats the Comets upon occasion.

But it all came too late for Albert. He didn't go to college. He never got to play in that stadium with the press waiting to quiz him under TV lights.

Because of Albert, two weeks ago, we took six kids to the State Select tryouts. We're holding our breath -- believing that maybe this will be the year that one of our kids makes the Olympic Development Program.

Albert helped prove so many things. A team could be fielded mixing our two cultures. Our little town would accept a team coached by poultry plant workers who spoke little English. Good soccer could be played in the middle of nowhere. But now it will go on without Albert.

He was airlifted to the big hospital in Springfield, Mo. There, he fought tenaciously, as was his way. But his body had been crushed. I am told that he fought long and hard on the operating table -- refusing to give up. In the end, Albert was carried off the field -- protesting furiously, I am sure. Arguing until the end.

We will miss Albert Medina terribly. His legacy continues. Someday a kid is going to walk onto the soccer field at the Olympics from the rural Ozarks. Eventually, a northern Arkansas player from Alpena Pass or Green Forest or Eureka Springs is going to show up in the World Cup. And long before that, local kids are going to go to college on soccer scholarships.

They will be the legacy of Albert Medina. A kid who deserved a chance - a kid who hated to give up.

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Region III Tourney Coming Back to NC

The 2000 USYS/Region III tournament will be held in Plano, TX, and the tournament will be coming back to North Carolina in 2003.

Greensboro will be the host city for that regional tournament, June 26-July 1, 2003.Arkansas has never hosted a Region III championship. The 2002 tournament will be held in Little Rock.

The annual fall Region III meeting was held in Plano, a suburb of Dallas, at which time the brackets for the 2000 tournament were drawn by computer. The tournament will be played June 22-27, 2000.

The Region III tournament will include state championship teams from 12 state associations, and competition will be held in U14 to U19 divisions for boys and girls.

Region III is comprised of the state associations of North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, North Texas and South Texas.

Plano is located in North Texas. The North Texas Soccer Association is the official host of the 2000 event.

The 2001 tournament will go to Memphis, TN. Greensboro and NCYSA made a bid for the 2002 regional. Arkansas also made a bid for the 2002 regional and will host that tournament, June 27-July 2, 2002.

North Carolina has hosted three previous Region III tournaments. Raleigh was the site of one of the first regionals in the late ‘70s, while Greensboro hosted the Region III championships twice in the ‘90s

 Only State Cup champions qualify for the Region III tournament. Unlike some regional tournaments, Region III does not allow wildcard teams to fill brackets where open slots occur when states do not send teams in those age groups.

Should state associations not send teams in a particular age division the state in the brackets for that age group drops out and the others behind move up one slot. Thus, should some brackets be comprised of less than 12 teams the pairings will change.

 Final groupings for each age group will not be known until all state cup competitions have been completed in the spring.

Over the years, the boys brackets have seldom had any openings, while there have been some changes in the girls brackets.

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2000 USYSA Region III Brackets

 U-14 Girls

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Florida || Georgia || North Carolina || South Carolina || Tennessee || Virginia

Southern Soccer Scene
PO Box 19445
Greensboro, NC  27419
Phone: (336) 292-7015
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