Semifinals set at US Youth Soccer Southern Regional Championships

Quarterfinals, Day 2 of 2
19U Boys final set

BATON ROUGE, La. — Two days of play remain at the 2019 US Youth Soccer Southern Regional Championships after the second half of quarterfinals, as well as the 19U Boys semifinals, took place Tuesday at Burbank Soccer Park in Baton Rouge, La.

Semifinals will take place tomorrow while the 19U Boys will play their final match to see who will earn the first Southern Regional title and spot in the 2019 US Youth Soccer National Championships.

19U Boys Final – MS Rush Premier (MS) vs FC Dallas Youth 00 (TX-N) | Field 4 | 10:00 AM

They say history repeats itself, and that adage rang true on Day 5 of play. 18U Boys Lobos Rush 01 Premier (TN), repeated its comeback feat from the 2018 quarterfinals, and is now back to the semifinals for a second straight year. Once again, Lobos scored a late goal to force overtime and then claimed victory in kicks from the mark.

“Go big or go home,” said Lobos head coach David Mcalister. “The Southern Regionals are the best and you have to bring it every time. The cream rises to the top at these events and we love playing the teams we play. The competition we face here makes us give everything that we have and it makes us better players and a better team because of it.”

After forcing kicks from the mark to advance to last year’s semifinals, Lobos had to again battle from behind to tie the game and headed to another kicks from the mark scenario. The tenacity of the team helped guide it from two goals down to force overtime in the last minute of play.

“We’re fifteen strong,” continued Mcalister. “I would take these fifteen players over anybody. Period. They have so much heart and love for the game. They know what’s ahead of them, know that the semifinals are tomorrow, and are already looking forward to it.”

Notes from a few of Tuesday’s matches:

13U Girls
Group D winners, TSC 06 (TN) defeated Lonestar SC 07 Roma (TX-S), 2-1, in overtime to claim its spot in tomorrow’s semifinals. TSC took the lead midway through the first half when age group leading goal scorer, Quinn Erim, notched a goal for her team. TSC took the lead into halftime but could not hold the lead for long. Eleanor Hodsden added her fourth goal of the event, in the 43rd minute, to level the two teams. Each team had a couple of chances towards the end of regulation but neither could convert and the game headed into overtime. An early overtime strike from TSC’s Rebekah Allen ended up being the winning goal as the TSC defense held strong to help earn the 2-1 victory.

17U Girls
Group C runners-up, Cajun SC Rage 16/17 Academy (LA), knocked off the Group D winners, 02 LNSC Eclipse Elite (NC), 1-0, to earn a trip to tomorrow’ semifinals. After needing a kicks from the mark tiebreaker to advance into the quarterfinals, it was a penalty kick that ended up sending Cajun through. After a scoreless first half, Cajun drew a late penalty kick to set up a great chance to take the lead. Remi Rosbury stepped up and finished her chance to give the Louisiana side the advantage headed into the half. LNSC could not break through the Cajun defense and Cajun SC Rage heads to the semifinals after holding for a clean sheet and a 1-0 victory.

17U Boys
OK Energy FC Central (OK) is headed back to the semifinals after earning a, 3-0, victory over the Group D runners-up, Smyrna SC 2002 Red (GA). Neither team could break through in the first half as the two sides headed into halftime tied, 0-0. Ryan Yetishefsky made sure the scoring drought ended when he put the ball in the back of the net in the 70th minute to earn Energy the lead. Just four minutes later, Charles Stanfield doubled Energy’s advantage as it became to look more comfortable with the two-goal lead. Smyra looked for an equalizer but Jose Estrada-Capilla shut the door with a goal in the 90th minute to send Energy back to the semifinals.

18U Girls
The Group A runners up, Coral Gables Storm 2001 Black (FL), took down the Group B winners, 01 CSA South Elite (NC), 2-1, and now head to the 18U Girls semifinals. CSA had the best scoring chance early as a cross into the box found an attacker but the opportunity created sailed over the crossbar. Coral Gables responded quickly as it put in a cross of its own to create a scoring chance. Rebeka Mejia outran her mark to the incoming ball and sent her attempt from close range right under the keeper for a 1-0 advantage. The play continued to go back and forth and CSA found its equalizer in the 27th minute. A great ball was played into the attacking third to Ariana Maibodi who beat her defender towards the endline. Maibodi hit a ball from a tight angle that ricocheted off the far post and in to make the score 1-1. Alyssa Wilson scored in the 79th minute, her fifth goal of the event, to give Coral Gables the eventual win.

18U Boys
In a hard-fought, thrilling 18U Boys final, Lobos Rush 01 Premier (TN) came back from two goals down and eventually outlasted Solar 01 Stricker (TX-N) in kicks from the mark. Solar took the lead quickly as it controlled the match from the opening whistle. Solar earned a free-kick that was finished by Shay Adamson in the eighth minute to give the Texas side the, 1-0, lead. Just three minute later, a cross into the box was flicked on and Teren Tate connected with the ball on a backpost run and finished his first-time shot giving Solar a two goal advantage. Lobos answered before halftime as a big switch of play found Nicolas DiMauro.

DiMauro beat his defender and then finished his chance to cut the lead in half. Lobos began to push hard for the tying goal in the second half and would have leveled the match if not for two incredible kick saves from Solar’s Robert Applewhite. Lobos once again almost leveled but a rocket from Will Pucek from the top of the box skipped off the crossbar and out of play. The onslaught continued as Solar continued to sit deep absorbing the pressure. Lobos looked like it may have equalized but Solar’s Jack Sissen biked a ball out of the six-yard box to clear the danger. The Tennessee team final got its goal as some great tight-rope play on the endline led to a cross through traffic in front of goal. Brandon Brackettwas waiting in front of goal to poke it home and the game moved into overtime. After a scoreless overtime, the game headed to kicks from the mark where Lobos would outlast Solar to claim its spot in the semifinals.

19U Girls
Cajun Rage 18/19 Academy (LA) defeated 00 Lady Lobos Premier (TN), 2-0, to book its spot in the 19U Girls semifinals. Rammie Noel scored the lone goal of the first half – her fifth of the event – to give Cajun a 1-0 advantage headed into halftime. Just eight minutes into the second half, Madeleine Moreau gave her team some breathing room when she found the back of the net in the 53rd minute. Having allowed just one goal so far this event, the Cajun defense kept its lockdown defense going to secure the clean sheet and a, 2-0, victory at the final whistle.

19U Boys – How they advanced to tomorrow’s Southern Regional Championships final
MS Rush Premier (MS) and FC Dallas Youth 00 (TX-N) are one-step closer to advancing to Nationals to play for the coveted 19U Boys James P. McGuire Cup after earning semifinal victories today. August Harp scored the game’s lone goal in the 21st minute against Inter Atlanta 2000 Elite (GA) to push MS Rush to a, 1-0, victory and a spot in the final. In the opposite semifinal, FC Dallas notched a, 3-0, victory over its in-state rival, Solar 01 Sawyer (TX-N). After a scoreless first half, impart due to stellar goalkeeping from FC Dallas’ Andres Quevedo, Logan Moore gave Dallas a 1-0 lead in the 68th minute. Angel Medel and Joel Amekeadded late insurance goals to push FC Dallas to a 3-0 victory and its spot in the final.

Regional winners of the 13U through 19U age groups earn a berth to the 2019 US Youth Soccer National Championships, which will be held July 22-28 at the Overland Park Soccer Complex in Overland Park, Kan.

The US Youth Soccer National Championships will consist of US Youth Soccer Regional Champions in the 13U through 19U Boys and Girls age groups, as well as the US Youth Soccer National League qualifiers in the 14U through 19U Boys and Girls age groups to complete the field of 104 teams.

Daily reports and complete results from the US Youth Soccer Southern Regional Championships are available on championships.usyouthsoccer.org/South.