- U-12 GIRLS PREMIER REPEAT IN SHOOT-OUT
- U-10 BOYS BLACK TAKE U-11 AC CUP
- U-15 BOYS GOLD FALLS IN FINAL
- U-11 BOYS BLACK SUNK BY PENALTY
Presidents Day weekend produced a mixed bag of results for the four West Pines United (WPU), teams competing in FYSA’s President's Cup and Division II Final Four championships.
Displaying the fighting spirit reserved for champions, our U-12 girls, the 2009 Presidents Cup winners, proved once again that they are the best in the State in that age group. The team that many had written off as serious contenders for top honors this year because of a few sub-par performances during the season, rose to the occasion when it mattered most.
Barely escaping elimination in group play of the Region A Cup held some weeks ago, the girls had rallied from a 2 goal deficit in the finals of that tournament to record a thrilling 8 round penalty shootout win over their WPU sister team. Peaking at the right moment, the team then proceeded to display championship form in the semi-final game of the President's Cup when dispatching Emerald Coast by a comfortable 3-0 margin. Seizing their opportunity, coach Richie Chin’s squad now took dead aim at the Oldsmar Legends, the team now blocking their path to the main prize.
Locked at 2 goals apiece through regulation and overtime play, the girls were once again faced with the dreaded task of determining the game outcome via the penalty shootout route. This time however, the contest would not extend into 8 rounds as the players struck with deadly accuracy to secure the victory and the championship. The double was in the bag and the repeat performance was complete. The team now earns the honor of being dubbed – “the comeback kids of 2010."
Following their fantastic run over the course of the season, our U-10 boys almost saw the grand prize slip away when relinquishing what seemed like a comfortable 2 goal advantage over Naples in semi-final action of the AC Cup for U-11 Division II teams. Leading 3-1 in the second half, West Pines was forced to dig deep into their reserves to prevent what would have been a devastating loss. Regaining their composure after Naples had leveled the score at 3 apiece, the boys were now faced with the prospect of a penalty kick shootout. Moments later,in what seemed to be an eternity, celebrations would commence with West Pines advancing to the finals after winning the nerve wracking penalty shootout. The following day the boys made no mistake.
With memories of the previous day’s game fresh on their minds, West Pines proceeded to school the other semi-final winner, Plant City. Racing to a 3-0 lead at the half, the boys never wavered and, when the final whistle sounded with the score unchanged, became only the second U-10 West Pines team to achieve this remarkable feat, the first being our present U-14 Boys Premier team.
SOOOO CLOSE ....
Still flying high after their Region A Cup championship run, our U-14 Gold boys looked set to add the Presidents Cup to their season’s haul when defeating Greater Osceola by a comfortable 3-1 margin in their semi-final match. The dream of a glorious closing chapter were shattered when the boys had no answer to a worthy opponent in IMG Soccer Academy, going down to the West Coast team by a score of 4-0. Though disappointed with the final result, coach Philip Brady had nothing but praise for a team that had experienced little success before now.
Being on the losing end of a 1-0 game can be one of the most painful experiences for any team. When that goal comes by way of the penalty spot early in the game, the result of an unintended handball infraction, the pain intensifies ten-fold. Our U-11 Boys Black squad were the unfortunate beneficiaries of such an experience in their Presidents Cup semi-final encounter with F.C. America.
With 4 Region Cup champions contesting the Cup, the luck of the draw had placed the two best teams in the age group against each other for semi-final action. West Pines attempts at finding the equalizer were thwarted time and again by a very disciplined opponent whose crisp short-passing game was exemplary. The final whistle found coach Arturo Acosta’s boys vainly hunting for the elusive prize.
Recovering a bit from the disappointment of not being in the final, the boys returned a day later to blank Dallas Texans Florida by a 3-0 margin to take 3rd place in the competition and a “can’t wait till next year” promise to go all the way.
