BLAINE, Minn. (July 23, 2011) – Championship games for all divisions of the 27th annual Schwan’s USA CUP, presented by puma, were played on Saturday, July 23, at the National Sports Center (NSC) in Blaine, Minn., 20 minutes north of Minneapolis/Saint Paul.
Minnesota teams won 11 of the 14 top-level 11v11 championship divisions, the home states best showing in years. Last year, Minnesota teams won only five top-tier USA CUP championships. Visiting teams from Canada, Denmark and Nebraska also won titles.
The final day of the tournament was marked by a morning weather suspension for lightning. Play was suspended at 8:32 a.m. and the suspension lasted for 2 hours, 58 minutes. This marked the fourth day, out of eight, that this year’s Schwan’s USA CUP was forced to suspended games due to either lightning or high heat indexes. While some games were delayed and rescheduled this week, all games were played.
This year’s tournament featured over 15,000 athletes on 942 teams from 20 states and 17 countries, making it the largest youth soccer tournament in the Western Hemisphere. The weekend and week-long tournaments together will generate an estimated $20.4 million in economic impact.
Here are the scores for Saturday’s games, in the highest flight for each age group:
12 boys: Minnesota Thunder Academy 99e, Woodbury, Minn. 3, Oakville Soccer Club, Oakville, Ontario, 0.
12 girls: Minnesota Thunder Academy 99 Nike, Twin Cities, Minn. 3, CSR Rapides, Candiac, Quebec 0.
13 boys: Woodbridge Strikers 98, Vaughan, Ontario 5, CS Herediano, Heredia, Costa Rica, 0.
13 girls: PSA Dynamite, Plymouth, Minn. 2, Tony Glavin Green, St. Charles, Mo. 1.
14 boys: St. Paul United Elite, St. Paul, Minn. 2, Minnesota Thunder Academy Elite 97 Blue, Twin Cities, Minn. 0.
14 girls: Prior Lake Splash, Prior Lake, Minn. 2, Tonka United, Minnetonka, Minn. 0.
15 boys: Minneapolis United Black Premier, Minn. 2, MTA Elite
96 White, Twin Cities, Minn. 2. (Minneapolis United wins in OT
shootout.)
15 girls: Cottage Grove United, Minn. 2, Prior Lake Storm, Minn. 1.
16 boys: Viva Fortaleza, Omaha, Neb. 2, Downtown United, New York, N.Y. 1.
16 girls: BFSC Black Storm, Burnsville, Minn. 0, Coon Rapids 0. (Burnsville wins in OT shootout.)
17 boys: Minneapolis United Blue Premier, Minneapolis, Minn., 1, Oshawa Turul, Oshawa, Ontario, 0.
17 girls: Kolding Q, Hedensted, Denmark 1, Wayzata Warriors, Minn. 0.
19 boys: Valley United Cosmos, Apple Valley, Minn 1, Rudbeckianska, Vasteras, Sweden 0.
19 girls: Wayzata Rage, Minn. 2, Southeast SC Glory, Twin Cities, 0.
Scores and brackets for all divisions can be found on the Schwan’s USA CUP website:
Here are game summaries for Saturday’s championship games in the top division for each age group:
12 boys: Minnesota Thunder Academy 99e, Woodbury, Minn. 3, Oakville Soccer Club, Oakville, Ontario, 0.
Tired legs and a big field led to a largely uneventful regulation period
before Woodbury’s Minnesota Thunder Academy turned it on in the second
five-minute extra time period, burying three goals in a span of about
four minutes to capture a deceptively one-sided 3-0 win in the U12 Boys
championship.
MTA managed only one shot on goal during regulation time, but Kohel
Adams, made MTA’s first shot of extra time count to give it a 1-0 lead
in the 67th minute. Tshaplaw Yang extended the lead a minute later,
powering a shot into the far-side netting from the top of the penalty
area. As Oakville pressed to find a way back into the game in the final
minutes, Alexander Galbraith put the final exclamation on the game for
MTA, beating the Oakville goalkeeper to a through pass and rolling the
ball into the empty net in stoppage time.
12 Girls: Minnesota Thunder Academy 99 Nike, Twin Cities, Minn. 3, CSR Rapides, Candiac, Quebec 0.
Minnesota Thunder Academy (MTA) 99 Nike’s Mikayla Hughes started the
game off to a fast start, scoring in the the first five minutes of the
game. In the second half, Quebec fought back, but couldn’t put the ball
in the net. MTA’s Morgan Turner added a second goal, and Ellen
Schneider scored on a penalty kick, making the final score 3-0.
13 boys: Woodbridge Strikers 98, Vaughan, Ontario 5, CS Herediano, Heredia, Costa Rica, 0.
After losing a heartbreaking final in 2010, the Woodbridge Strikers
conquered USA CUP in 2011 with a dominant performance against CS
Herediano. Woodbridge used a relentless defensive effort to break up
Herediano’s passing lanes and was ruthless in front of goal en route to a
5-0 victory and the title they’d waited a full year for.
Woodbridge had a goal disallowed and hit the crossbar inside the first
10 minutes, but its pressure told in the 16th minute when Francis Ameyaw
latched onto a through ball and finished comfortably from 12 yards out.
Julian Cardillo missed two chances to double the Strikers’ lead, but he
converted with a curling shot from the left side of the box to give
Woodbridge a 2-0 lead shortly before halftime.
Herediano applied pressure in the first 15 minutes of the second half,
coming close to grabbing a goal. But Woodbridge peppered the goal in the
last 15 minutes. Number 10 Antonio Sacco scored the 3rd goal of the
game with a header. Pietro Brucolleri scored the 4th goal in the 48th
minute. In the 57th minute Sammy Valotta was cool as ice with a
nice finish after a slick one-two from a set piece in stoppage time.
13 girls: PSA Dynamite, Plymouth, Minn. 2, Tony Glavin Green, St. Charles, Mo. 1.
Heavy rain during this game affected play, as poor visibility and field
conditions slowed both teams down. In the 12th minute of play, a
handball in the box resulted in a free penalty kick to PSA. A save by
Tony Glavin Green’s Jordyn Kelting would keep the score 0-0. The muddy
field seemed to get the best of the players as they kept slipping on
both sides. The half would end at 0-0.
Returning from the half, PSA’s Carly Goehring scored two minutes into
the game. Moments later, teammate Sarah Harrison would score, doubling
up PSA’s score making it 2-0.
In the 39th minute of play, Tony Glavin Green’s Abbie Rademacher would
score, putting them on the board. While a yellow card was given to Tony
Glavin Green for attacking the goalie, the free shot would be missed and
PSA went on to win the girls’ 13 Gold Flight USA CUP championship 2-1.
14 Boys: St. Paul United Elite, St. Paul, Minn. 2, Minnesota Thunder Academy Elite 97 Blue, Twin Cities, Minn. 0.
Kapaw Htoo notched a goal and an assist on Luke Haakenson’s second half
goal to lead St. Paul United Elite to a 2-0 victory over their hometown
rivals, Minnesota Thunder Academy Elite 97 Blue.
14 Girls: Prior Lake Splash, Prior Lake, Minn. 2, Tonka United, Minnetonka, Minn. 0.
Prior Lake dominated play in this Under 14 Gold Flight final and
completed their championship run without allowing a goal during the
entire tournament. Tonka United rarely threatened during the match, but
their strong defense kept Prior Lake off the board through the first
half.
The Splash broke through in the second half when Abbigail Soderholm
slammed home a finish from Katherine Ward, putting the Splash up 1-0 in
the 38th minute. Just two minutes later Kaija Ornes sealed the victory
with another goal and Prior Lake cruised home from there to take the
championship.
15 boys: Minneapolis United Black Premier, Minn. 2, MTA Elite
96 White, Twin Cities, Minn. 2. (Minneapolis United wins in OT
shootout.)
Both teams came out very strong as soon as the game started. MTA scored
first on a goal by Ralph Cooper. This would remain the score at the end
of the half.
Five minutes into the second half, MTA scored again, doubling their lead with the goal by Samuel Forsgren.
In the 49th minute of play, Artist Curiskis scored on a free kick to put
Minneapolis United on the board. Then, in the final minute of the game,
Taylor Funk scored on a header, putting the score at the end of
regulation at 2-2 and sending the game into overtime. After a scoreless
overtime, Oscar Campbell scored on the seventh shootout attempt,
finishing Minneapolis United Black Premier’s comeback win.
15 Girls: Cottage Grove United, Minn. 2, Prior Lake Storm, Minn. 1.
Both teams started out with very aggressive plays. Slide tackles and
early substitutions lead to a battle from the start. In the first 5
minutes, Cottage Grove had three shots on goal—all coming up short. The
half would end 0-0 as neither team was able to score, despite each team
having their chances.
The second half was a more balanced back and forth between the two
teams. It wasn’t until the 36th minute of play that Tessa Rykken would
score for Prior Lake making it 1-0 Prior Lake.
Minutes later Temilola Ogunrinde would put Cottage Grove on the board,
tying the score in the 39th minute of play of 1-1. In the 44th minute of
play, Cottage Grove had three chances to score, but Prior Lake’s
goalie, Blakely Fraasch made three beautiful saves in a row.
Just as exhaustion started to take over, Cottage Grove’s Anna Keys
scored in the 52nd minute, putting them ahead. Cottage Grove would go on
to win 2-1 over Prior Lake Storm.
16 Boys: Viva Fortaleza, Omaha, Neb. 2, Downtown United, New York, N.Y. 1.
Abel Alvarado scored during the first overtime for Viva Fortaleza as
they defeated the Downtown United Soccer Club from New York City 2-1 in
the 16 Boys Gold Flight final. The game was a classic case of speed
versus brawn as the quick-footed New York side challenged the bigger and
stronger Viva squad. Downtown United struck first when Oliver Streitz
scored after a nice diagonal through ball in the 14th minute. The goal
energized Downtown and they produced several good counter-attack
opportunities.
Viva started taking control of possession late in the half and that work
paid off when Jose Marquez scored the equalizer in the 25th minute.
Both teams clamped down the defense in the second half and neither side
could produce the game-winner at the end of regulation. Alvarado’s goal
in the 3rd minute of overtime came after a series of crisp passes down
the left side into the box and the eventual championship producing goal
from 12 yards out.
16 girls: BFSC Black Storm, Burnsville, Minn. 0, Coon Rapids 0. (Burnsville wins in OT shootout.)
Neither team could seem to put the ball in the net, as this game would
go on to have a 0-0 score at the half. Lots of communication took place
on the field, but nothing seemed to drop. The second half would also
remain at 0-0.
After two scoreless overtimes, the score remained 0-0 and was forced to
go into a shootout. Both teams would miss their first two shots, but
each team would go on to make the rest of their shots. BFSC Black Storm
ended up winning with Alexandra Jones’s goal putting them ahead 4-3 in
the shootout.
17 boys: Minneapolis United Blue Premier, Minneapolis, Minn., 1, Oshawa Turul, Oshawa, Ontario, 0.
Garmina Paygar-Flangiah scored the game’s only goal early in the second
half as Minneapolis United Blue Premier won its age group for the second
year in a row with a 1-0 victory over Ontario’s Oshawa Turul on the
Exhibition Field at the National Sports Center.
Minneapolis United had the better chances in the first half and were
lucky not to be two goals ahead inside the game’s first 15 minutes.
Oshawa’s Jacob Stire cleared a Tyler Brooks shot off the line in the
sixth minute, and the Minnesota side rang the crossbar with a free kick
from the edge of the penalty area in the 12th. Oscar Vasquez also had a
chance to put Minneapolis United ahead in the 27th minute after stealing
the ball from the defense, but he shot directly at Oshawa goalkeeper
Carmelo Cammisuli.
Paygar-Flangiah scored the winner in the 33rd. Goalkeeper Tanner Granger kept the shutout for Minneapolis United.
17 girls: Kolding Q, Hedensted, Denmark 1, Wayzata Warriors, Minn. 0.
Samantha Matheson of Kolding Q broke through a scoreless match with a
goal in the 43rd minute as the side from Denmark defeated the Wayzata
Warriors in the 17 Girls Gold Flight championship match. Neither side
had many chances in the first half, with Kolding Q getting the best
opportunity in the 20th minute on a cross that was deftly saved by the
Wayzata keeper.
Kolding Q had several chances in the second half before Matheson floated
a goal in over the keeper from 16 yards out on the right side. Wayzata
responded with heavy pressure late in the match as they desperately
tried to score the tying goal and force overtime. Kolding’s Q’s keeper
Titti Hansen was forced to make a nice save off a header in the last
minute to preserve the victory.
19 boys: Valley United Cosmos, Apple Valley, Minn 1, Rudbeckianska, Vasteras, Sweden 0.
In a rematch of last year’s U19 boys championship game, the Valley
United Cosmos prevailed with a 1-0 victory over the seemingly
unstoppable Rudbeckianska team from Sweden. The Swedish high school team
has won four of six Weeklong divisions stretching back to 2006.
The unpredictable weather once again changed the game. Right out of the
starting gate, the game played at a modified red flag condition
shortening halves to 30 minutes instead of the regulation 45-minute
halves.
In the first half, both teams came out strong and ready to take this
year’s title. After only three minutes, the Cosmos were on the defense
as Rudbeckianska pushed hard, with two quick shots on goal from
Tjarnhell and Johansson. Then around the five-minute mark, Cosmos came
back fast with their first shot. This began the back and forth play of
unsuccessful shots. The first half ended scoreless, but Rudbeckianska
seemed stronger after Valley United tallied three yellow cards in the
first half.
The second half began with the same back and forth play. At the 40th
minute, Apple Valley’s Ryan Johnsrud shot hard from the corner, but
Rudbeckianska goalie Christos Voglis made the save. This gave the half
new life, but not in Apple Valley’s favor as Maxwell Rindels and Brandon
Wolf both got yellow cards in the 47th and 51st minute. That was the
end of the road for Wolf, as it was his second yellow card of the game.
Then in the 56th minute, Apple Valley proved strong as midfielder
Maxwell Rindels headed the ball over the down goalkeeper, Voglis, and it
rolled in the net. With only four minutes left, Rudbeckianska didn’t
have enough time to come back, and the 19 boys title changed hands for
2011.
19 girls: Wayzata Rage, Minn. 2, Southeast SC Glory, Twin Cities, 0.
Wayzata was the dominant team today as they cruised home to a 2-0
victory over the Southeast SC Glory in the 19 Girls Gold Flight
championship match. Right from the beginning Wayzata put on the pressure
and had numerous corner kicks throughout the early part of the half.
Despite numerous chances, the score remained tied at the half. That
quickly changed in the first minute of the second half as Sarah Guidera
scored on a breakaway after a defensive lapse by Southeast led to the
relatively easy goal.
Southeast came close to tying when Mary O’Brien slipped through the
defensive left side of Wayzata on a through ball. Only a diving save by
Rage keeper Megan Pyrz kept Southeast off the board. In the 57th minute,
Rebecca Pederson made no doubt who would win when she slammed home a
strike from the left side that ricocheted off the near post and in for
the insurance goal.
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