As we all know, sometimes the score doesn't tell the whole story. In the case of the CESA '92 Boys, the team played fast paced, technical soccer with great movement off of the ball generating superior possession and wonderful combination play in all thirds of the field.
Over the past 12 months this team has had 1 win & 1 loss to quarter finalist South Charlotte Soccer Club, defeated semi finalist GSA in 2 of 3 meetings and tied the 2008 finalists CASL Elite once and Dallas Texans twice. They've proven they're ability to compete, but unfortunately lady luck just wasn't on their side during this tournament.
Coach Finotti and the team corrected the problems of the first two matches as evidenced by the game they gave South Texas on Sunday. STX was held to just a couple of threatening shots from outside the 18 and awarded only two free kicks, one of which was bent around the right side of the wall at about two feet off the ground into the inside of the back post and then the net. It was an incredible strike and I'm sure the kid didn't sleep all night thinking about it.
I can't say how many saves the STX keeper had to make, but it was easily five or more with one volley hitting the crossbar. The team will learn from the experience and be better for it.
As to the failure of the CUFC '91 Elite team to break out of their group, anything I would say would be pure speculation as I didn't see any of their games. They do have a ton of talent that came together very nicely during the Fall to win Region III East.
Of the 11 States participating in Southern Regional competition South Carolina is the only State to completely suspend club play during the Spring. All other states have rosters which are not frozen and to my knowledge each of them enter the tournament coming off of their own State Cup competition.
This may be a great example of two very talented teams entering top level competition without the benefit of having maximum "team chemistry" working for them. Such chemistry only comes from extensive preparation. A couple of weeks of training at the end of high school seasons certainly doesn't compare to the preparation each team had leading up to their respective Fall seasons where they were so successful. Not an excuse, just a factor worthy of mention in the overall scheme of things.
I suspect these teams will identify the common denominators associated with their failure to advance, make adjustments and have outstanding Fall seasons.
http://www.southernregionals.org/Best of luck to both of them!
