SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Girls Varsity Soccer AAA Final Riverside VS South Aiken

I'm a Riverside parent and I first want to say S. Aiken has an awesome soccer team and even a better goalie. She was the best we faced all year.
I'll be the first to admit our region games were weak, but our out of region games that we play every year are probably stronger than the S. Aiken schedule. We played JL Mann twice, Greenville twice, Eastside twice. TL Hanna twice, ranked #4 in 4a when we played them. Mauldin 2x when they were ranked #2 in 4a, and Dorman a 4a team that was ranked in the top 5 in 4a when we played them. But that's not taking anything away from S. Aiken, both Riverside and S. Aiken would be in the top 5 in 4a this year. Sometimes I think they should just eliminate 3a and the private school league and have just 2 divisions.

u missed my point-
sa is a great team (coaches and players) and in the top 4 in the entire state

sa was not challenge often by teams on their schedule

they did not face a stout challenge from the teams in their region (including swansea)

sa dominated in region play

playing a more challenging schedule would have prepared them better to face riverside

wasn’t comparing sa region with riverside’s region

riverside played a more competitive out of region schedule

I agree South Aiken did play a weaker schedule then Riverside and maybe could have been more prepared if they did play a stronger schedule. However, one thing you probably failed to miss while Riverside played stronger South Carolina teams, South Aiken traveled across the river quite a few times to get some top of the line matches. Both teams won their fair share of games, and both teams deserved every win they got. Both teams wins were mostly over ranked teams whether at the moment of the win or later on in the season.

And you say your not comparing regions, how can you compare schedules without comparing regions...each teams region counts into their schedule if I'm not mistaken? Also you make the same comment, but then you say "the did not face a stout challenge from teams in their region" once again you are comparing regions. I would also say that most of these teams toughest opponents were during the Viking Cup putting them almost at an equal standstill.

Whether everybody including yourself misunderstood what you are trying to compare, everybody agrees these teams are almost exactly equal.I agree with JAK in saying "In the end, very very little separated these two teams. They could probably play 10 times, resulting in 10 one goal games with each winning five games. Painfully, both teams would also be bruised from head-to-toe and unable to walk."

Congrats to both teams in a long run, and congrats to Riverside on capitalizing on one of the few mistakes made by the defense. (Just like I said in my post before the game, it will go down to the final 5 minutes and will be decided by the team that makes the first mistake during that time limit, I'd love to say "I was right" but I have much sympathy in my heart for these South Aiken girls after the second loss in this same situation.)