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Anyone know the results from this weekend?

U-15 Girls:

CGSA United won 1-0 against St. Giles Extreme
CSC Force won 5-0 against NECSA Patriots

Anyone have any boys scores? U18? U17?

u18
st.giles 2-0 mt.p
gfc 6-1 gysa

U-15 Girls:

CSC Force wins the State Championship.

Any news on the U-15 and U-16 Boys?

u15 boys - GFC 3 OSSOC 1
u16 boys - St. Giles 3 CSC 0
u17 boys - Aiken 2 St. Giles 0
u18 boys - GFC 2 St. Giles 0

U-17 Girls

Carolina Girls Fusion bested GFC Black in a shoot out after 100 minutes of very hard fought and evenly matched play. Hats off to two excellent U17 girls teams and best of luck to Fusion next year in Regionals in Austin.

lpaf

Congradulations to Coach Heather Frederick and her U15 CSC/CFC Force 88 Navy team from Columbia Soccer Club on a wonderful season and STATE CHAMPIONSHIP. You girls rock!!!!! This team showed that it takes every player on the team to win. Each field player worked very hard through the 80 minutes of regulation and the 20 minutes of OT. The two keepers played magnicifantly with Katie playing the majority of the game and Bailey coming in for the final 5 minutes of OT to be there for the PKs. She came up huge with two saves in the shots from the spot!!!!!!! Coach Frederick has worked her magic bringing these girls to this new level of play. Good luck in Austin. Let's bring another championship home to CSC and South Carloina.

They need to revamp the state cup system. In many of the cases this year i think the 3rd place teams had a chance to beat the 2nd place teams, but b/c of the system they do not get to play and the 2nd place team is assumed better. This would be fair if they played each other during the season, but b/c of premeir league the 2nd place team was automaticly award the 2nd place seed.

I have no problem with the current seeding based upon how things are currently setup. You have to win all your games to be the champion. Whether that means meeting the best team early or late you will face them and have to win.

Chapindad --

I think you are a little too quick to dismiss FDR's observation that the 3rd placed team in state cup may actually be better than the team that eventually lost to the state champion and is nominally labeled "number 2".

We all know from personal experience that on a given day even an excellent team can have a subpar showing and drop a game they "should have won" to a weaker team. I humbly suggest that major league baseball figured this one out a very long time ago and that there is no need here to reinvent the wheel.

Instead of a simple "one loss and you're out, one victory and you're still in" tourny why not do a set of best 4 of 7 series where each team has to play each of the other three teams? You could add up the points and then determine with a much higher degree of certainty who is really number 1, 2, 3 and 4. Some people will argue that this system might run a bit long or be somewhat taxing on the players, but I would propose that this is a small sacrifice to make in the interest of determining who is actually the second (and third and forth) best team in the state in each age group.

lpaf

ps: I guess you could cut it down to a best 3 of 5 series and shorten the process a bit if you had to.

A simpler yet workable solution would be to simply play a 4 team round robin at state cup.That way all teams would play head to head and in theory the best 2 teams would be identified.After group play the top 2 teams could play in state championship game. 4 games instead of 2,but teams at this level are tournament tested and should not have a problem with this format.

The only reason I would be in favor of this change is the importance now placed on the runner up position as they fill the second premier league slot.

The only problem is the amount of games you would need to play. Baseball takes weeks and weeks to play through the tourney and that includes weekday play. Soccer is closer to football in endurance. Which plays a similiar tourney style. One loss and your out. Trust me that I understand that the best team doesn't always win but that is life. The key is to learn when to play your best games...

The State Cup format seems to change every other year, ranging from how many teams could come out of a district to the number of games played.

I was told three years ago that changes were made so that that teams would not have to play four games in a weekend. The USYSA apparently believes that playing four games in a weekend is not good for the players as there would be greater chance of injury as players wear down.

Another school of thought on playing four games is the high probability that the most fit team would win, and not necessarily the best one.
BLJ

I thought the state cup had used a round robin format several years ago -- 2001, I think. (The year prior to Regionals in Memphis). If I'm not mistaken, that was one game Friday night, two on Saturday and a final on Sunday. If the USYSA is on record against 4 games in a weekend I guess my idea for a series of best of sevens won't work.

BLJ, if the more fit team wins in a final because they're better conditioned, doesn't that mean they're the better team?

lpaf

LAPF,
That's a good question. We all would agree that conditioning is very important to the success of a soccer team. But does being the fittest make it the best team? Obviously, skills, athleticism and the ability to execute play a major part as well, and a team has to be fit to a degree. And in many cases the most fit team is also the better skilled. But not always.

Playing one game per day in Regionals is much different from playing three or four on a weekend in State Cup. More of the emphasis in State Cup is on fitness in that scenario.

My thinking is that our state cup should be set up to give the best teams the chance to advance on to regionals and represent SC, and represent SC well (whether the teams seize the opportunity or not is up to them). I believe that the current setup of playing a game on Saturday and one on Sunday is something that the SCYSA has done right.

Wow, mark it down, I have said something good about the SCYSA!!! If any of you remind me, I will most certainly deny it.
BLJ

lpaf,
And please forgive me for mispelling your name!
blj

BLJ --

No offense taken. People have done much worse with it in the past.

lpaf

ps: Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight.

I think that the current is fine for determinng the State Champion,but since only the second place team goes to the premeir league there should also be a better way for determining the runner up. I dont think that the current system is good enough for ths

Not sure there is a good way to determine the premier league. Because the teams are select so far in adavance. A lot of teams change enough key players that they aren't even the same team any more. I know it is suppose to be 60% of the same players but I do wonder about that rule. I think it might be being overlooked to keep things simple for the SCYSA...

hey what ever they do i do think that there were alot of cases where the 3rd place team was better then the 2nd place team and i think that needs to be fixed so that the campionship game is truly the best against the best.

magic --

I hold no grudge against the absense of meaningful punctuation and capitalization (new school is better than no school at all) in your post, but can you actually give an example of a third place team in the state playoffs that was cheated out of its rightful campionship position? Afterall, the team that eventually wins state had to beat two teams (the fourth seeded team and the winner of the second and third seed match), whereas the third place team and the second place team both had one loss (to each other or to the eventual state champ). Just looking for further insight on the subject. Thanks in advance.

lpaf

Magic,
I believe there is some degree of envy for the 4th and 2nd seed teams that lost out on their chances at playing in the premier league. I hear some saying that the finalist (who received premier bid) was not as good as the other 3rd or 2nd seed. Those teams need to remember that the best record in premier play (which is very intense all season) receives the top seed in state cup. Those 2nd and 4th seeds that lost out on chance at premier league need to win the big games in state cup in order to qualify for premier. There are no points for a close loss. Just try harder next year or switch to one of the premier teams; especially those U17 and U18 ages where it is most important to be seen if they want to play college ball. You will not get too many chances to be seen in challenge league play or at lower level tournaments. Tampa Sun Bowl for instance had 105 U17 boys teams this year.

"I know it is suppose to be 60% of the same players but I do wonder about that rule. I think it might be being overlooked to keep things simple for the SCYSA... "

Chapindad - as a former district registrar I take umbrage to your statement. Not only does the computer program we used (and is still in use) flag all transfers and adds but we also double checked the accuracy to maintain the core of 9 original players from the date the team was rostered. The transfer/releases and player adds are not manipulated in any way once received by the registrar or admistrative assistant - rather, they are questioned when necessary and denied if the rules are not adhered to. Instead of making comments about things that you have no knowledge of, just ask the question - I know I am always happy to clarify any misconceptions.

Hope everyone is having a great holiday,
Soccermom

To LPAF
The U16 MPSC Sting is an example of a club that should have finished as one of the top two teams but because of the playoff structure wound up in third place. This is obvious when you compare the scores of the MPSC and CSC games. MPSC lost to St. Giles by a score of 1-0, while CSC was beaten by St. Giles by a score of 3-0. Likewise, MPSC beat NECSA 2-0, while CSC had to go to overtime to beat NECSA by a score of 3-2. In the two playoff games, MPSC gave up one goal, while CSC gave up 5. MPSC was clearly the second best U16 team at the State Championships but will not get an opportunity to play in the premiere league.

bruin--

Was Sting's 4th place seed based on the fall season's record?

lpaf

lpaf,
CSC and St. Giles were the top two seeds based on premiere league play, and MPSC and NECSA were third and forth, respectively. MPSC and NECSA had identical challenge league records (8-1)and MPSC won the tie breaker based on goal differential.

lpaf,
you may have assumed since St Giles won State that their match up w/ MPSC in 1st round made MPSC 4th seed. In actuality, CSC beat St Giles in regular season 2-1. Therefore CSC got the #1 seed due to head to head; although in other games, I believe St Giles had the better outcomes against common opponents.
St Giles vs MPSC should have been the championship game.

Soccermom,

Please reread my post. I said nothing of anyone playing with the rosters or the registars not doing their job. I only wondered if SCYSA really worries about whether a team has held the 60% players needed to compete in the premier league. I know of a couple of teams that held 50% at best over from the year before. I don't think anyone is challenging a conspiracy at SCYSA, at least not on this subject.

My point is that a 1st or 2nd place team in state cup for last year may not be the same players or at least 60% same players as this year. The midlands has been hurt bad with Jobs moving out of state or injured players. So giving the premier teams an automatic 1st and 2nd seed in the final round of the state cup may not be the best thing to do. Give them a 1st and 3rd seed, maybe.

bruin --

This is probably an example of a case where a round robin tournament might well have selected a different #2. In years past SCYSA has used that format, but now doesn't, for what ever their reason may be (some have suggested to limit total games played in a weekend). I (somewhat in jest) suggested much earlier that a baseball style playoff (best 4 of 7, or 3 of 5) would best insure that fine tuning could be done to determine the places. My system might well have aided MPSC, though the games might still be going on.

lpaf

I don't know of any other state that has a best of 3, 4 or whatever to determine a champ. HS Football, basketball don't have it either. Only baseball has that, and that's only because an ancient Geek Lugoff God named Balls said it should be that way. But seriously, after the 8 seeds play their 1st round games and there are 4 left then it always should be #1 seed v. 4 and 2 v. 3. Sometimes, as in basketball, football the best matches are the semis and the final may not produce the top 2 teams. You can't blame the playoff system for your 3rd place finish. Thats too easy; you have to win the important games, and I feel sure that MPSC would be state champ right now had they taken care of business in the semi.

Everyone is saying what if MPSC beat St. Giles and that they would be CSC, well MPSC didn't and CSC is #2. How can you say CSC would lose to MPSC when no one has seen them play this year. I agree it would be a good match but stats show CSC would win. MPSC didn't take care of business in semi's like CSC did so end of discussion. CSC IS #2

Why is state challenge cup never held in Columbia? Isn't it still the state capital?

lpaf

The State Challenge Cup rotates every year from the Lowstate, Midstate and Upstate. A club in each area has to "bid" on the cup. I do remember a recent State Challenge Cup that was held at the Ballentine Fields. My daughter was U11-14 so they played in May. First date was cancelled due to flooding of the fields by rain! We all had to come return... I think it went to the Upstate last year, and then Lowstate this year. So next year should be Midstate.

Didn't the Fusion beat the Impulse there 2 years ago for the title?

S! --

Fusion lost to GFC in Greenville in 2002, beat them in Summerville 2003 (this year). I thought I remembered the 2001 finals as having been in Summerville (against St. Giles?) but that may be off by a year. I don't remember ever having been in Columbia for a state cup, but my memory chips are old and replacement parts not available, I'm told. If I'm off target in this question then thanks for setting me straight.

lpaf

I think you don't remember because the fields were horrible at Ballentine. Too short, too narrow and not level and these were used for upper age games...I had nearly put it out of my mind...there really should be some consideration given to the age that will play on a field prior to it being used...if I recall, and I think I do?, the age below my boys was on a larger field, figure that!

Bob

BobF --

I mostly remember how hard the Ballentine fields were. Also, I think it was there that a player's mother lost a half carat diamond out of her engagement ring. On one of the fields near the railroad track. She saw it fall, found it, and as she was telling the story of how lucky she was to find it another parent bumped her hand and it fell again. We cordoned off about a 15 x 15 foot area with duct tape but the stone was never heard from again despite the best efforts of all involved. (I don't guess that has anything to do with the "Ballentine - White Rock" designation.)

Speaking of rocks on fields, I think the Waccamaw fields in Myrtle Beach win the prize for most concealed rock-like structures, ie bricks and pieces of bricks. Built behind the outlet mall on land previously used for brick manufacturing we pulled up enough bricks and pieces of bricks on these fields one year in a tournamnent weekend to build a nice retaining wall for Balentine. A pity we didn't think to do it.

lpaf

CSC has improved the Ballantine complex significantly. Addition of a permanent building for concessions with indoor plumbing, permanent lighting for two fields, additional retaining fences, the paving of the parking area, and additional sodding to cover red clay areas. The place is shaping up.

irmo4now --

We had one game on the Ballentine fields this year and they did look better. But the really important thing is that CSC has the fields. My daughter's team struggles to find fields at all for practice. Do the Ballentine fields belong to CSC or are they municipal?

lpaf

I believe the 8 fields do belong to CSC because they put a ton of work and money into the complex.I have heard that Lex. has good fields too. The Ballentine complex is great for their teams because most other area clubs have to practice on half fields or poorly conditioned middle school fields when they can find them. You should visit the Ballentine complex once spring club season starts on Jan. 31 and see the many improvements. If you look at the number of teams playing classic and challenge this spring you will see that CSC has 10 teams registered, NECSA has 8, CRSA has only 1. So I believe that CSC facilities and quality coaches is continuing to attract a lot of players.

Good for them...I would guess State Cup will likely be there again, maybe next year, and the improvements were needed.

Bob

I believe there is grant money that will be used to improve Ballentine Park (Richland County Recreation Commission land) adjacent to CSC's Ballentine complex, and use it for soccer. Currently there are 2 lighted softball fields that are used extensively for soccer practices and perhaps some rec games, and a smallish soccer field (about 90 yds long and narrow) that needs work, lightly used. This project will add much needed facilities for the soccer community around the Irmo area. Not sure, but think the work will start this year.

CSC has done a very nice job with the fields and facilities. They plan to get two more fields lighted within the next year. Lighted fields really help a lot in relieving pressure off the teams for practice time and game times. Do not forget that CSC always uses the fields at Crooked Creek with 2 lighted fields also for tournaments, those fields have to be the best in the state. One thing that can't work on is the hard surface. But the upstate has that problem also.