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GREENSBORO, N.C. (June 27, 2018) – Of the 26 North Texas Soccer teams that began play at the 2018 Southern Regional Championships, 13-Under Girls Liverpool 05 Elite, 14-Under Girls FC Dallas 04 Blue, 15-Under Girls Liverpool 03 Elite, 16-Under Boys FC Dallas 02 Premier, 16-Under Girls Sparta FC 02 Elite, 17-Under Boys Solar 01 Stricker and 18-Under Boys FC Dallas 00 Boys advanced to the finals. Regional winners will represent the South Region at the 2018 US Youth Soccer National Championships held at Toyota Soccer Center in Frisco, Texas on July 24-29.
US Youth Soccer Southern Regional Premier League (SRPL) West winners and select runners-up in the 13-Under through 19-Under Boys and Girls age groups joined State Cup Champions and select wildcards at Bryan Park Soccer Complex in Greensboro, N.C. from June 22-28, 2018.
The North Texas Soccer State Cup is the first step in the US Youth Soccer National Championships Series. Boys and girls teams in multiple age groups earn their way by competing against the top teams in their state and region. US Youth Soccer State Champions and selected wildcard teams are eligible to compete in one of four US Youth Soccer Regional Championships. The champions in the 13U through 19U age groups from each regional event will join US Youth Soccer National League teams in Frisco, Texas at the National Championships.
Semifinals Recaps
13-Under Girls
Liverpool 05 Elite and Dallas Texans South met in an all-North Texas semifinals match, and Liverpool gained a 1-0 lead right before halftime courtesy of Kaylee Turner’s goal. Theresa McCullough would double Liverpool’s lead by burying a penalty-kick, which would be the final goal of the match. Liverpool will look to secure a spot in the National Championships in the finals tomorrow against SSA Chelsea 05 Elite (GA).
13-Under Boys
Dallas Kicks SC 05 went down 1-0 in the 22nd minute, but the State Cup champs would equalize in the finals minutes after Edson Marchan buried a rebound off the Rise SC 05 Elite (TX-S) keeper. However, Rise had some late game heroics of its own and would score with just seconds left in the game to win 2-1.
14-Under Girls
DFeeters 04 Voutier and FC Dallas 04 Blue met in a semifinals match between the top two finishers in the SRPL West season. Dfeeters got out to an early lead four minutes in when Carys Torgesen drilled a shot from a ball that leaked out of the box after a corner-kick. FC Dallas would respond with Riley Pettigrew’s goal right before halftime. No goals would be scored in the second half and all of extra time, resulting into the match being determined via kicks from the mark. FC Dallas would ultimately prevail to advance to the finals. 2018 State Cup finalist Solar 04 Rundell was defeated 2-0 in the other semifinals match by Sunrise Sting 2004 Black (FL), which will play FC Dallas in the finals tomorrow.
15-Under Boys
Defending Southern Regional champions USA/MP 03 Premier (SC) built a two-goal lead in the first half against two-time defending State Cup champions FC Premier 03 Opoku. FC Premier could cut the lead in half in the 78th minute courtesy of a goal from JoJo Adoboe, but an equalizer was not in the cards, and the match ended 2-1.
15-Under Girls
Ashton Griffin put Liverpool 03 Elite up 1-0 just eight minutes into its semifinals match against Murfreesboro FC 03 Storm (TN), and Amanda Walsh could double Liverpool’s lead in the 40th minute. Storm would get one goal back in the 78th minute, but just two minutes later, Walsh got free down the right side before finding Caroline Kniffen on a cross for the point-blank goal – her eighth of the tournament. The final whistle would sound moments later with the score reading 3-1. Liverpool will play Lady Lobos Rush Premier (TN) in the finals tomorrow.
16-Under Boys
Roman Torres, Ayden Mendoza, Michael Sosa and Donovan Aparicio all scored for FC Dallas 02 Premier to give the North Texas side a 4-0 win against OK Energy FC Central 02 (OK) in the semifinals. FC Dallas, which has scored 10 goals in the last two games, will play 02 NCFC Elite (NC) in the finals.
16-Under Girls
Grace Jordan found the back of the net twice to go with goals from Kayla Smith and Maycie Massingill to give Sparta FC 02 Elite a 4-0 win against UFA 02 Premier (GA) in the semifinals. Sparta will next play Rise SC 02 Elite 1 (TX-S) in a rematch from the final day of group play, which ended in a scoreless draw.
17-Under Boys
Burl Shepherd’s penalty-kick goal put Solar 01 Stricker up 1-0 just minutes into the game against Rise SC 01 Elite (TX-S), and Kaleem Shabout would double Solar’s lead right before halftime. Shay Adamson scored a rocket from outside of the box to put the North Texas side up 3-0 in the 58th minute. Rise would get a goal back, but Shepherd would put the game out of reach and complete a hat trick with goals in the 86th and 90th minutes. Shepherd now comfortably leads the age group with 11 goals and Solar will play PPA KSA 01 Pro Profile (GA) in the finals.
18-Under Boys
FC Dallas 00 Boys and FC Dallas 00 Premier renewed their rivalry in North Carolina as the two faced off on another occasion, this time with a spot in the regional finals on the line. After a scoreless first half, Logan Moore’s goal off a set-piece put FC Dallas 00 Boys up 1-0. That would prove to be the only goal of the game, and FC Dallas 00 Boys will play Davie United Sharks (FL) in the finals tomorrow.