For the second year in a row our 2002 boys Futsal ID team has brought home the cup!
This year two of our Futsal ID teams, boys 2005 and boys 2002, qualified for the national tournament and made the trip to Santa Clara, California to compete against the top futsal teams in their respective age groups at the US Futsal National Championship.
Leading up to the tournament the boys raised money for their trip and participated in a six week practice plan with Coach Will Hanna and Coach Peja R. The practice plan included training sessions, several scrimmages, and several explosive performance workouts.
Months of preparation, practices, anticipation and prep were finally over! After an uneventful but fun travel day the boys all arrived in Santa Clara a day early to get accustomed to the time change. The teams used this bit of downtime to do some team bonding and sightseeing together.
Of course Coach Will and Coach Peja made sure the boys found time for a quick practice to stretch out their legs and stay sharp.
The 02s kicked off the tournament on Thursday with a resounding group stage win. The opponent in their following game forfeited due to a scheduling issue (but still moved on in the tournament) which left the 02’s with a free Friday evening. Luckily they found a U17 team to scrimmage, and with point totals from their initial game, advanced to the semifinals on Saturday afternoon.
Once the boys fell into a groove for the semifinal game they scored six great goals (one of which was a header). With a final score of 6–3 against the Allstars United Earthquakes they moved on to the final on Sunday.
The 05s kicked things off on Thursday evening with a solid 3–1 victory over a team from San Francisco. Following a draw on Friday against a tough team from Arizona and a win on Saturday against a team from Palo Alto they advanced out of their group to the semifinals on Sunday afternoon.
The boys spent Saturday evening enjoying a little more rest and relaxation before Championship Sunday!
The 05s played first on Sunday and the game was scoreless going into half. ASA scored first in the second half and held the lead for several minutes before SUSC Halcones equalized with a back post run and a nice finish. They scored again quickly and ASA had to press to try and score again. The other team was too much for them on this day and the game ended in a 4–1 loss.
We’re very proud of this group’s performance and maturity in their first national tournament appearance and we know they’re already itching to get back to work with their sights on next summer.
One hour later the 2002 team took the court — their second ever national tournament final game—against Futsal 415, the third place finishers in the Northwest Regional tournament, from San Francisco. Both teams eased into the game while getting a feel for the competition and pace. At halftime Alexandria led 1–0. Early in the second half a spark by Matthew Castillo set things in motion and the game broke open. From there, ASA was able to score several more goals and the game ended with a score of 6–2.
We’re incredibly proud of the perseverance, mental toughness and effort from these boys. To stay focused and motivated for a second year was not easy. Congratulations team — well deserved!
THANK YOU to the many supporters from near and far who helped make this journey possible for both of these teams and who cheered them on throughout the tournament. This entire adventure would not have been possible the amazing group of parents who organized, fundraised, carpooled and dedicated many hours to ensuring every kid on each team was prepared and ready to go. Extra big shoutout for 2005 team manager Charlie Herrmann and 2002 team manager Drew Dietrich for all of the work they put in on the administrative side to get the teams organized and registered.
And now, we rest! The boys are home to enjoy the rest of their summers before the outdoor season begins in August… and then, before we know it, the journey to the national futsal championship begins again!
BIG thank you to everyone who provided photos throughout the weekend… particularly Liz Blount, Chris Arnold, Charlie Herrmann and Drew Dietrich.
