The 麻豆社国产Strikers U16 boys soccer team lost in the finals of the district playdowns for a berth in the upcoming Coastal B Cup tournament last Thursday (March 13).
But by virtue of its play leading up to the 4-0 drubbing at the hands of the North Shore Torrent, the team earned a wildcard berth in the tournament, which begins the weekend of March 28 to 30. And coach Chris Ray said it's been a successful season for the Strikers, who this season moved up to Gold 1 after winning the Gold 2 Four-District title in 2012-'13.
Because some players were injured or away, the Strikers had just one substitute for last Thursday's game against the Torrent, winners of the Gold 2 title this season. The Torrent had five substitutes and simply wore down the shorthanded Strikers, scoring two goals in each half.
Still, it could have been a different game had the Strikers' Liam Casey put away a terrific scoring chance near the end of the first half. Finishing off a nice passing play, he went one-one-one against the Torrent's goalkeeper, but pushed his shot just wide of the left post. A goal would have cut the Torrent's lead to 2-1 at halftime.
Trailing 2-0, the Strikers pressed forward for much of the second half. North Shore's goalie kept the shutout intact by pushing a couple of long Strikers' shots over the crossbar. The Torrent, though, used the counterattack with success, manufacturing goals in the 55th and 70th minutes to account for the final result.
Given their short bench, "I thought we played really well. We just missed our chances," Ray said.
The Strikers, who hope to have a full squad for their Coastal B Cup tourney opener next week, finished fifth in the Gold 1 regular-season standings with a record of seven wins, five losses and two draws.
"I'm very pleased with the boys for the year," Ray said of the Strikers' move to Gold 1. "It was a huge challenge for us and they've really stepped up."
Other 麻豆社国产travel teams that have qualified for the Coastal B Cup tourney are the boys U18 Red Devils and the girls U15 Storm and U16 Fireballs. The first round of the single-elimination tourneys takes place the weekend of March 28 to 30, with the championship games the weekend of April 26 and 27.
