The Pateadores BU11 White and BU12 Blue produced dream performances over the last two weekends to clinch Cal Cup titles.
In the finals, the BU11 White defeated a formidable Central Cal Blues squad 3-1, and the BU12 Blue won a nail-biter against the scrappy UIPC LA Aztecs, 2-1.
In the under-11 age group final, the Central Cal Blues had 60% possession in the first half. However, somewhat against the run of the play, the BU11 White forged ahead by capitalizing on a rebound from the keeper. The Blues continued to press for an equalizer but the BU 11 White’s defensive line held. The Blues finally converted from a corner kick to equalize, a few minutes before the break.
After the break, the BU 11 White’s midfield took control of the game with an impressive display of technical soccer. Midfielders sent through balls to forwards that created panic in the Blues defense. One of those through balls found a BU11 White striker who unleashed a thunder of a volley from a sharp angle on the right flank to find the back of the net. The Blues did not go down without a fight. The pace of the game became frenetic as the Blues tried to even the score and the BU 11 White tried to seal the deal. Finally, three minutes from time, the Pats managed to slip one more past a frustrated Blues’ keeper to secure a 3-1 win and the gold medals.
BU11 White Head Coach Ben Forey said afterwards: "The boys showed tremendous consistency over the two weekends; some of the soccer played was very pleasing to the eye. The team is showing great maturity and really starting to take in what we are trying to teach them here at Pateadores. The improvement as a team has been amazing over the last year."
Meanwhile, at the Blast Soccer Complex in San Bernardino, the on-again, off-again rain storms didn’t faze the BU12 Blue. In the knockout games of the tournament, the BU12 Blue combined advanced soccer skills with the mental toughness to edge tenacious competitors. This was true not only in their 2-1 win in the final, but also in their semi-final victory over Xtreme Black 2-0.