The Pateadores BU11 Irvine won the 2013 Surf Cup in San Diego, with a dramatic, come-from-behind victory over TFA Barcelona.
Dominant in its opening day of pool play against Surf Academy and the Hawaii Bulls, the U11s faced a talented TFA Barcelona team on the second day. In that game, the team suffered from a controversial non-call, as a Pats shot, that spectators thought crossed the line, was waved-off by the referee. Without the aid of goal-line technology, the BU11 Irvine was unable to rally, and at the final whistle, was dealt a tough loss. Down, but not out, the Pats received a wild card into the semi-finals and played spectacular soccer against Albion to move onto the finals with a 1-0 victory.
Waiting for the boys in blue in the championship fixture was a confident TFA Barcelona. But, the Pats’ boys were not intimidated by the re-match. Head Coach Ben Forey made some changes to his side to up its tempo and physicality. This time the tables were turned as the Pats’ boys maintained 50% possession, created more scoring chances and played with higher pressure and urgency than TFA Barcelona. Having gone a goal down in the first half, the Pats came roaring back to score two goals to win 2-1. The Pats remained in control of the game as the clock wound down and a huge celebration ensued.