Surf Cup – 05s (8/6 – 8/8) – Tech Specs

Technician72

Technician72

Tech Specs. (Part 1 of 4)

The “Best of the Best”…..There’s no doubt that Surf Cup continues to be one the marquee soccer tournaments across the country. Last season people were up in arms with the added 2nd Flight and began to question if the tournament was beginning to get watered down.

Now the 2nd Flight isn’t something new, it’s been around for some time. But its purpose has always been to showcase the older teams applying and add room for more teams looking to get in. Last year saw the 2nd Flight get applied to the division U15 and below and a caveat was introduced to allow the teams to promote / demote to the top / lower Flight based on Surf Cup performance. The soccer community argued over who got placed where, as always, but ultimately things played out pretty well and the tournament was a success last year yet again.

The soccer scene is ever changing and with the age groupings getting shifted around from “school year” to “calendar year” Surf Cup had another hurdle to face this year in regards to what teams to accept and how to seed them when rankings and previous results were basically thrown out the window.

As if that wasn’t enough Surf Cup decided to add 3rd and 4th Flights to a number of age groups and open the tournament wide open in many ways. Having the ability to host the boys at one location and the girls at another and splitting the olders and youngers to different weekends has allowed Surf to expand the tournament to epic proportions.

The 05s in particular also have to deal with CalSouth grandfathering the age group to play on the big field where as most of the country is still playing on the small field. The final verdict for Surf Cup was to not attempt to do two field formats but adjust accordingly to accommodate for the teams traveling in for the event. There is no doubt the size of the field will shake up the possibilities of who is now favored to win Flight I or II.

So what about the soccer? The cloud of dust has settled and if you look closely, the Flights are as good as they’ll ever get. You have the fringe teams that get shafted of get a pleasant surprise. You have priority given to out of state teams, and you have a lot of money being made all around. Those things have been around before this year, and will continue to be around for years to come.

So let’s leave the drama at the door, and let’s get to breaking down the “Best of the Best”…..

The age change has caused a whirlwind across the soccer country and while the big clubs have remained perennial favorites, there is a surprise or two out there waiting in the wings. Surf Cup for these girls will provide them with memories they will never forget. The walk into the complex, and feeling like the stage is theirs, and it certainly is. The Surf Cup swag, the stay and play experience visiting SoCal and the best it has to offer will be fun times. Seeing old friends, doing battle, and embracing them afterwards with mutual respect. Meeting new friends, doing battle, and finding commonality through the game we all love.


Format / Rules
Surf Cup – Official Rules (PDF)

Team Size
9 vs. 9 (Small Field)

Ball Size
Size 4

Brackets - Flight I
5 Groups - 4 Teams per Group
Quarter Final Format
Group Winners & 3 Wildcards advance to Quarter-Finals

Brackets - Flight II
4 Groups - 4 Teams per Group
Quarter Final Format
Group Winners & Runner Ups advance to Quarter-Finals

Games
Group Round: Saturday (8/6) & Sunday (8/7)
Quarter-Finals: Sunday (8/7)
Semi-Finals & Finals: Monday (8/8)

Game Duration
Group Round & Quarter-Finals: 25 Minute Halves
Semi-Finals: 30 Minute Halves
Finals: 30 Minute Halves
Halfitme: 5 Minutes

OverTime
5 Minute Halves
(Semi-Finals & Finals Only)

Penalty Kicks
Quarter-Finals: After Normal Regulation
Semi-Finals: After Overtime
Finals: After Overtime

Scoring System
10 Point System
Win = 6 Points
Draw = 2 Points
Loss = 0 Points
Goals = 1 Points (3 Point Max)
Shutout = 1 Point
Ejection = -1 Point, each Player or Coach

Tie Breakers
  1. Head to Head
  2. Goals Allowed
  3. Goals in Favor
  4. Total Wins
  5. Total Shutouts
  6. If a tie exists after 1-5, PKs prior to scheduled quarter-final game.
  7. If a three-way tie exists within bracket after 1-5, a three-way coin clip will occur. Teams that tie in coin flip will compete in PKs. Coin flip and PKs prior to schedule quarter-final game.

Venue - Flight I
So Cal Sports Complex (Oceanside)
Fields #01ss, 02ss, 05ss, & 06ss – Group Round & Quarter-Finals
Fields #01ss & 06ss – Semi-Finals & Finals

Venue - Flight II
So Cal Sports Complex (Oceanside)
Fields #03ss & 04ss – Group Round & Quarter-Finals
Fields #11ss & 12ss – Semi-Finals & Finals



Flight I - Super Black

Bracket A
  • Hawaii Rush (Hawaii)
  • Heat FC - RM (Nevada)
  • Placer United - Gold (Cal North)
  • Strikers FC - OC - EGSL (Cal South)

Breakdown:
Hawaii Rush is a possession based team that primarily puts together combinations going forward and is always a strong squad with speed and conditioning. Traditionally Hawaiian teams are accustomed to a style of play that limits physical play to encourage ball movement and less kick and chase. Their refs don't allow the bruising style of play that can take away from the game, especially at the younger ages. But don't mistake Rush as a team that can be pushed around, they will give back whatever is given.

Heat FC is sending arguably their best team to Surf Cup in an age group where they're deep with talent and field more than just one competitive team. Taking this into account, look for Heat to be deep with their bench, and bring the pace necessary to keep up with SoCals game.

Placer United has a big hill to climb in this competitive group. They blew through Spring league and some familiar opponents of theirs will also be at this tourney, but in reality the competition from Cal North will come from two teams out of the astonishing seven teams accepted from Cal North.

Strikers OC, with a small core of returning players, this squad has essentially reloaded and will look to sprint through this group before their opponents know what hit them. Strikers is a threat to score throughout the game with their great pace and big legs that can make a small field seem even smaller. On a bigger field, I think the other teams would have more success spreading them out, but 9 vs. 9 seems to benefit Strikers with a whooping 18 kids rostered for Surf Cup


Bracket B
  • Ajax United (Cal North)
  • Beach FC - SB (Cal South)
  • De Anza Force - Pre-ECNL (Cal North)
  • Legends FC (Cal South)

Breakdown:
Ajax had some mixed results at the Pleasanton tournament and they'll need to turn in a more consistent performance than that to compete with what many consider the "best" Cal North team also in this bracket.

Beach FC - SB, when the brackets were released and shortly after when changes were still being made it was evident that however talented that both Beach FC South Bay and Long Beach are, that perhaps the seeding should be flipped and Perez's girls being given the nod to Flight I. That has come and gone and there is no going back now. Parker's girls are perfect mix to get a result on the small field with a solid defense and dangerous up at striker.

De Anza is coming off a strong performance in Davis and they are more than familiar with SoCal competition, having been out here in the beginning of the summer. They have proven they can play with SoCals best and they are truly only limited to how well they can move the ball against teams that will press and look to disrupt.

Legends FC has made some commendable coaching assignments the past couple of seasons and have given their youngers to some of their best trainers / coaches. Such is the case with this team coached by Matt Evans. A very skilled team that will look to exploit the 1 vs. 1, Legends has a speedster up the left wing that will give even the strongest defense fits. They know how to play direct and are calculated in sending their forwards on their runs.
 
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Tech Specs. (Part 2 of 4)

Bracket C
  • Crossfire United - Pre-ECNL (Oregon)
  • San Juan Spirits - EGSL (Cal North)
  • Surf - EGSL (Cal South)
  • Solar Chelsea Red (Texas North)

Breakdown:
Very rarely do you see the host team give themselves a "tough" draw in the group round, but Surf doesn't have an easy path here.

Crossfire United is coached by former Arsenal FC coach Kevin Legg, who will bring a team with fundamentals and a gameplan on how to play against SoCals best. Question remains if he has enough talent on the roster to pull off the upset.

San Juan Spirits is considered to be right up there with DeAnza on paper and tend to get the results on the big stage. The age change has benefited this squad and they have the big game experience necessary to make this group a real mess for everyone.

Surf, in many eyes one of the top 2 teams along with Galaxy - SB. Both squads share a common style of play that proves teams can knock it around at a high level and compete with the best. Surf is a team that easily put up double digits on you before you know what happened. I don't think they'll run away with anything in this group and have their hands full with being the favorites in a not so favorable group.

There is legitimate debate on who is the top team in Texas, and you can fairly say Solar Chelsea Red is in the conversation. They have a few notches to earn back in Texas but winning Surf Cup or at the very least performing well could go a long way in helping mold this squad. Expect Solar to set the tempo early and try and put this group on notice.



Bracket D
  • Diablo FC - Premier (Cal North)
  • LA Galaxy - SB - Elite (Cal South)
  • SC Blues - Kale (Cal South)
  • West Coast - Wild Katz (Cal North)

Breakdown:
Diablo has benefited from a very good history of results that don't tend the full story in terms of whether they were truly a Flight I or II team for Surf Cup. I think they will find this group to be extremely difficult to advance from.

LA Galaxy - SB, what hasn't been said about this squad. Having lost to them in CRL by a score of 2-0, I consider our girls lucky when I see how effective Galaxy can be and the scorelines reflecting their efficiency is extremely high in getting goals. They are by far the best possession team I have seen in SoCal for the 05s. They are calm and composed in the tightest of spaces and that will benefit them on the small field with their experience. If teams are to knock them off, they will need to take advantage of the smaller field and turn the game into an ugly one.

SC Blues - Kale has made is so that facing any Blues team in Flight I is a headache regardless of who is considered the top team Draluck or Kale. It's scary to imagine this team on the small field. They cover so much ground on the big field that I can see them targeting the goal as soon as they cross midfield. Going to be scary for keepers facing this team.

Wild Katz, much like Diablo will have no room for error in a grouping with two teams that can easily win this group in Galaxy and Blues. Don't see a lot of optimism for their advancement.


Bracket E
  • Crossfire Premier (Washington)
  • Irvine Slammers FC (Cal South)
  • Santa Rosa United (Cal North)
  • SC Blues - Draluck (Cal South)

Breakdown:
This group is wide open in my opinion with four teams that can open it up on the scoreline and get up the field with pace.

Crossfire is on the older side and will look to carry some momentum from their tournament and bring it down to Surf.

Irvine Slammers is one of the best teams Andy Winn is coaching at the moment and he has his girls playing with a little bit of magic at the moment. They will get a rematch with Blues, who bested them at Slammers Classic.

Santa Rosa may not be the best team from up North but they're nothing to sneeze at either. On paper Blues is favored, but Santa Rosa and the other two teams in this group have enough to put this group up for grabs.

Blues - Draluck, with some recent movement from Arsenal, rumor has it that one of Arsenals best 05s is finally going to play her age with Blues. If this player is rostered for Blues this weekend, it's going to be a game changer, as if Blues needed another weapon.
 
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Tech Specs. (Part 3 of 4)

Flight II - Black

Bracket A
  • IE Surf - Premier (Cal South)
  • Murrieta Surf (Cal South)
  • Oceanside Breakers (Cal South)
  • USA Stars (Cal North)

Breakdown:
Both IE Surf and Murrieta are dark-horses in the SoCal scene and having them paired up in this bracket will make for one heck of a "Prove Yourself" game. Whoever comes out on top of that game will have the inside track for this group.

IE Surf is riding some good momentum following a good performance at the Anaheim Surf Invitational and playing Strikers strong in a scrimmage this past weekend. If they can get on the scoreboard consistently they will fare well.

Murrieta is one of those teams that plays you tough regardless of the final scoreline. Teams walk away feeling like they edge one out because Murrieta will make you earn it.

Oceanside has a style that will benefit them on the small pitch, their backline is very aware of their positioning together and looks to pin teams in at the midfield line with big legs and direct play over the top. They have a tendency to get the jump on teams not watching their backline.

With so many teams from Cal North getting accepted into Flight I, in my opinion Stars could have easily been swapped with a couple of selected teams. Having said that, this group is now well balanced and should provide four competitive games.

Bracket B
  • Beach FC - LB (Cal South)
  • ISC Gunners (Washington)
  • LA Galaxy - SB - Gold (Cal South)
  • Legends FC - South (Cal South)

Breakdown:
Beach FC has to be favored in this group and overall to win Flight II. They have drawn what looks to be the easiest group and it would be shocking if they didn't win all three of these games comfortably.

Gunners will look to slide into the 2nd spot in this group, as it's wide open after Beach being favored.

Galaxy - SB - Gold, will surprise people with their style of play. I think they have enough to finish behind Beach, and if they can keep games close, they can rack up enough points to advance into the next round.

Legends South, is looking for an identity that will help give them the consistency to play at the top level. The have moments but haven't been able to string those moments together. In this group I think they will have that chance.


Bracket C
  • CDA Slammers FC - Gath (Cal South)
  • LA Galaxy - SD - Elite (Cal South)
  • MVLA United - Blue (Cal North)
  • Surf III (Cal North)

Breakdown:
Donny Gath has quietly put together strong teams at CDA Slammers and this team is no exception. They're somewhere in between #20-30 in SoCal and can hang with some of the bigs on any given day. They drawn a mixed group that will allow them to shine and be tested.

Galaxy - SD turned some heads at CRL and they may not be as strong as some other "Carlsbad" teams in recent times, but nonetheless they have something going there that can be solidified throughout the season. Group is open enough where they can compete to advance.

MVLA is properly seeding in Flight II and they have an outside shot of advancing from group. They will need to win at least one game in my opinion to be in the mix, as I see a few draws in the making in this group.

Surf III (Brookfield) will look to have a Cinderella story in Flight II. All eyes will be on their sister teams while they look to put on a good show and get some experience in some good games.


Bracket D
  • Arsenal FC - SD (Cal South)
  • Real Colorado (Colorado)
  • Surf Academy II (Cal South)
  • Seattle United - Copa (Washington)

Breakdown:
Arsenal SD is a team that is going through the transition of the age change and like others, it has not been a smooth process. Their style of play is fun to watch but it hasn't yielded many goals and the results have amount to some scorelines that are deceptive. If they can overcome this transition, they will be that much stronger towards the end of the season.

Real Colorado was a victim of the Cal North seedings in Flight I and this group has gone from competitive to downright tough. Look for Real to compete for a ticket into the next round.

Surf II is playing some great soccer and are a fringe team that could give it a go in Flight I but are ultimately better served in this flight. They will have their hands full with 3 teams that will look to leave them empty handed after the group round.

If Washington was to have gotten a second team in Flight I, it would have had to go to Seattle. I think this group comes down to Surf and Real, but both Arsenal SD and Seattle can split points and make things interesting in this final group.
 
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Tech Specs. (Part 4 of 4)

Well folks, there you have it. My take and breakdown on one of the biggest tournaments in the country.

In Flight I, Brackets A & C seems to be the toughest, while B, D, & E are competitive but have some favorites who should come out on top.

In Flight II, Bracket B seems the most favorable, while the remaining Brackets are truly up for grabs.

Take into account the game durations in group round and quarter-finals. They will benefit teams who exploit a fast pace and are deep along the bench. Fall too far behind and a comeback seems unlikely. Let’s use this thread to post our predictions, call our shots, post results, observations, etc. the weekend of the event!

Don’t lose sight about where these young ladies are in their soccer “careers”. This is still a season where they will focus not only on leaving everything out on the pitch, but having fun with their family and friends. This is a showcase of some of the best soccer out there, but these players aren’t being showcased like the olders where it’s a make it or break it situation. There will be other games and tournaments, don’t forget to hug these girls and tell them you believe in them and make Surf Cup a weekend about the fun and life soccer brings to all of us! Game on!
 
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Does your wife know your cheating on her with soccer, great job. Spot on with a lot of the break down. Good luck this weekend to the teams have fun.
 
Technician72 said:
Tech Specs. (Part 4 of 4)

Well folks, there you have it. My take and breakdown on one of the biggest tournaments in the country.

In Flight I, Brackets A & C seems to be the toughest, while B, D, & E are competitive but have some favorites who should come out on top.

In Flight II, Bracket B seems the most favorable, while the remaining Brackets are truly up for grabs.

Take into account the game durations in group round and quarter-finals. They will benefit teams who exploit a fast pace and are deep along the bench. Fall too far behind and a comeback seems unlikely. Let’s use this thread to post our predictions, call our shots, post results, observations, etc. the weekend of the event!

Don’t lose sight about where these young ladies are in their soccer “careers”. This is still a season where they will focus not only on leaving everything out on the pitch, but having fun with their family and friends. This is a showcase of some of the best soccer out there, but these players aren’t being showcased like the olders where it’s a make it or break it situation. There will be other games and tournaments, don’t forget to hug these girls and tell them you believe in them and make Surf Cup a weekend about the fun and life soccer brings to all of us! Game on!
Click to expand...
 
Technician72 said:
Tech Specs. (Part 4 of 4)

Well folks, there you have it. My take and breakdown on one of the biggest tournaments in the country.

In Flight I, Brackets A & C seems to be the toughest, while B, D, & E are competitive but have some favorites who should come out on top.

In Flight II, Bracket B seems the most favorable, while the remaining Brackets are truly up for grabs.

Take into account the game durations in group round and quarter-finals. They will benefit teams who exploit a fast pace and are deep along the bench. Fall too far behind and a comeback seems unlikely. Let’s use this thread to post our predictions, call our shots, post results, observations, etc. the weekend of the event!

Don’t lose sight about where these young ladies are in their soccer “careers”. This is still a season where they will focus not only on leaving everything out on the pitch, but having fun with their family and friends. This is a showcase of some of the best soccer out there, but these players aren’t being showcased like the olders where it’s a make it or break it situation. There will be other games and tournaments, don’t forget to hug these girls and tell them you believe in them and make Surf Cup a weekend about the fun and life soccer brings to all of us! Game on!
Click to expand...

Good stuff! Can't imaging how long this took? You should free lance for Soccer America or
Technician72 said:
Tech Specs. (Part 4 of 4)

Well folks, there you have it. My take and breakdown on one of the biggest tournaments in the country.

In Flight I, Brackets A & C seems to be the toughest, while B, D, & E are competitive but have some favorites who should come out on top.

In Flight II, Bracket B seems the most favorable, while the remaining Brackets are truly up for grabs.

Take into account the game durations in group round and quarter-finals. They will benefit teams who exploit a fast pace and are deep along the bench. Fall too far behind and a comeback seems unlikely. Let’s use this thread to post our predictions, call our shots, post results, observations, etc. the weekend of the event!

Don’t lose sight about where these young ladies are in their soccer “careers”. This is still a season where they will focus not only on leaving everything out on the pitch, but having fun with their family and friends. This is a showcase of some of the best soccer out there, but these players aren’t being showcased like the olders where it’s a make it or break it situation. There will be other games and tournaments, don’t forget to hug these girls and tell them you believe in them and make Surf Cup a weekend about the fun and life soccer brings to all of us! Game on!
Click to expand...
Good stuff! Can't imaging how long this took! You should free lance for Soccer America, Soccer Wire, or any of the other soccer publications out there!
 
I don't have a kid in this age group, and I really enjoyed reading thru your compilation for this event. Makes me want to go out and adopt an '05 daughter, just so I can follow the age group more closely!! Tremendous amount of work, and your '05 brethren better appreciate it, even if they don't agree with it.
 
CaliKlines said:
I don't have a kid in this age group, and I really enjoyed reading thru your compilation for this event. Makes me want to go out and adopt an '05 daughter, just so I can follow the age group more closely!! Tremendous amount of work, and your '05 brethren better appreciate it, even if they don't agree with it.
Click to expand...

I agree Cali - For us ole 98/99 geezers ....What do you say we make him an offer he can't refuse:cool:
 
As I sit and ponder (since 4am due to lingering jet lag) with my 4th cup of coffee what amazing soccer will take place this weekend, I can't help but think how the 9v9 and smaller field scenario really kinda hoses So Cal teams on their own turf. I can completely see if our teams were traveling elsewhere (similar to MLB inter-league play or the World Series), then yes, we should adapt to their rules, system, etc.

However, I think that same precedent not being adhered to in this situation sorta blows. Yes, I understand that visiting teams have the smaller rosters, have been playing on these smaller fields with smaller goals, are traveling from distance, etc, etc......BUT, I just can't help but think that this one issue will really have quite an effect on most So Cal teams in one way or another right here in San Diego.

That being said, I wish all of the girls the best of luck this weekend. Here's to no injuries, close games, fun-filled times and some home field So Cal dominance!..... smaller fields & all...
 
Verdict so far.....formation, formation, formation. Not a lot of room so better find a good formation to give the girls the best chance to find space.
 
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