2017 Girls G2004/U13 State Cup Presidents - Tango's Teasers

TangoCity

TangoCity

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Time to gear up for the G2004 State Cup and in this thread I will post my State Cup Presidents teasers. I will review three pools per post in the run up to the pool play games Feb 11/12.

The Presidents division of State Cup has 67 teams, with 16 flights of four teams and 1 flight of three. All 17 pool play winners, plus the top 15 wildcards will advance to the knockout round the following weekend at the Polo Club Fields in San Diego. All pool play games will be hosted at the SoCal Complex in Oceanside.

It doesn't appear that Cal South put much thought into the pools other than the fact that they have tried not to put teams from the same fall league into the same pool. Some of the pools have four very good teams in them, some have one or two. So some teams will have a more uphill battle to make it out of pool play as they have to slug it out against multiple good teams. Having one or even two weaker teams in your pool really helps your chances of advancing. In the pool breakdowns to follow, I rank each of the pools in terms of 'Group of Death' vs whatever the opposite of a Group of Death is called. I also list each teams fall and overall record along with their rank from within the 67 teams in the tournament and their chances of winning the pool and advancing to the knockout round.

Here are some useful links:
Schedule
Standings
Brackets
Cards
SoCal Sports Complex Directions
San Diego Polo Club Directions
Current Weather: Oceanside CA
State Cup Rules (pdf)
Current CAS G2004 & G2005 Team Rankings
 
Pool A (Pool Rank: 16 out of 17)

Eagles White (CSL Silver Alpha: 8-3-1, Overall: 16-8-8, Rank #35, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 73%, Winning Pool: 45%
Finished a close third place in CSL Silver Alpha this fall. Was plagued by injuries but are now healthy and playing well with improved team chemistry. Their latest tune up was at the Vegas Cup (Silver Flight) where they went 2-0-1 but couldn't get out of pool play. Their defense is stingy and they should have very little problem finishing in the top two in this rather weak flight and advancing to the knockout rounds.

La Jolla Impact (SDDA Flight 2: 4-4-2, Overall: 11-11-7, Rank #39, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 71%, Winning Pool: 40%
Finished in seventh place in the SDDA Flight 2. They will battle with Eagles White for Pool A title. Played in the Carlsbad Cup in their State Cup tune-up but only got two games in due to the rain.

California Elite (CSL Silver North" 4-6-2, Overall: 10-10-4, Rank #54, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 20%, Winning Pool: 8%
Finished in fifth place in the CSL Silver North division this fall. They shouldn't pose much of a threat to the top two teams in Pool A. They would have to catch Eagles White or La Jolla on a bad day in order to advance out of pool play. They will likely finish 0-2-1.

LA Galaxy SD Gold - Tarrant (SDDA Flight 2: 3-5-2, Overall: 9-15-5, Rank #57, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 19%, Winning Pool: 7%
They play in the same league as La Jolla and finished two spots lower than them in the standings and lost their only match up against each other 4-2. They have a couple of skilled players and a very physical center fullback. Their coach does have them play out of the back on goal kicks which causes them to give up a lot of goal scoring opportunities. They likely finish at the bottom of the pool.


Pool B (Pool Rank: 13 out of 17)

West Coast Futbol Filipovic (SCDSL Flight 2: 10-0-0, Overall: 21-12-8, Rank #19)
Chance of Advancing: 89%, Winning Pool: 67%
Went an impressive 10-0-0 in the SCDSL South Flight 2 this fall. They have been busy with winter tune-ups in the Orange County TOC, Pats Jr Cup and the Vegas Cup. They were winners of the Vegas Cup but it was in the lowest Bronze flight. It is odd that they go from playing in the top flight of the OC TOC and then the lowest flight in Vegas. They are pretty large favorites to win this below average pool and almost a lock to advance to the knockout rounds.

FC Premier Maisterra (SCDSL Flight 2: 1-8-1, Overall: 16-13-3, Rank #37)
Chance of Advancing: 52%, Winning Pool: 18%
They struggled in Flight 2 of the SCDSL amassing a 1-8-1 record there. They did win Flight 4 of the OC Tournament of Champions in December and then played up in class in the Silver Elite Flight of the Vegas Cup where they were able to tie one game. So, I'm not sure what to expect from them. They likely will battle it out with Pateadores for a wildcard birth out of this pool.

Pateadores - IER (SCDSL Flight 2: 5-4-1, Overall: 11-11-4, Rank #42)
Chance of Advancing: 42%, Winning Pool: 14%
Went 5-4-1 in Flight 2 of the SCDSL. Their most interesting score of late was a 3-1 win over West Coast Filipovic in the Pats Jr Cup in early January, so those two teams know each other. They were also able to tie highly ranked Strikers North Flores in the Vegas Cup in mid January so they might be peaking at the right time.

South Slammers FC Black (SCDSL Flight 2: 2-7-0, Overall: 6-16-4, Rank #62)
Chance of Advancing: 5%, Winning Pool: 1%
Went 2-7-0 in league play and only managed to score 5 goals. They stand little chance to advance and the other three teams will likely be trying to beat them bad to improve their tie-breaker standing.

Pool C (Pool Rank: 14 out of 17)

Simi Valley Eclipse (CSL Silver-Elite North: 8-0-4, Overall: 17-8-10, Rank #22)
Chance of Advancing: 87%, Winning Pool: 66%
Came in second place in the CSL Silver Elite North. They struggled a bit during the summer tournament season losing to a couple of good silver teams. They play a physical game and when they are getting to the ball first they can be tough to beat. The star of their team is their goalkeeper who plays extremely high and breaks up a lot of through balls and direct play.

Murrieta Surf Blue Uribe (SCDSL Flight 2: 3-5-2, Overall: 21-10-5, Rank #43)
Chance of Advancing: 45%, Winning Pool: 16%
Went 3-5-2 in league play. They were a finalist in the Murrieta Surf Winter Classic in mid January. They have a good chance of advancing as a wildcard but will have a battle with LA Galaxy OC.

LA Galaxy OC EGSL Winn (SCDSL Flight 2: 5-3-2, Overall: 10-12-7, Rank #45)
Chance of Advancing: 43%, Winning Pool: 15%
They changed clubs from Irvine Slammers to LA Galaxy OC. Which club hasn't been gobbled up by LA Galaxy yet!? They went 5-3-2 in league play. It's been a busy winter tuning up in the tournaments, Orange County TOC where they didn't fair too well, Carlsbad Premier Cup where they went 1-1-1 against weaker competition and the San Diego Cup where they played much better.

SDSC Orange (SDDA Flight 2: 1-6-3, Overall: 9-13-11, Rank #56)
Chance of Advancing: 9%, Winning Pool: 3%
Finished eleventh out of twelve teams in league play with a 1-6-3 record. They lost their last five league games, having forfeited the last one. Likely will not advance out of pool play.
 
Pool D (Pool Rank: 9 out of 17)

CZ Elite Quesada (SCSDL Flight 2: 8-1-1, Overall: 12-5-4, Rank #9, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 95%, Winning Pool: 80%
Finished second to Soccer Life Academy in SCDSL Flight 2 North division. A good team that tends to play an attacking style of game. They can score big against soft defenses but are also vulnerable at times to the counter attack. They got a great draw and are heavy favorites to win this pool.

LA Galaxy South Bay Navy (SCSDL Flight 2: 4-3-3, Overall: 13-10-12, Rank #38, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 47%, Winning Pool: 11%
Finished in the middle of the pack in SCDSL Flight 2 West division. They lost 3-0 to poolmate CZ Elite in the NHB Cup at the end of August. They had seven shutouts in league play but where shutout themselves five times. They have a decent goalkeeper but struggle if their backup comes in. They had a problem with conditioning during the summer but those problems may have cleared up by now. They had a decent showing at the Anaheim Cup in January, losing in the finals to Claremont Stars 5vTwo. Luckily for them, the rest of the pool is very beatable and they have a good shot at a wilcard.

Arsenal FC North Brown 2 (SCSDL Flight 2: 4-4-2, Overall: 7-9-7, Rank #50, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 26%, Winning Pool: 6%
Finished tied for 5th in the SCDSL Flight 2 East division. The struggled a little bit in the Nike Challenge tournament in early January. They have one win against a Top 100 ranked team, a 1-0 victory over Pateadores-IER (#97). They will give LA Galaxy a run for their money for second place in the pool.

Strikers OC Red (SCSDL Flight 2: 5-2-3, Overall: 13-10-6, Rank #55, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 12%, Winning Pool: 3%
They had some successes in the SCDSL South division partially due to rather weak bottom half of the league. They've done their preparation for State Cup by playing in both the Vegas Cup and Strikers Jr Cup where they did have an impressive 1-0 win against Beach FC Fisher (#58). I see them struggling to advance though.

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Pool E (Pool Rank: 8 out of 17)

UIFC Venom (CSL Silver-Elite South: 7-3-2, Overall: 21-7-4, Rank #5, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 95%, Winning Pool: 80%
Pool play will be a good tune-up for this team who is one of the favorites to make a deep run through the knockout stages. This team could easily be mistaken for a travel basketball team with all the height they have. Their size allows them to play the ball long and direct with all the powerful kicks they have. They have the speed and tenacity to make that a successful strategy. If you can, try to catch one of their games as they have one of the more entertaining sidelines.

West Coast FC Murphy (SCSDL Flight 2: 6-3-1, Overall 14-12-4, Rank #40, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 46%, Winning Pool: 11%
Placed in second in Flight 2 behind SDSC Navy. Low scoring games were common for them in league play. West Coast Murphy has had a busy winter, playing in the OC Tournament of Champions, Murrieta Surf Cup and the Strikers Jr Cup. One thing noticeable about them is that they tend to guest some really good players from their highly ranked Flight 1 team during tournaments to prop up their team. It will come down to them and Breakers for second place and a possible wildcard.

Westside Breakers Blue (SCSDL Flight 2: 3-5-2, Overall: 11-11-12, Rank #47, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 26%, Winning Pool: 6%
A small team that ends up defending most of the game, at times they have trouble clearing the ball out of their defensive third. Goal kicks can be an adventure for them. Third place is the pool is their likely finish but can give West Coast FC some trouble.

Pateadores Irvine Blue (SCSDL Flight 2: 5-2-3, Overall: 11-15-2, Rank #58, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 11%, Winning Pool: 3%
One of the weaker teams in the President's Cup and stand little chance of advancing. Back in August they lost to Westside Breakers Blue 2-1. Played in the Vegas Cup Bronze flight and went 1-2-0.
 
Pool F (Pool Rank: 10 out of 17)

Vista Storm Black (Presidio AAA: 11-0-1, Overall: 19-6-6, Rank #17, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 92%, Winning Pool: 55%
Dominated the Presidio AAA league which really wasn't a very tough league so it is difficult to get a good read on how good they really are. A deeper dig shows they beat two teams in the Top 50 rankings so they are probably the real deal. They made it to the semi-finals of the OC Tournament of Champions, losing to OVC-Martinez 2-0. Then finished second in pool play in the Silver flight of the Vegas Cup. Slight favorites to win this pool and a great chance at advancing.

Arsenal FC South Hollis (SCSDL Flight 2: 7-1-2, Overall: 15-10-5, Rank #28, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 88%, Winning Pool: 37%
Came in third place in SCDSL Flight 2 East. Seemed to play a lot of low scoring games and their success comes from a stingy defense. Don't have any wins against Top 50 teams, but have three against Top 100 teams. Played in the Nike Challenge in January and had a respectable 1-0 loss to Arsenal EGSL team in the finals. Their biggest pool game will be against IE Surf Lara.

IE Surf Lara (CSL Silver South: 9-1-2, Overall: 23-4-7, Rank #32, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 41%, Winning Pool: 8%
Were cruising in first place in Silver South after a big 1-0 win over NHB FC Black, but hit a stumbling block with a late season loss and tie which dropped them down into a second place tie. Got a little dinged in the rankings from having played a pretty soft schedule (Raincross Cup). Hard to sleep on a team that has only lost four games since last May. This team has some good size.

South Slammers FC Vaught (SCSDL Flight 2: 2-7-0, Overall: 5-17-5, Rank #67, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 1%, Winning Pool: 0%
Possibly the weakest team in the President's Cup. May have been better of petitioning to play Governors. Will be fortunate if they can net one goal in this pool. Kudos to them for taking on the challenge.
 
Pool G (Pool Rank: 7 out of 17)

South Valley Thunder Villa (CSL Silver North: 7-4-1, Overall: 11-6-2, Rank #25, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 78%, Winning Pool: 45%
South Valley and IE Surf West headline Pool G as co-favorites to win this group. It is a balanced group and the best one that I have looked at so far. Having garnered four yellow cards and one red card during CSL play they have given themselves a reputation for chippy play. They could be a bit rusty as they haven't played a meaningful game since November.

IE Surf West Fraschetti (CSL Silver-Elite South: 2-10-0, Overall: 20-19-5, Rank #27, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 77%, Winning Pool: 44%
Struggled in league play but had an impressive run in League Cup taking out Futbol Foundations, CCU Socal Academy and Venom before bowing out in a close game with Rangers White. I think the tough schedule in the fall and playing well in their three winter tournaments will get them playing at the high level needed to win this pool.

SD Surf Academy Velloso (SCSDL Flight 2: 3-1-5, Overall: 11-12-12, Rank #41, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 24%, Winning Pool: 8%
First thing you notice when looking at their recent record is that they tend to tie a lot of games. They have a punishing striker up top but the heart of the team is the backline. They could easily sneak in as a wildcard but have very little margin for error.

San Luis Obispo Storm (CSL Silver Alpha: 5-5-2, Overall: 5-8-3, Rank #53, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 10%, Winning Pool: 3%
Having finished in the middle of the pack in Silver Alpha, they make the long drive down from SLO to Oceanside. They did do well in one winter tournament in Northern California but they didn't play against any strong teams. They have pretty good size on their team and their results are usually driven by the effort they put into each game. With all the rain up north, they probably haven't been practicing too often.

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Pool H (Pool Rank: 12 out of 17)

LA Galaxy South Bay Gold Gutierrez (SCSDL Flight 2: 4-4-2, Overall: 15-9-4, Rank #23, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 81.2%, Winning Pool: 54.5%
A lucky draw as they are the solid favorites to win this pool. They are not a real consistent team but do have six wins against teams ranked in the Top 100 so you know the potential is there. They struggled a little bit in their winter tune-up at the Orange County Tournament of Champions losing to eventual Champion Venom 2-0.

Real SoCal Blue (SCSDL Flight 2: 5-5-0, Overall: 13-13-2, Rank #36, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 58.4%, Winning Pool: 28.2%
They are a small team that tends to get knocked off the ball quite a bit but their girls play hard and have good skill. It will probably come down to them and LA Galaxy OC for second place in the pool.

LA Galaxy OC White Salter (SCSDL Flight 2: 7-2-1, Overall: 16-10-5, Rank #46, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 38.8%, Winning Pool: 14.5%
Have shown that they can beat the weaker teams but have trouble beating the good ones. They only have one win against teams in the Top 100. They struggled in their two winter tournaments and lucked out that they got placed into a fairly weak pool that they have a shot of advancing from.

FC Golden State OC (CSL Silver South: 4-7-2, 10-20-5, Rank #59, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 8.8%, Winning Pool: 2.8%
Have yet to notch a win against a Top 100 team and will likely struggle to advance.
 
Pool I (Pool Rank: 17 out of 17)

Rebels Blue (SDDA Flight 2: 7-3-0, Overall: 22-9-6, Rank #26, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 96.8%, Winning Pool: 85.7%
This pool is a good example for the need of some kind of seeding. Rebels Blue is a decent team but they have a cake walk against two of the weaker teams in the Presidents division. Nobody has an easier path to the knockout round than them. They made it to the finals of the silver flight at Vegas Cup.

Palm Desert SC (CSL Silver South: 2-7-4, Overall: 3-16-6, Rank #64, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 36.7%, Winning Pool: 7.8%
If there is a soccer God, Palm Desert and Arsenal FC LA will tie and there won't be a wildcard out of this pool. They will have lots of rust to shake off as they didn't play in any winter tournaments. Palm Desert struggled this year but were thrown a life line in State Cup and with a win over Arsenal FC LA could advance.

Arsenal FC LA EGSL Gonsalves (SCSDL Flight 2: 1-7-1, Overal: 3-18-2, Rank #66, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 30.5%, Winning Pool: 6.5%
Finished last in Flight 2 (North) division) scoring 4 goals and giving up 33. If they can pull off a win against Palm Desert they have an outside shot at a wildcard. They have played in two winter tournaments but failed to score in a goal in both.

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Pool J (Pool Rank: 2 out of 17)

Strikers FC South Coast - Alvarez (SCSDL Flight 2: 9-1-0, Overall: 19-9-2, Rank #1, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 91.6%, Winning Pool: 53.1%
Another quirkieness of the State Cup random draw is that the two top ranked teams are tethered in the same pool together, plus another pretty good Strikers team. They came out on top of a very tough Flight 2 (West) division, their only loss to Beach FC Nunez (0-3). Strikers-Alvarez has 16 wins against teams in the Top 100 with 5 of those against teams ranked in the Top 50. Back in late July they played Real SoCal EGSL team pretty even, losing 1-0. They are definitely one of the favorites to win it all along with a handful of other teams.

NHB FC Black (CSL Silver South: 11-1-0, Overall: 25-4-5, Rank #2, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 87.9%, Winning Pool: 43.9%
Ripped through the Silver South division, getting tripped up once by IE Surf Lara (L 0-1). They don't quite have the resume that Strikers-Alvarez has but if you can catch any game to watch these two teams play at 11AM SAT on Field 11. They recently bowed out in the quarter-finals of the Vegas Cup (Silver-Elite division).

Strikers FC South Coast Black Martinez (SCSDL Flight 2: 3-3-4, Overall: 10-6-7, Rank #29, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 14.9%, Winning Pool: 2.6%
A solid team that unfortunately got placed into the worst possible flight. They lost both games against Strikers-Alvarez this season and are going to have to somehow get a tie against one of the top two teams to have any kind of chance at advancing. Their best win of the season was a 2-1 win over Soccer Life Academy in the CRL Showcase.

Hollywood FC (CSL Silver-Elite North, 12-9-1, Rank #48, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 2.0%, Winning Pool: 0.3%
Due to the pool they got placed in they pretty much have no chance of advancing. They will get to play against some really good teams so that may be a fun experience for them. They tend to beat the teams they are suppose to but have only managed to beat one team in the Top 100 rankings. Have fun, make sure you pick up a sweatshirt before they run out.
 
Pool K (Pool Rank: 5 out of 17)

Strikers FC North Flores (SCDSL Flight 2: 9-0-1, Overall: 24-10-4, Rank #7,
GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 80.8%, Winning Pool: 45.9%
Another tough pool headlined by Strikers FC North and Kickers. Strikers FC Flores has the team to make a deep run in State Cup. As long as they don't slip up against Claremont Stars 5vTwo they should coast in to the knockout round. They have played even with teams in the Top 50 but have not beat anyone. Their best result was probably a tie against Beach FC Nunes back in the CRL Showcase.

Kickers (CSL Silver Alpha 10-1-1, Overall: 19-1-3, Rank #8, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 79.9%, Winning Pool: 42.8%
Their record is pretty impressive, just one loss... a 2-0 drubbing from the hands of Oxnard United during league play. They only have one win against teams in the Top 100. They could have benefited from playing a tougher tournament schedule, though they did dabble in the Silver-Elite flight of the Vegas Cup coming away with one win, tie and loss... with the most impressive result a tie against Legends FC South a flight 1 team. The Kickers have a deep roster, there is very little drop off in talent when they sub. The smallest player on their team is the most dangerous offensively. The defense is anchored with size and a couple of big feet for clearing the ball. Their one center fullback is a real standout player!

Claremont Stars 5 V Two (CSL Silver-Elite South 4-8-0, Overall: 11-17-1, Rank #30, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 34.1%, Winning Pool: 10.4%
A feisty team that relies on their defense to keep them in games. They are a little inconsistent, beating some better teams and then losing to some lower level teams (like their loss to BYSC Corona White in League Cup). They did well recently in the Anaheim Cup so they should be ready to go. Problem is that they got placed in a pool with two very high ranked teams, so the odds are against them advancing.

California Football Academy Jaussi (SCDSL Flight 2: 2-4-4, Overall: 9-16-8, Rank #60, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 3.1%, Winning Pool: 0.8%
Struggled in league play and will have their hands full in this pool. They have one win against teams in the Top 100 rankings. Their best chances are to pack in the defense and clear the ball.

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Pool L (Pool Rank: 15 out of 17)

Coachella Valley Desert Storm (CSL Silver-Elite South: 4-6-2, Overall: 11-10-3, Rank #14, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 95.3%, Winning Pool: 74.0%
They play a wide open game, attacking hard and not afraid to play direct. The goals come in bunches but can also be given up in bunches. They will likely put up big numbers against the Rangers and Sharks. They performed well in League Cup, advancing all the way to the quarter-finals before getting knocked out by IE Surf Premier RB 2-0. They lit up the net at Vegas Cup, advancing to the semi-finals of the Silver flight. They beat DMCV Sharks Borowinski 3-0 in Vegas. Punch their ticket for the knockout round.

FC Premier Los Al Salazar (SCDSL Flight 2: 4-4-2, Overall: 16-10-8, Rank #34, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 74.4%, Winning Pool: 22.7%
Finished in the middle of the pack in Flight 2, winning five games against teams ranked in the Top 100. Their best win was a 3-1 victory over Strikers FC South Coast Black during league play. Should also have a great chance of advancing to the knockout round.

Fullerton Rangers Blue (CSL Silver South, 9-14-7, Rank #61, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 11.7%, Winning Pool: 2.2%
Struggled a little bit during the fall season. Will get mauled by Coachella Valley but could easily score a victory against DMCV Sharks Borowinski.

DMCV Sharks Borowinski (SDDA Flight 2: 4-5-1, Overall: 4-18-6, Rank #65, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 6.0%, Winning Pool: 1.1%
Finished in 8th place out of 12 teams in the SDDA Flight 2. They managed to score one goal per game during league play. They did manage one win against a Top 100 team, beating Liverpool Red Trask 1-0 during league play. They will have a good game against the Rangers Blue, but will likely lose badly in the other two games.
 
Pool M (Pool Rank: 11 out of 17)

Beach FC SB Fisher (SCDSL Flight 2: 5-2-3, Overall: 15-8-4, Rank #16, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 87.7%, Winning Pool: 53.7%
A solid team that passes the ball well and has some strong girls up top that are difficult to stop. They have a really good goalkeeper who is tall and gets her hands on a lot of shots that would go in against most goalkeepers in this age group. They got a good draw and with two very beatable teams in their pool, should have no problem advancing.

LA Galaxy SD Premier Eckerlin (SDDA Flight 1: 1-9-0, Overall: 11-16-2, Rank #24, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 78.7%, Winning Pool: 39.4%
Struggled in the top flight of the SDDA and correctly elected to play in the Presidents division of State Cup. Their defense tends to get them in trouble against good teams. They did well in the Coronado Cup in December, even notching a win against Arsenal FC San Diego there sole win against teams in the Top 50. They should advance out of this pool along with Beach FC Fisher.

Temecula United (SDDA Flight 2: 4-4-2, Overall: 8-15-5, Rank #52, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 23.1%, Winning Pool: 6.0%
It won't be easy for them to advance. Somehow they are going to need to get points against Beach FC or LA Galaxy. It is possible but not probable. Third place is their likely finish.

Celtic Harps (CSL Silver South: 6-6-1, Overall: 10-18-4, Rank #63, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 4.0%, Winning Pool: 1.0%
They did ok in CSL but struggled heavily in tournament play. Their highlight of the season was advancing to the knockout stages of League Cup and only losing to Venom 2-1. They are going to get beat by Beach FC and LA Galaxy but should give Temecula United a good game.

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Pool N (Pool Rank: 6 out of 17)

OC Premier Orange (CSL Silver-Elite South: 7-2-3, Overall: 18-9-7, Rank #12, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 79.3%, Winning Pool: 47.2%
They are a good team with some nice wins but every once in a while has a bad loss which points to a consistency problem. They have three wins against Top 50 teams and did well in the highly competitive Silver-Elite South division of CSL. This is a decent pool so nothing is a given but nonetheless they are slight favorites to win this pool.

San Marcos Revolution Green Munoz (SDDA Flight 2:8-2-0, Overall:21-7-4, Rank #18, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 76.1%, Winning Pool: 40.4%
They have some very impressive wins, including a 3-0 drubbing over Albion Premier. They beat Hotspurs Premier in league play 2-0 and tied them 0-0 in a summer tournament. They were able to hold their own in the San Diego Surf Challenge back in November and came out champs of the Albion OC Showcase (competition was weak) in December. I wouldn't be surprised if they won this pool or finished as low as third. The pieces are there though.

Hotspurs Premier (SDDA Flight 2: 6-4-0, Overall: 10-9-6, Rank #33, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 29.6%, Winning Pool: 10.5%
Looking at their scores there are a lot of goose eggs, both for and against them. This team wins games with defense and if they are able to stifle the attacks of OC Premier and San Marcos they have a shot at securing a wildcard or even winning the pool. Only thing that scares me is that they only have four wins against teams in the Top 100.

Arsenal FC LA Guzman (SCDSL Flight 2: 3-6-1, Overall: 10-17-6, Rank #51, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 6.5%, Winning Pool: 1.9%
Struggled this year, but did show improvement as the season went on. Not much of a chance of advancing out of this solid pool. Only one win against teams in the Top 100. Spoiler role for them.

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Pool O (Pool Rank: 4 out of 17)

Albion Premier (SDDA Flight 2: 8-1-1, Overall: 16-4-3, Rank #6, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 73.9%, Winning Pool: 44.6%
Good hard nosed team that doesn't make many mistakes. They have impact players at key positions. The defense is difficult to breakdown, the forwards are strong, aggressive and relentless. If you can't control the middle you will struggle to beat them. Goalkeeper is top notch too. They defeated ten teams in the Top 100, but were unable to notch a win against anyone in the Top 50. They squeaked out their first tournament championship at the Albion SC Showcase (Flight 2). There are three really good teams in this pool, so nothing is a given for them but they should at a minimum advance as a wildcard.

Legacy FC Diamond Bar Valdez (CSL Silver South: 9-1-2, Overall: 21-6-7, Rank #10, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 63.8%, Winning Pool: 33.2%
Had a fantastic fall season going 9-1-2 in Silver South. They have their work cut out for them in this pool. Oddly they only have four wins against teams in the Top 100, but one of those came against a Top 20 ranked team Legends FC Riverside, a 2-1 win way back in late May at the Irvine Memorial Classic. They also tied a Gold team, Fullerton Rangers White in July at the Cerritos Premier Cup and made it to the knockout round of League Cup in November.

Futbol Foundation (CSL Silver North: 10-2-0, Overall: 17-6-6, Rank #20, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 47.5%, Winning Pool: 20.1%
Ok, another good team. Make that three for this pool. FFSC are well coach and play a passing game. They aren't the biggest, strongest, fastest team around but they make a solid attempt at playing the game the right way. Their best player plays primarily center fullback in their 4-3-3, but also sees time at right wing when offense is needed. They won their pool in the Silver flight at Vegas Cup but were soundly beaten in the semi-finals. I don't see them winning this pool, but wouldn't be surprised with a second place finish. Only three wins against teams in the Top 100.

LA Galaxy CVU (CSL Silver North: 6-5-1, Overall: 10-8-2, Rank #49, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 6.3%, Winning Pool: 2.1%
Played in the same Coast Soccer league with Futbol Foundation, losing to them 2-1 and then 4-1 in league play. They only have one win against teams in the Top 100 and will likely struggle in this pool.
 
Pool P (Pool Rank: 3 out of 17)

Soccer Life Academy (SCDSL Flight 2: 9-0-0, Overall: 22-5-2, Rank #4, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 76.5%, Winning Pool: 40.1%
A team that has proven they have what it takes to win it all, Soccer Life went undefeated in league play then went out and made it to the finals of the Nomads Thanksgiving Cup, losing to the #1 ranked team in Utah 2-1 in the finals. They then went to Vegas and played up in the Bronze flight of the G03 division and lost in the finals. They have four wins against teams in the Top 50. They have their work cut out for them in this pool. This pool is the toughest of all the pools from top to bottom.

Oxnard United (CSL Silver Alpha: 10-2-0, Overall: 27-8-9, Rank #13, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 51.5%, Winning Pool: 28.9%
They have the pieces in place to win this pool. Every game will be a grind, but they have a grind it out team. Their defense is tough to score against, they have one of the better players in the age group in their midfield, have an improving offense and their goalkeeper is lights out. They have 13 wins against teams in the Top 100 with 2 of those wins coming against teams in the Top 50 (Kickers, Albion Premier). They played the Eagles (Gold) team even in the finals of the Santa Barbara Cup before losing 3-2. They made it to the knockout round of League Cup before losing to BYSC Corona in PKs.

SC Antelope (CSL Silver North: 10-1-1, Overall: 25-6-4, Rank #15, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 43.7%, Winning Pool: 21.1%
SC Antelope won the CSL Silver North division in pretty convincing fashion, even though they did teeter out a little bit towards the end of league play. They got bounced pretty badly out of League Cup, losing 5-1 to Claremont Stars Black. They possess one win against a Top 50 team. They aren't strangers to picking up the occasional yellow or red card either. They won the Celtic Cup back in early January and are good enough to win this pool.

OVC - Martinez (SDDA Flight 2: 6-3-1, Overall: 21-11-14, Rank #31, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 18.1%, Winning Pool: 9.9%
OVC is a pretty good team and are hard to miss in their bright orange uniforms. Their strength as with many good teams is their defense that
doesn't make too many mistakes. When you play them, your offense needs to keep possession because their defense and even their goalkeeper are
good at booting the ball all the way down the field. They tend to play the ball heavily to their center forward on through balls so speed on the back line is needed to defend against them. They really got a bad draw, as there are a few other pools they could win but will be a long shot to win this pool though they could slip into second place. They have 10 wins against teams in the Top 100 but have yet to net one against a Top 50 team.

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Pool Q (Pool Rank: 1 out of 17)

Beach FC - Long Beach Nunes (SCDSL Flight 2: 7-0-3, Overall: 28-5-6, Rank #3, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 91.8%, Winning Pool: 73.0%
Tough to rank the top three pools but I gave a slight edge to this as the "Group of Death". Take one of the best Flight 2 teams and pair them with a CSL Gold team and a SCDSL Flight 1 team and a SDDA Flight 1 team. All of these teams have faced tough competition all season long with some obviously having better success. Beach FC Nunes came in second place in their Flight 2 division but they had arguably the best Flight 2 team in their division (Strikers FC - South Coast). They have a great resume, with 22 wins against Top 100 teams, with an amazing 8 of those wins against Top 50 teams and 1 against Top 20 teams. They lost in the finals in flight 1 at the Tournament of Champions tournament, taking
out Notts Forest Red and Simi Valley Eclipse handily in pool play. They are one of the favorites to win it all, but they will have to earn their ticket out of pool play.

BYSC Corona United (CSL Gold: 0-10-4, Overall: 4-11-12, Rank #11, GotSoccerPage)
Chance of Advancing: 51.4%, Winning Pool: 16.9%
They struggled in the CSL Gold division and made the right decision in playing in the Presidents division of State Cup. They played most of the season with a really short roster even having to forfeit one of their last league games. During League Cup they played without any subs and managed to make it to the round of eight. They only won four games all year, but one of those was against a Top 20 team and another against a Top 50 team so you know they can beat anybody in the Presidents division. They will push Beach FC and give them a very close game.

Anaheim Surf (SCDSL Flight 1: 0-6-4, Overall: 6-18-7, Rank #21, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 36.7%, Winning Pool: 8.8%
Went winless in Flight 1 of the SCDSL but did tie four games. During tournament play they were able to beat one team in the Top 20, win over
11th ranked Legends FC - East Riverside. They made it to the quarter-finals at Vegas Cup in the Silver-Elite flight. They have a shot at advancing and will give the top teams in this pool tough games.

Matrix Elite Trujillo (SDDA Flight 1: 2-7-1, Overall: 12-27-1, Rank #44, GotSoccer Page)
Chance of Advancing: 4.9%, Winning Pool: 1.3%
They would have a decent chance of advancing in many of the other pools but not in this one. There are just too many very good teams in this pool. If they are able to pack things in and defend well they could make things interesting. Their best results were a 3-2 victory over Strikers FC North Flores in the Albion Cup last July and a 0-0 tie against Rebels Gold in league play. Make some time to watch as many games as you can from this pool as there will be a lot of good soccer being played.
 
Excellent unbiased analysis. Looks like a lot of time and thought went into this. Good work! This weekend should be exciting
 
Tango, thanks for the analysis. Like usual, you make interesting and it makes more fun to follow the matches. Good luck to all the teams and have fun!
 
Of the teams I was able to watch, Legacy FC Diamond Bar, UIFC Venom and Beach Nunes looked the best.
Just stay clear of the refs on Field 15. Rumor was that one of them was 79 years old.
 
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