Surf Cup 2016 (04s)
- Thread starter FriscoSoccer04
- Start date
Very TRUE - one of the most consistent "Top" teams in SoCal. Been that way for several seasons now.
Agreed...although I think they like flyin below the radar!
CDA Slammers Macias may also be flying under the radar for some of the older 04 posters as we saw the 03 Camargo squad last season, but I concur that the 04 squad is not to be taken lightly, they have talent and pace to hang with anyone.
devupa2.0
SILVER
Ok folks. Less than 3 weeks away from Surf Cup. Now I know the calendar year age shift, guests, and RB (shout out to another thread) all throw curveballs into the mix, but we seriously need to have more predictions here!
It isn’t Surf Cup without the frenzied build-up and speculation over which teams will do best!
So, here is my attempt to reinvigorate the discussion on the results of a tourney that I think is as hard to call as any I can remember:
Bracket A
Winner: Surf Academy 04
They are as talented as any team in the age group and very deep. My favorite in this group, but the margin over Blues Kale is not as large as you might think. One key is that Surf can make subs like a full shift-change in hockey and you don’t even see a change in quality of play. Endurance won’t be an issue because they can just pull fresh legs off the bench!
Wouldn’t be surprised: Blues-Kale (Wild Card #1)
Blues-Kale would be a surprise to win this group, but not a big one. People know these girls play to win, and they communicate on the field better than most teams out there. However, at this age, their constant push for a through ball combined with a trap defense may not be enough to get through the bracket. However, they should be a good threat for a wildcard spot.
Bracket B (co-bracket of death)
Winner: Galaxy SD (by a slim margin)
This team could very well win the tourney, but then again, so could a couple other teams in this bracket! While I pick Galaxy to win this group, it is actually possible for them to not even make it out of the group at all. That’s how close this bracket will be. I honestly wouldn’t be too surprised if any of these four teams took the bracket. This will really be a case of who gets hot on the weekend.
Wouldn’t be surprised: Solar Chelsea
I am betting a little bit on the previous history of this team before the CY change. However, they did push to the finals of SuperCopa and they tend to travel well. These girls may even find the cooler temps of So Cal as a bit easier compared to their conditions back home. They are also well coached and can move the ball through pressure pretty well. With that said, IE Surf and MVLA are both seriously legit contenders. Unfortunately, that does not bode well for a wildcard coming out of this bracket. These teams may beat each other up. Not sure if a second place team gets two wins in this group.
Bracket C (co-bracket of death)
Winner: Real So Cal
This group is also stacked with four teams that could contend. However, by this point in the summer I think Real So Cal may be hitting their stride. We will learn more about them at the Eagles tourney next weekend, but I believe they will prove to be the strongest team, particularly after they get more practices under their belt.
Wouldn’t be surprised: Arsenal Brown
The total group of 04’s on this team is just too deep. Incredibly talented and I suspect they will all be there to try to bring home the biggest trophy of the summer. Blues-Dido seems to still be pulling things together and I’m not sure it will all be in place by Surf Cup. Force will also be a real contender, but I am a bit confused by their performance in the Man City tourney. This is also a group that may beat each other up enough to eliminate the hopes of getting a wildcard out of this bracket.
Bracket D
Winner: Slammers Macias
Slammers are both talented and accomplished. On top of that, they seem to be pretty unchanged through the calendar year shift, which means this group of girls has been playing together for quite a while. That gives them the edge in terms of team performance. These girls have won a lot and they know how to play under pressure because they’ve been there and done that.
Wouldn’t be surprised: Beach Arrache (Homer pick and Wild Card #2)
These girls have grown into a cohesive unit on the field relatively quickly. They are very calm when facing pressure and always seem to find ways to connect with each other. I also think Eagles could give this group a run. They had a good result in the Man City tourney and we’ll learn more about them at their home tourney next weekend. I do think that one of the wildcards may come from this bracket.
Bracket E
Winner: Strikers EGSL
CB has a way of getting his teams to play big and he has a lot of talent to work with on this squad with great speed options. Some of these girls have been with him for a number of years now. Haven’t seen a lot of them lately, but I suspect they will be just as strong as ever.
Wouldn’t be surprised: LA Galaxy (Wild Card #3)
Very well coached team that also plays calm in the big game situations. They’ve won Surf before and some of the girls with that experience may help them get through. I also think this group ends up with the third wildcard.
So that gives us the following Quarterfinal matches:
A: Surf Academy v. LA Galaxy
B: Galaxy SD v. Slammers Macias
C: Real So Cal v. Beach Arrache
D: Strikers OC v. Blues Kale
We shall see. Regardless of how my picks do, I sure will enjoy watching the games.
What do you all think? Other outcomes?
It isn’t Surf Cup without the frenzied build-up and speculation over which teams will do best!
So, here is my attempt to reinvigorate the discussion on the results of a tourney that I think is as hard to call as any I can remember:
Bracket A
Winner: Surf Academy 04
They are as talented as any team in the age group and very deep. My favorite in this group, but the margin over Blues Kale is not as large as you might think. One key is that Surf can make subs like a full shift-change in hockey and you don’t even see a change in quality of play. Endurance won’t be an issue because they can just pull fresh legs off the bench!
Wouldn’t be surprised: Blues-Kale (Wild Card #1)
Blues-Kale would be a surprise to win this group, but not a big one. People know these girls play to win, and they communicate on the field better than most teams out there. However, at this age, their constant push for a through ball combined with a trap defense may not be enough to get through the bracket. However, they should be a good threat for a wildcard spot.
Bracket B (co-bracket of death)
Winner: Galaxy SD (by a slim margin)
This team could very well win the tourney, but then again, so could a couple other teams in this bracket! While I pick Galaxy to win this group, it is actually possible for them to not even make it out of the group at all. That’s how close this bracket will be. I honestly wouldn’t be too surprised if any of these four teams took the bracket. This will really be a case of who gets hot on the weekend.
Wouldn’t be surprised: Solar Chelsea
I am betting a little bit on the previous history of this team before the CY change. However, they did push to the finals of SuperCopa and they tend to travel well. These girls may even find the cooler temps of So Cal as a bit easier compared to their conditions back home. They are also well coached and can move the ball through pressure pretty well. With that said, IE Surf and MVLA are both seriously legit contenders. Unfortunately, that does not bode well for a wildcard coming out of this bracket. These teams may beat each other up. Not sure if a second place team gets two wins in this group.
Bracket C (co-bracket of death)
Winner: Real So Cal
This group is also stacked with four teams that could contend. However, by this point in the summer I think Real So Cal may be hitting their stride. We will learn more about them at the Eagles tourney next weekend, but I believe they will prove to be the strongest team, particularly after they get more practices under their belt.
Wouldn’t be surprised: Arsenal Brown
The total group of 04’s on this team is just too deep. Incredibly talented and I suspect they will all be there to try to bring home the biggest trophy of the summer. Blues-Dido seems to still be pulling things together and I’m not sure it will all be in place by Surf Cup. Force will also be a real contender, but I am a bit confused by their performance in the Man City tourney. This is also a group that may beat each other up enough to eliminate the hopes of getting a wildcard out of this bracket.
Bracket D
Winner: Slammers Macias
Slammers are both talented and accomplished. On top of that, they seem to be pretty unchanged through the calendar year shift, which means this group of girls has been playing together for quite a while. That gives them the edge in terms of team performance. These girls have won a lot and they know how to play under pressure because they’ve been there and done that.
Wouldn’t be surprised: Beach Arrache (Homer pick and Wild Card #2)
These girls have grown into a cohesive unit on the field relatively quickly. They are very calm when facing pressure and always seem to find ways to connect with each other. I also think Eagles could give this group a run. They had a good result in the Man City tourney and we’ll learn more about them at their home tourney next weekend. I do think that one of the wildcards may come from this bracket.
Bracket E
Winner: Strikers EGSL
CB has a way of getting his teams to play big and he has a lot of talent to work with on this squad with great speed options. Some of these girls have been with him for a number of years now. Haven’t seen a lot of them lately, but I suspect they will be just as strong as ever.
Wouldn’t be surprised: LA Galaxy (Wild Card #3)
Very well coached team that also plays calm in the big game situations. They’ve won Surf before and some of the girls with that experience may help them get through. I also think this group ends up with the third wildcard.
So that gives us the following Quarterfinal matches:
A: Surf Academy v. LA Galaxy
B: Galaxy SD v. Slammers Macias
C: Real So Cal v. Beach Arrache
D: Strikers OC v. Blues Kale
We shall see. Regardless of how my picks do, I sure will enjoy watching the games.
What do you all think? Other outcomes?
You can't overlook Arsenal. RB has a ton of talent to pull from and makes a habit of playing his girls across age groups to further their development then pull them together for key events. My assumption is that he will pull his top '04's from the ECNL team and use his "discovery players" at the '03 level. I will say that Group C is THE group of DEATH!!!
Agreed on 1 thing for sure - You can't ever overlook a RB coached Arsenal team - especially in a big tournament.
soccer dude
SILVER ELITE
Group C? IE Surf beat RB's ECNL team 3-0 in SCDSl, Duggan LA Galaxy beat Force at Manchester, MVLA beat Force in north season, beat RSC in season and considered best team in the North. Haven't even touched Solar Chelsea yet. Group B will dominate imho.
devupa2.0
SILVER
This tourney is full of teams that have healthy trophy cabinets. Every bracket is tough.
The challenge for Bracket B and Bracket C is that each game could go either way. So, I think it will end up being hard to see a wildcard coming from either of those brackets. They just won't have the points.
The teams that do come out of Bracket B and C will be playing some great soccer!
Unfort
I respect your opinion, but have to argue your reasoning.
unately, your argument has a few holes in it....one, I.E. surf plays in CSL, not SCDSL so you may need to clarify that one a bit further. Plus SCDSL ended in Fall, prior to the age change so the RB's '03 ECNL team had not even been formed yet. Secondly, in the last match-up between RSC and LAGSD in CRL, RSC won (not to take anything away from LAGSD at all....definately a top team). I'm not overly well versed in NorCal, but I recall hearing that MVLA and DeAnza split wins and losses in their match-ups since the age change. Is that the same Solar that lost to Slammers Macias in Dallas? Look, one thing I've learned is historical recordsagaimst common opponents don't mean diddly when it comes to game time.
I respect your opinion, but have to argue your reasoning.
Nope. MVLA won the first game versus DeAnza 2-1. Rematch was a 0-0 draw.
Both teams played up an age group in the U13 Premier league in the spring. MVLA came in 1st with 9 wins, 0 losses, 1 draw.
DeAnza played in the same league and came in 3rd with 6 wins, 2 losses, and 2 draws.
http://events.gotsport.com/events/results.aspx?EventID=50485&GroupID=524713&Gender=Girls&Age=13
kickingandscreaming
PREMIER
MVLA won 2-1 over De Anza in April and tied 0-0 in May.
So 2-1 and 0-0....I believe my point still hold water. Styles make fights and I still feel that top to bottom Group C is the toughest group and B a VERY close second.
soccer dude
SILVER ELITE
We were Arsenal West last year and played SCDSL and beat RB 3-0 (we are now IE surf) and yes Macias beat Solar. In fact, Macias has won just about every large tournament since last year's surf and expect them at the top as usual. They are clear favs to win group D. Good point on CRL win for RSC again LAGSD. I call that an even split on those 2 teams. At least that gives hope to the other teams battling it out in Group B.
Makes a little more sense now, but that was at u11 correct? So it want the ECNL team. His top '04's (the ones he moves between his '03 ECNL team and his Pre-ECNL team are from his previous u12's or other clubs.
I agree, Macias is the favorite in our group. The beat us in the finals of Legends 1-0. I think both sides would agree it was a hard fought game!
3.5 weeks and counting!
FriscoSoccer04
SILVER
IE Surf results from last year don't carry that kind of weight. Other clubs upgraded older 04s from last year's 03s while IE Surf is primarily younger 04s.
The Arsenal team they beat 3-0 is no where near that level with his 04s from last year's 03 squad.
I'm sure IE Surf will be fine in the long haul but you can basically reset any perceived notions of "we beat that team last year....." because so many 04s on these current squads weren't playing 04 last year.
FriscoSoccer04
SILVER
Tech just curious when I should be prepared with my coffee or cold beer to indulge in the Surf Cup Tech Specs? Had our girls out practicing in the Texas temps today to start the build up for Surf.
Thinking next weekend, hoping to have them up a week before Surf Cup.
Tech's not done with his scouting reports! 2 more tournaments over the next 2 weekends l....