TEN YOUNGERS CHAMPIONS CROWNED AT 2008 CAL SOUTH STATE CUP
RACE FOR OLDERS TITLES BEGINS WEEKEND OF APRIL 5-6

February 25, 2008 (Lancaster, CA) – The first half of the 2008 Cal South State Cup concluded on Sunday, February 24, with ten talented teams hoisting championship trophies triumphantly into the air on the fields of the Lancaster National Soccer Center. Celebrating its thirtieth year of top-flight tournament action, the Cal South State Cup closed its Youngers division (U9-U13) competition with a dramatic flourish, featuring a host of hard-fought games that most often ended in close victory or were decided by penalty kicks or goals in overtime.

Penalty kicks were definitely the order of the day in three of the five girls’ title games. The U13 Arsenal Futbol Club girls found themselves reaching the end of overtime tied up with Glendora Futbol Club at 0-0, but found all five of their PK shots flying straight to the back of the net, negating the four struck by Glendora. Likewise, a 0-0 result between the GU12 PQ Premier Red and FC Long Beach saw PQ Premier prevailing in the bonus round, 3-2. It was two straight overtime victories for PQ, as they had previously fought the Galaxy Devil-Cats in their semi-final match 1-0, and also become one of three State Cup Youngers champions this year to move from the Round of 32 onward giving up only a single goal through five games. (The BU11 Rangers and the BU12 Cypress FC were the other two.)

Arsenal Futbol Club also took part in another penalty kick decider, as their U11 girls fought West Coast FC to a 1-all tie, with West Coast coming out on top in kicks, 3-2. The GU10 Real So Cal squad took home their title through a closely fought match with So Cal Blues, winning 2-1, while in GU9 action, the San Diego Surf paddled away with a 3-2 overtime over the West Coast Futbol Club.

On the boys’ side, the U11 Fullerton Rangers faced off against the Los Angeles Futbol Club, in a repeat of the BU10 State Cup final from last year. That first battle was won by LAFC, but this time the Rangers prevailed, pulling away with a tight shutout victory, 1-0. The same score was the result in two other finals, as the BU13 Rebels Soccer Club topped the Aztecs Futbol Club, and the BU12 Cypress Futbol Club shut down CD Chivas USA BG Elite. The Celtic Harps found their teams in two different finals, with their BU10 squad taking home a State Cup title by defeating the Aztecs FC 4-1, but their BU9 team coming up on the short end of a 7-3 goal-fest handily won by the Mission Viejo Pateadores.

The race for titles in the State Cup Olders divisions begins on the weekend of April 5 and 6. Full results for this weekend’s games and a schedule of upcoming action can be found by clicking here. To see photos of the champions and finalists from the Boys’ division, please click here; for the Girls’ champions and finalists, please click here.

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