March 31, 2010 – Seven of the ten Kendall SC teams competing in the FYSA State Cup advance to at least the second round based on their performance in the first round of play on March 27 and 28. All three girls teams, U14G White, U15G White and U17G White finished first in their groups, as did the U13B White, U15B White and U17B White. They all secured spots in the Round of 16 on May 8 and 9. The U14B White, who finished second in their group, will play in the second round on April 17 and 18.
Kendall SC’s girls team put on a solid performance going undefeated in the three age groups in which they competed. The U17G White, who are looking to improve on the quarterfinals performance of last year, surmounted their biggest challenge by defeating Melbourne’s MEGU Fusion 1-0 and cruised to a 5-0 decision over St. Pete’s Strictly Soccer to claim first place in the group.
The U14G White is back in the Round of 16 after producing three consecutive wins. After a 1-0 victory over Lee County Strikers, they sealed the first place position with a 3-1 win over last year’s semifinalist, FC America Kumba, and were able to relax in the final match, a 1-0 decision over Brandon FC Flames.
The U15G White had to sweat out their qualification until the last game, but they made it count by finishing first in the group thanks to three consecutive clean sheets. Kendall SC started off with a bang, scoring 6 goals on Citrus United Soccer and posting its first of three shutouts. A scoreless tie against Wellington SC left them facing all possible outcomes – from elimination to a first place finish – going into their contest with Florida Rush Nike. After a scoreless first half, the girls came up big with two goals to seal the victory and first place in the group based on goal differential. They will face the defending state champions Ponte Vedra Storm in the Round of 16.
On the boys side, the U13B White pulled off a huge win in the clutch. After losing their first match 0-2 to Florida’s #4 ranked team, Fusion FC, they bounced back in dramatic fashion with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over cross-town rival SAA-Real Madrid. Facing a four-way tie and needing a win to ensure qualification, they sealed the deal with another 2-1 win over Florida Soccer Alliance to advance in first place. They will face Wesley Chapel in the Round of 16.
The U15B White and U17B White made it look easy with six combined wins and no losses. The younger squad, which hopes to improve on its Round of 16 exit from last year, put in a dominant defensive display, not allowing a score in three games. They posted wins over Belleview United (1-0), Lakeland FC (6-0) and Port Orange Stingrays (4-0). The U17 boys got off to a strong start with a 4-0 victory over RSL Knights, but had a very close call in their second match against St. Cloud Saints in front of scouts from the University of Central Florida, Florida Gulf Coast University and the University of South Florida . After allowing a penalty kick that tied the score, Kendall SC faced yet another kick from the mark with less than 10 minutes to play. A big save on the PK, followed by a well orchestrated counterattack produced the winning goal and changed the outcome of the game in a matter of seconds. With first place assured, the team controlled play in its third match to post a 1-0 win over Central Pasco United and advance to the Round of 16 where they will aim to surpass their quarterfinals finish of last year.
The last Kendall SC team to qualify was the U14B White. Although they did not lose any of their games, the boys finished second in the group and will have to play in the second round to secure a spot in the Round of 16. After tying their first two matches versus FC America (1-1) and Strictly Soccer (1-1) they had to win the third game in order to advance. Although the tension built leading up to the contest with WESA Kraze Chilcott, it soon faded as Kendall SC build a commanding lead en route to a 6-0 victory. They will face Jacksonville Fury and Plantation Eagles in the second round.
Three other Kendall SC teams that showed a lot of promise failed to advance in the face of strong competition in the first round. The U18B White lost 0-1 to First Coast Kix and 0-2 to HC United Red while the U18B Blue managed a draw and two loses. In a disappointing finish to the season, the U16B White saw their two year state championship run come to an end in a group that included two of the state’s top title contenders, Palm Beach Kix and Strictly Soccer.
