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If the results of the first two tournaments are any indication, San Juan Bautista's U15 girls soccer team, Elite, is the favorite to win. After winning the 2024 California Rush Spring Cup on April 7, the team was a finalist in the U15 California North State Cup a week later. And the season has only just begun.
Head coach Justin Garman said, “We just formed a team four months ago and the Rush Cup was our first tournament and the first game we played. We’re all very, very proud of them because they brought it home.”
The California Rush Spring Cup was held in Morgan Hill and marked the first time a women's team competed in the tournament. On April 6, the first day of competition, Elite defeated Sierra Surf 2-0 and San Jose Rush 3-2. The next day, they won the first game against Cascade FC, 3-0, and won the back-to-back games 5-1.
“The Washington team in particular was really great,” Garman said. And the Tahoe girls were really healthy because they came from the highlands. It put big demands on the girls, but they persevered to win. ”
They plan to present the trophy to the City of San Juan at the next City Council meeting, and it will be displayed at City Hall.
A look at the teams participating in the Spring Cup illustrates the geographic diversity of the North State League. The Visalia team traveled 267 miles to participate, the Tahoe team traveled 250 miles, and the Cascades team traveled 871 miles.
“Northern California is a pretty large area,” Garman said. “He also has five tournaments scheduled and will be taking girls as far away as Sacramento and San Francisco.”
Most of the costs are covered by the athletes' parents, but many local businesses are contributing, including Jardines de San Juan, Graniterock, PULSE ShowerSpas, Mt. Tam Fresh Inc., Vertigo, Windmill Market, Quebec Distributing, and El Camino Produce. We are making a donation. to the team.
A week after the Spring Cup, the girls competed in their second tournament, the CalNorth State Cup. On April 16, they scored a decisive 6-1 victory over Milpitas YSL FC, followed by a 2-0 win against Alum Rock Football Club later in the afternoon. The next day, the women's team suffered its only loss of the season, a tough 1-0 loss to Visalia United FC.
Although the team finished in second place, three of the team's players, Chantal Saucedo, Manaya Rivera, and Grace Garman, were among the 11 U15 players recognized by the league as the best players of the tournament. It was
“Chantal really stands out,” Coach Garman said. “Her awareness of the ball is great and she puts all the goals in the net for us.”
Saucedo, 13, has been playing soccer for eight years. She became interested in the game while watching her older brother play. The hardest part of soccer, she said, is when the game is against your team.
“When you're down and frustrated, you have to think positive and pull your team up. It's difficult, but we all have a good bond, so we manage to get through it and that's what we do. He helps us on the field.”
Garman said Rivera, 13, may not be the tallest or biggest player, but she is one of the most physical girls on the field and can hold her own.
“I think I’m very fast and can control the ball,” she said. “But I think we will win a lot of games because we know each other and we know how to play together.”
Garman's daughter, Grace, 13, is the team's star goalie. She started playing soccer at the age of four, and she distinguished herself by stopping a ball with her face in one game.
“We’ve been training a lot this summer,” she said. “Being a goalkeeper puts a lot of responsibility on me and I try to push my teammates to do their best. I'm trying my best to contribute to the team, so I'm sure we'll be champions this year.'' believe.”
Garman said he has enough faith in his team's judgment that he just gives them options before each game and then lets them make their own choices on the field. And some of those decisions surprised him, he said.
“There were some instances where other teams only had eight players,” he said. “And they, as a team, decided it was right to play the game with only eight players and not more players. I see they have not only good football qualities, but also good human qualities. That’s really great.”
Tryouts begin May 20 for the 2009, 2010 and 2011 girls teams and the 2008, 2010 and 2012 boys teams currently practicing in Castroville. For more information, please contact sjbsoccerclub@gmail.com.
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