Jeff Martin, Special to SoccerNation
Posted: Tuesday, September 6, 2011 1:11 pm

CV Manchester U15 Academy Takes North Huntington Beach Cup

Fresh off their soccer tour of Brazil, CV Manchester's U15 Academy takes top honors in the field of 16 at the prestigious North Huntington Beach (NHB) Cup. NHB, in its thirty-third year, attracts top teams from across America.

NHB Champions: CV Manchester U15 team coached by Jeff Illingworth

The boys from CV Manchester’s U15 Academy team had barely settled back into their regular routine after an amazing trip to Brazil when it was time for the North Huntington Beach (NHB) Cup. Making good use of their South America experience, the boys put on a clinic in bracket play for opposing teams. Manchester defeated DMS11 3-0 and Crossfire Premier from the state of Washington 1-0, while tying a tough LA Premier team 0-0 to finish on top of their bracket.

NHB Cup and individual trophies awarded to Manchester U15s

In the quarter finals, Manchester beat cross-town rivals San Diego Surf Academy 2-0 and headed into the semi-finals at the University of California at Irvine (UCI) against Washington Premier FC (WPFC), hailing from Tacoma, Washington. "I thought we were in good shape going into the semi-finals,” said Jeff Illingworth, head coach for Cv Manchester. "We had kept a clean sheet in our first four games and were playing well.”

CV Manchester held a 2-0 lead against WPFC at half, but saw their lead evaporate as WPFC rallied after pushing numbers forward late. The teams finished regulation tied 2-2. WPFC scored again in the first overtime, taking the lead 3-2.

"We had a great competitive response late in the second overtime period," said Illingworth, as the team scored a late goal to bring the game even with under a minute to play. Manchester won in penalty kicks, buoyed by the goalkeeping play of Marcus Norris, who saved 3 goals and provided the “go ahead” goal himself to win the match. “I think what’s different about our team is that we all play for each other,” said Norris, who credits the fact that the boys, from top to bottom, are both teammates and friends off the pitch.

The tournament finals were also held at UCI at noon on the third day of competition. In the finals, CV Manchester faced off against its earlier bracket foe, LA Premier. Shortly into the first half, CV Manchester had dug itself a sizeable hole, falling behind 3-1. "No question about it. We knew we had a huge mountain to climb at that point,” said Illingworth. “I tried to keep the boys upbeat and knew that if we firmed up our defense, the goals would come.”

And come they did. The boys rallied late with 2 goals coming in the final minutes from central midfield player Gary Kaiser and central defender Ernie Reyes.  The game ended 3-3 in regulation and remained that way through two ten-minute overtime periods.

Once more it was penalty kicks that decided the match, and Manchester again put their opponent away. “We missed one (penalty kick) and I thought we were gone, but we pulled it off in the end,” said Coach Illingworth. 

After the match, SoccerNation caught up with Manchester’s central defender Ernie Reyes who notched two goals in the come-from-behind win in the finals. When asked to comment on his team, Reyes said, “I think we have players at every position that can make a big play, and all 17 players on the team contribute. We had two players out for the tournament and lost starter Kellen Gallagher to a shoulder injury during the finals, so it shows both our depth and collective will to win. I am really proud of my teammates.”

CV Manchester 'Man of the Match' in the finals Ernie Reyes with teammate Roman Martin

Following the tournament, a tired but exhilarated Jeff Illingworth spoke to SNN. “I was so thrilled with the header that was scored at the last minute” that tied the semifinal for Manchester, a game the team won in penalty kicks. “Nice guys sometimes do win.”

“The really big game was the quarter final where we played against the San Diego Surf.” Illingworth said, “That Surf team is tough and has five of my ex players. Paul Currie was the coach and he is great. Currie and I have fantastic mutual respect for each other. We share the same philosophy – it is not about winning the game, but watching the kids improve and develop.  We have played against each other many times and we always wish each other good will.”

"I've coached for close to 40 years,” said Illingworth, “and great teams — truly special ones — don't come along very often. This team is one of them. They share the ball, challenge and defend well, and are dangerous in the final third. More importantly, they have all the intangibles that coaches look for and that ‘never quit’ attitude. We have the funniest and greatest group of kids, never making excuses and always giving one hundred percent. They just keep playing and the results take care of themselves."

Looking ahead to the new season, Illingworth explained, “We have had a great summer and we’re ranked #3 in the country. Hopefully with this win we will be back on top again and will sign some new players. We don't care about positions, we are more concerned with the quality of the player and family.  We have such a great team spirit.”

Manchester’s U15 Academy team was accepted into the Southern California Development Soccer League earlier this spring and is set to open its regular season in San Diego on Saturday, September 10.

Related Articles: CV Manchester Youth Soccer News