Albion's Champions for 2012

Youth Soccer News: Albion Cup Youth Soccer Tournament in San Diego

For the second year in a row, the Albion SC BU10 White team claimed the trophy in the elite showcase division of the Albion Cup National Soccer Showcase, defeating a determined South Bay Force Black BU10 team in a hard-fought final.

Competing in the highest division at the Class 1 tournament, Albion has won the championship two years in a row. They have won 10 consecutive Albion Cup games, scoring a total of 48 goals and conceding only 4.  

Albion's victory over South Bay Force, an accomplished club from LA County, was a rematch of the final game eight weeks earlier in the Legends Classic Memorial Day tournament. In that youth soccer competition, Albion defeated the South Bay Force in the scorching heat of Chino Hills by the same score, 1-0.

Albion started this year’s Albion Cup with a convincing 7-1 victory against the Carlsbad Wave. Albion's coach and SC Development Director, Wayne Crowe, challenged the team to pass the ball through the back line and continue working the ball upfield with short quick passes.

Albion's scoring onslaught against the Wave included a free kick from beyond the 18 yard box and 3 goals from a single Albion defender. While Albion scored 3 more goals before game's end to secure a solid victory, Carlsbad was still able to kill Albion's hopes for a shutout with a hard shot deflecting off an Albion player to squeak in over the keeper's head.

Albion's second game of the day, against the San Diego Hotspurs Red, proved to be another victory for the team, with Albion scoring 5 goals while maintaining a shutout for a final score of 5-0.

Albion posted an identical score against the TVSA Hawks, notching its third victory of the tournament. 

Albion's offense dribbled and passed its way through the Hawks to score five goals, including a spectacular bicycle kick, while the defense claimed another shutout. The win ensured Albion first place in the bracket with 29 points and secured a spot in the semifinal against the Carlsbad Lightning.

Sunday's semi-final game against the Lightning proved to be a bigger challenge for the Albion boys.

Having battled against Albion in the top division of the Presidio League in the 2011-2012 season, both teams were familair with each other. Albion claimed its first goal in the first half of the game but Carlsbad's focus did not waiver. Carlsbad fought to equalize and finally claimed its first goal to draw even at 1-1. Albion pulled ahead with a hard shot from outside the 18 yard box and Carlsbad worked hard to find the equalizing goal. Albion slammed the final goal into the net just before the final whistle, putting the team into the tournament finals against the South Bay Force Black team with a final score of 3-1.

South Bay Force started the final game ready to unseat Albion White but victory was to be Albion's.

The game's only goal was scored by Albion in the first minute of the game.  

For the rest of the match, both youth teams fought hard with back and forth action thrilling the sidelines for all fans.

South Bay's goalkeeper was excellent and kept his cool, making several saves, while Albion's offense grew increasingly impatient with its unusually slim lead.  Albion's defense played strong and fast, denying South Bay’s strikers legitimate scoring opportunities. Albion's keeper kept a jailer's guard on his net ensuring a shut out victory of 1-0 in a hard-fought final game.

"The team did a great Job in this tournament and had a very focused approach going into the event. We are looking forward to the rest of the tournaments this summer. After playing last week a year up in 11v11 and winning the Kick for Hope gold bracket, I was concerned how the boys would be going back to 8v8, and they performed very well," said coach Crowe.