US FUTSAL REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS - ONE REGIONAL FINALIST, TWO REGIONAL SEMI-FINALISTS, ONE REGIONAL QUARTERFINALIST
Over the course of President’s Day in 2018, four teams placed at US Futsal Northeast Regional Championships- the G06 Black finished as Regional Finalists, the B02 Black and B03 Black finished as Regional Semifinalists, while the B07 Black finished as Regional Quarterfinalists.
“We are so beyond proud of all of our 23 teams who competed at Regionals this weekend, especially the G06 Black, B02 Black, B03 Black and B07 Black,” said Executive Director of Coaching Roberto Aguas. “All four teams showed incredible heart and resilience in the face of the best teams from all up and down the east coast and Canada. Their futures are bright, and I have no doubt that all four will put themselves in the position to become Regional Champions in the years to come.”
The G06 Black opened up group play with a 1-1 tie against the YESA Tigers on Saturday morning before earning a 6-2 win over Sole Futsal Academy. Rounding out group play, the G06 Black tied the SJEB Rush 3-3 to finish atop their group. This set up a matchup against the YESA Impact in the Regional Championship. The girls came from behind to tie it up 1-1 in the last minute to send the match to overtime, where they eventually fell to YESA 6-1.
“To have this amount of success for one of our youngest teams in the Academy is amazing,” said Aguas. “They are an extremely talented, passionate group of players. We are so proud of them for getting to this point so early in their careers, and we are confident that this will be the first of many phenomenal achievements.”
“The girls played their hearts out, earning a the chance to play for a regional title,” said Coach Matty Berman. “To be playing on Championship Monday with the professional men's and women's teams at the club was a special opportunity and environment for the girls.”
The B02 Black started off the weekend on Friday night with a 5-0 forfeit win over Charles County when the opposing team did not show up. From there, they went on to a 6-2 win over the CCSC Arrows on Saturday afternoon ahead of a third win on Sunday night to close out group play- a 4-2 finish over Boston Elite. Going undefeated in the group stage, the B02 Black finished in first place to secure a spot in the Semifinals, where they would lose on a last minute goal 4-3 to Alexandria in a hotly contested game.
“We missed the semi finals last year by one goal - this year the group came more prepared, determined and focused,” said Coach Andrew Santos. “They played together every moment of each game. We talked about adversity and the challenge to take it and overcome it each match. They executed, stayed disciplined, confident and had fun. Unfortunately, we lost a heartbreaker in the Semifinals, but the weekend was a memorable one for this group. Three wins in group play is some accomplishment. We look forward to another great run next year.”
The B03 Black also started group play on Friday night, opening with a 6-3 win over the Metropolitan Ballers. On Saturday, they captured a commanding 6-0 win over Boston Juventus and then ended group play Sunday with a 1-1 tie against Wolves Futsal. Finishing atop their group, the B03 Black went through to the Semifinals, where they fell to Barcelona USA 3-1.
“We are extremely proud of these boys and the progress they continue to make,” said Coach Billy Englishby. “The game of Futsal continues to be an important part of our players development, and to be able to compete against some of the best talent on the east coast was a valuable experience for all. A great job by all involved.”
The youngest FC Copa Futsal Academy team to place was the B07 Black, who opened up group play early Friday afternoon with a 4-1 win over Central Falls. On Saturday, they got a 6-3 win over the EWG Strikers and wrapped up group play with a 3-3 tie with Coppermine Steel, which placed them at the top of their group. They would eventually fall in a hard fought match in the Quarterfinals, 2-1 to LVU.
“This group of young men were a sight to watch all weekend,” said Coach Andrew Santos. “Played with such energy, focus and passion in each game. The word we talked about all weekend was ‘confidence’. They gave me some words that went with it - bravery, outgoing, dribbling, shooting. All words that they wanted to use on the court. They were brave in every match playing against some talented teams. They were outgoing - taking on all challenges, showing their personality on the pitch and never going into a shell. Fun to see these boys play, look forward to watching many years with this group at Futsal regionals.”
FC Copa Academy congratulates all 23 competing teams from the 2018 US Futsal Regionals, especially the four who placed: the G06 Black as Finalists, the B02 Black and B03 Black as Semifinalists, and the B07 Black as Quarterfinalists.