Tuesday, June 30, 2009
PEMBROKE PINES, FL – Second year USL Super Y-League Club, West Pines United FC has certainly sent notice to the league’s Southeast Division that they are a club to be reckoned with as evidenced by their overall results from the recently concluded month of June.
Representing a total of eight age groups, including a full slate of boy’s teams, West Pines United FC boasted an overall record of 17-5-4.
“We as a club realize it is still early in the league, but there is a general feeling that we have set the tone for the remainder of the season,” said West Pines United President Todd Goodman. “We relish the opportunity of placing our teams in the Super Y-League North American Finals.”
The sweltering summer months of July and August are heating up down in South Florida as the Super Y-League’s Southeast Divisions are being decided, but West Pines United FC welcomes the heat of the challenge.
West Pines currently leads the Southeast U13 boys Division, Group B with a record of 3-0-0. In their three matches the side has outscored their opponents 17-0. Across the state in Tampa, Florida, through one challenge remains for the Southwest Fort Lauderdale-based side. HC United is also 3-0-0 in Group A. Should both clubs continue their unbeaten runs, the two group leaders will square off in the last match of the season on Sunday, August 23. This team won the 2009 U13 Florida State Cup Championship with a 3-0 victory over the New Tampa Comets.
West Pines’ U14 boys are also 3-0-0, outscoring their opponents 7-2. Just this past weekend, West Pines defeated Florida Soccer Alliance, 1-0 on Saturday and Orlando FC, 3-0 on Sunday. Their next set of matches is not until the end of July when they face Sunrise SC and Kendall SC on back-to-back days. Upon completion of the Super Y-League season, this team will be participating in the Region III Premiere League.
In the U15 boys division, West Pines trails first-place FC Sarasota by seven points 13-7. Despite the gap, West Pines has a game in hand. The two sides met for the first of two matches this season on Sunday, June 21 with FC Sarasota taking a 2-1 decision on the West Coast of Florida. West Pines will have a chance to redeem themselves against FC Sarasota on Sunday, August 2. That match will be hosted by West Pines at West Pines Soccer Park in Pembroke Pines, Florida.
One of the strongest divisions in the Super Y-League Southeast Division, West Pines United has battled to a 2-2-0 record in the U16 boys division this season. The parity of the division can be seen in Sunrise SC, the number one team to emerge out of the U15 Southeast Division in 2008 with a record of 10-0-0.
To date, Sunrise has a 2-2-1 record after tying HC United, 0-0 in the first match of the season and losing their first two Super Y-League regular season matches since a 2-1 loss to eventual North American Championship side, West Coast FC in the 2008 league finals. The losses came two weeks apart, first to West Pines United, 1-0 on Sunday, June 14, the second to Orlando FC, 2-1 this past Saturday.
West Pines and Sunrise meet again in the middle of July. That match is sandwiched between two dates with Kendall SC. West Pines U16 boys will need a strong performance in August if they are to qualify for the North American Finals. The team has five matches in the first 16 days of the month. The first of the month will be the most important. They face HC United, who is currently 4-0-1 with a goal differential of +13.
The U17 boys division is still young. The division leader, Sunrise SC has a 2-0-2 record and has defeated West Pines by a score of 1-0 on Wednesday, June 17. West Pines rebounded well following that loss, beating a stout Orlando FC side this past Saturday, 3-2. West Pines’ rematch with Sunrise will take place on the final day of their regular season, Saturday, August 15.
West Pines United’s U13 girls’ side currently has a record of 1-0-0. That win was by a large margin, 7-2 over Florida Rush on Sunday, June 14. Coached by club President, Goodman, the team will be the most active Southeast U13 girls’ side in July, where they have six matches in 15 days from July 11 through July 26. This side qualified for the Final Four of the 2009 Florida State Cup Tournament.
The second of three teams competing on the girls’ side, West Pines’ U14 girls are currently 1-1-1. The team’s first loss and draw came at the hands of current division leader Sunrise SC, 1-1 and 1-0. Sunrise split points in three more matches since then, giving them a record of 2-1-4. With just one match remaining, Sunrise SC will be hard pressed to hold their single-point advantage over Schulz Academy, who is currently 3-0-0. West Pines is the wildcard is this scenario. They have two matches with Schulz Academy in the month of August. Win both, and West Pines could leapfrog both squads to qualify for the North American Finals.
The eighth and final team playing under the West Pines United banner is their U15 girls, who currently lead the division with a 2-0-2 record. The side had a busy June, with four matches, but will take a reprieve in July, when they play just once. August will also be big for this team. They play five matches in 22 days to decide if postseason play is in their future.
To date, the team has a goal differential of +3. Their toughest competition appears to be Florida Soccer Alliance, who they tied, 2-2 this past Saturday and Schulz Academy, who is 2-0-0 with a goal differential of +11. August will be a huge test for West Pines’ U15 girls as three of their five matches are against either Schulz Academy or Florida Soccer Alliance.
