Crossfire Teams Make Impact at Super-Y Nationals and Nike Friendlies

November and early December were busy months, nationally speaking, for the Crossfire Club. 

Five teams were sent to the Super-Y National Championships (Nov. 18-22) in Tampa, FL, and two of these same teams went back to Florida a week later for the prestigious Nike Friendlies Showcase, which took place Dec. 1-4 at the IMG Academy, home of the U.S. national residency program in Bradenton. 

Crossfire squads at Super-Y Nationals included Bernie James’ BU14, BU16, and BU17 and Chad Brown’s BU15 boys, as well as Porter Lombard’s GU15 girls. 

Nike Friendlies, on the other hand, a premier BU16-BU18 national showcase event, bristling with college coaches from all over the , welcomed Bernie James’ BU16s and 17s.  

In the single-elimination Super-Y tournament, Crossfire clubs made a serious impact on the competition.  James’ BU14s (playing at BU13, per Super-Y age designations) moved on from group play to the semi-finals, where they lost a heartbreaker 1-0 to the eventual champions, Michigan Wolves.  The BU16s and 17s (BU15 and BU16, per Super-Y) also did well in bracket matches, losing only one game apiece, also to squads who went on to win each championship. 

Each of these Crossfire teams placed second in points and earned a fourth match in the consolation round.  James’ U16s won their final game handily, 3-1, against an outmatched Atlanta Silverbacks side, and the BU17s, playing right afterward against the Long Island Rough Riders, were clearly dismantling their opponents’ defense, when the game was cut short by a rather sudden and unexpected introduction to Florida weather in Hurricane season—a tropical deluge, complete with lightning, which shut down all games and field operations for several hours. 
Chad Brown’s BU15 battled valiantly against stiff opposition, with forward Jonathan Castro threatening constantly, but managed only a single win in group play.  Lombard’s GU15 squad, meanwhile, went undefeated in the tourney, with two wins and two draws, achieving a resounding victory in their consolation match,4-0, over the Ottawa Fury (full scores and standings available at:

http://supery.uslsoccer.com/schedules/index_E.html) .  

Crossfire players drew the eye and praise of other coaches and Super-Y officials.  Many comments were made regarding the high quality of play shown by our teams. 

In the end, three Crossfire players were chosen for the Super-Y North American Finals ODP Select teams:  Jonathan Castro, forward, for the BU14 team (Crossfire team:  Chad Brown’s BU15s); Emma Levy, defender, for the GU14 team (Porter Lombard’s GU15s); and Kyle Montgomery, forward, for the BU16 squad (Bernie James’ BU17s). 

Each ODP Select team includes 11 players, featuring one goalkeeper, three defenders, four midfielders, and three forwards, chosen on the basis of voting by opposing coaches.  Selection to these squads is a high honor for our three players and for our club as a whole (see story and team selections at: http://supery.uslsoccer.com/home/114471.html) . 

It should be mentioned, too, that, based on league play during the Super-Y season, Crossfire has been asked to send a large number of players to the Super-Y ODP National Camp, to be held January 12-15, 2006 at the Cocoa Expo grounds in (you guessed it) Florida. 

Super-Y ODP, now in its third year, provides a parallel national system to the normal state ODP programs for scouting elite players.  No fewer than a total of 61 Crossfire players, spanning the U13 – U17 age ranges for girls and boys, have been honored with selection to this camp (for a list of all players in the Northwest ODP Division, see: http://supery.uslsoccer.com/home/109200.html).

Ten days after the Super-Y event, when the Year of the Hurricane had largely passed, the Crossfire BU16s and 17s returned to the Sunshine State for a second chance to show off their skills.  Teams at the Nike Friendlies play a total of four games, with no semi-final or championship round. 

Only the best Nike-sponsored clubs in the nation are invited to Bradenton for this event.  The premier level of the tournament, as a proving ground for talent, is highlighted by the participation of all four Youth National Teams (BU15 and the BU17 1988s, 89s, and 90s) and this year, the Brazilian National BU15 squad too.

Both Crossfire teams proved themselves among the strongest in the competition, remaining undefeated throughout the showcase. 

This was no small achievement, as teams from some of the nation’s strongest clubs—Colorado Rush, FC Delco, SoCal United, Sereno Golden Eagles—went down to defeat in one or more matches.  Our BU16s had three wins and one tie, overcoming FC Boston, Sereno Golden Eagles ( Arizona ) and, by a score of 1-0, the U.S. U15 National Youth team. 
The BU17s had a 2-0-2 record, tying a highly ranked FC Delco (two-time Region 1 Champions) side and the Dallas Texans, while cruising to victories over Carmel United (Indiana), 3-2, and the Brooklyn Knights ( New York ) 3-0. 

Many coaches, from ’s best colleges and universities were on hand to watch all the games.  “Nike Friendlies was the best quality soccer atmosphere compacted in one tournament. To be able to watch the National Team play and walk past Freddy Adu made it even better.” (Taylor Mueller, BU17 Crossfire).  A list of competing teams, scores, and related material can be found online at: 

http://www.ussoccer.com/events/competitions.sps?iType=5748.

Two of Crossfire’s standout players were represented on the U.S. U17 National Team:  Ellis Mcloughlin (forward, 90s squad), who is now in the residency program at Bradenton , and Brandon Zimmerman (defender, 89s squad), scheduled to begin residency in 2006. 

All in all, therefore, Crossfire made its mark once again at the highest level of national competition.  In the words of Doug Harrell, midfielder for the BU17 team, “The Super Y and Nike Friendlies tournaments showed that we can play with any team in the country,” a comment that applies to Crossfire teams at almost every age level.