The Northern Virginia Royals U15 Super Y-League boys claimed a berth in the US Club Soccer National Championships finals today with a victory over First Coast Soccer KYX team from Jacksonville, Florida. The Royals won 1-0 in a hard fought match against a well prepared team that battled to the very end.

 

Throughout the match the Royals created multiple opportunities but could not finish until the 64th minute when Nick Smirniotopoulos received a cross ball from Luis Cartagena and headed it into the goal. The play started at midfield where Ozias McKenzie was fouled by a First Coast player but maintained advantage. He found Cartagena who worked his way through the defense and crossed the ball to Smirniotopoulos on the far post. Nick drove the ball into the back of the net for the only score of the match.

 

After the goal the First Coast Soccer team adjusted their lineup to put pressure on the Royals to give themselves a chance to equalize.  The Royals defense stepped up to the challenge, and held the upstart Florida side to earn the win, propelling them into the championship match on Tuesday. 

 

“Florida threw everything at us in the last fifteen minutes - even the kitchen sink," said Head Coach Tom Torres.  "They had so many set plays… but you have to give credit to our boys who were able to clear the ball and not give them any real quality opportunities to score."  

 

Torres credited Sunday’s win to the team’s ability to put it all together. “They played a quality team today and really executed on all of the things we have been working on all summer. We talk before every match about execution and maintaining a high level of concentration. Even with today’s win the boys know that we need to continue to play at their highest level to win”.

 

Last year, the Royals advanced to the 2007 Super Y-League North American Finals. This will be there second trip to a national championship final in the last nine months.