2019 STATE CUP CHAMPIONS!
G2001 CARRILLO
Following three weekends of action, the OC Surf Anaheim G2001 Carrillo team lifted the State Cup Trophy on Sunday after beating Central California Aztecs, 2-1, in a thrilling Championship Game at Silverlakes Soccer Complex, Norco. The team overcame the challenges of a shortened roster, injuries and a first-round red card to navigate their way through to become Champions.
Prior to the Tournament, Coach Eddie Carrillo was expecting to have a full squad of 16 to begin the competition. However, through a series of players deciding not to fulfill their commitments, just a week before kick-off he was left with 12 players, one of which could not play the first weekend and no goalkeeper. Managing to find three new players to bolster his roster just before the freeze date, and without a true Goalkeeper, Aniyah Taylor, who regularly plays as a forward offered to play in the goal for the tournament. With 14 players, the team headed to Temecula to start the Bracket Play of State Cup.
OC Surf Anaheim played three games in Temecula, winning 3-0, 2-0 and 2-0 respectively to top the bracket with nine points and become the only team in the competition to not concede a single goal through the first 270 minutes of action. However, these victories were not without their costs as the team lost two players to injury and a further receiving a red card in the final game of the group-stage meant that she would be ineligible to participate in the Round of 16 game.
They progressed through to play at Galway Downs (Temecula) the first of three-potential knock-out games to be staged in the weekend with 11 eligible players. Taking an early lead through a Jadenn Carrillo goal that she later converted into a first half hat-trick, they found themselves 3-0 up at half-time. Conceding their first goal of the competition 5 minutes into the second half left a tense and challenging remainder of the game that was magnified when two Surf players needed to leave due to prior commitments, leaving nine players to close out the game with 25 minutes left on the clock, a task they were able to do successfully as the game ended 3-1 sending OC Surf Anaheim through to the Quarter-Final to face Fontana Futbol Club.
Back at Galway Downs, the Surf Girls overcame an early penalty awarded against them as ‘make-shift’ goalkeeper Aniyah Taylor saw it roll past the post. Alyssa Gathutgl ia scoring mid-way through the first-half to send them into the break with a 2-0 lead. Jadenn Carrillo completed yet another hat-trick in the second half to win thoe game 4-1 with a late consolation goal for Fontana spoiling the shutout, but completing a result that fired the Girls through to a Semi-Final against Crescentia Valley SC. The penultimate game in the tournament saw a reasonably comfortable 5-0 win for OC Surf Anaheim who eased to victory on the back of a 4-goal effort by Jadenn Carrillo, capped by a Preslee Burke solo effort. These goals along with a solid defensive effort pushed them through to the Championship Match at Silverlakes, Norco.
It was a cagey beginning to the Championship Match on Sunday Morning as both teams started the game slowly. Central California Aztecs grew into the game the faster of the two sides, missing a couple of golden opportunities to take the lead. Against the run of play in the 17th minute Jadenn Carrillo picked up the ball on the half-way line, and after beating four players on the dribble the fifth brought her down just inside of the box. She was given a scare by having her penalty kick saved by the diving Aztecs goalkeeper, however gave her side the lead by subsequently dispatching the rebound into the back of the net. The game stayed 1-0 for the remainder of an end-to-end first half, with the OC Surf defense making some key tackles to keep the Central California Aztecs at bay.
The second half started much like the first, with neither side able to put a decent passage-of-play together. However, the Central California Aztecs seemed to play with more urgency as time went on, as they searched for the goal to level the tie. As time wound down, urgency turned to despair, and the Aztecs began to control more of the ball. OC Surf couldn’t clear the ball past half-way, and eventually the pressure was too much to handle. Following a string of saves by make-shift goalkeeper, Aniyah Taylor, a cleared ball was collected on the half-way line by an Aztecs Midfielder who played a long ball out to the right-hand side. With a couple of touches and a cut inside, they were able to find their forward with a cross who sent the ball into the goal, leveling the game at 1-1 with 15 minutes to play.
#surfproud
Central California Aztecs were playing with confidence and momentum as the game ticked into the final 10 minutes of action. OC Surf unable to keep the ball for longer than a few seconds, having to defend to stay in the game. However, the tide turned in the 86th minute as Jadenn Carrillo again received the ball in the middle of the field. Passing two defenders with her first touch she was behind the defense with just the goalkeeper to beat. As the goalkeeper attempted to retract back to her line, Carrillo poked the ball past her left side and into the top-right corner of the goal to seal the victory for OC Surf. A reasonably non-eventful final four minutes were played out before the final whistle was blown to make it official.
It was a fantastic tournament played by the girls, who scored 21 and only conceded three with a small roster and lack of a true goalkeeper. Aniyah Taylor played brilliantly well in goal considering she is a forward by trait, and Jadenn Carrillo scored at least one in every game, taking her total tally to 17 over the seven games played to lift the trophy. This team will stay together to compete at Silverlakes again in June for the Regional Championship – June 10-16, 2019.
