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From: Los Angeles Times - March 4, 2008 Soccer: SoCal Regional thoughts and observations - Jaime Cardenas
The SoCal Regional brackets were announced Sunday -- to see the boys'
bracket click
here, for girls' click
here.
The
SCR, which is in Year 1 of a two-year testing period, is an
enrollment-based tournament that is divided into three divisions. Originally
it was supposed to be a state tournament, but it's only being held in
Southern California. The fact that is not a state tournament "took the
luster off," La Habra Coach Steven Aanderud said.
This tournament could definitely
use some tweaking, making it a state tournament is one way to improve it,
but that's a topic for another blog. Right now, let's talk about some of the
surprises and matchups that resulted from the release of the pairings.
Who
can benefit the most from the SCR? Santa
Monica and Long
Beach Wilson -- and fans of high school soccer, of course. The Vikings'
boys team and the Bruins' girls could ended up winning not one, but two
mythical national championships -- the studentsports.soccer.rivals.com
and the NSCAA/ADIDAS
titles -- based on their winning the SCR. Without the extra games, they would
have finished No. 2.
Biggest shocker: La
Habra boys' team declining the invite. Read about it here.
The Highlanders' departure deprives high school soccer fans of another chance
to watch Hope International-bound forward Edgar Bran, one of the top strikers
in the Southland. He has 74 goals in the last two seasons.
Best quarterfinal matchup:
No. 5 Woodland
Hills El Camino Real at No. 4 San
Clemente, Tuesday at 5 p.m., in Girls' Division I. The match pits the eight-time
defending City Section champion against the reining
Southern Section Division I co-champion. San Clemente Coach Stacy Finnerty
was very surprised to find out that the Conquistadores had won eight
consecutive titles. "Eight?" she asked, hoping she had heard wrong.
Yes, eight, I assured her. "Wow," she added. Wow, indeed.
This is a great matchup.
Second best
matchup: No. 1 Santa Monica vs No. 8 Newbury
Park at Santa Monica College, Tuesday at 5 p.m., in Boys' Division I. Not
many are believers that Santa Monica, the Division IV champion, is really that
good. Some believe Santa
Margarita, which beat Newbury Park on Saturday for the Division I title,
is better. This match will be a good measuring stick.
Best non-Southland team:
Torrey
Pines from the San Diego Section in Girls' Division I. The defending
three-time San Diego champions come in ranked No. 1 in the nation by
studentsports. The Falcons have allowed only 23 goals in the last two seasons
and have compiled a 45-0-3 record during that stretch.
Best
potential semifinal matchup: No. 1 Santa Monica vs. No.
4 Wilmington Banning in Boys' Division I. It's the Southern Section's best
against the City Section champion. Can you tell I like the whole, City vs.
Southern Section thing? Hopefully it happens. Other matches I would
like to see would be Santa Margarita vs.
Canoga
Park in Boys' Division II and Mayfair
vs Long Beach Wilson in Girls' Division I.
Out for revenge: Salesian
boys' team is on the prowl for Lions -- Oaks
Christian Lions. The Mustangs, seeded No. 3 in Division III, had their
two-year 34-game
winning streak ended by Oaks Christian last week. If Salesian can make it
to the finals, who might they face? Those same Lions, of course, who are
seeded No. 1 in the division. It's said revenge is a dish best served cold,
but it might be best served in the SCR finals.
Final I would most like to
see: This is easy, No. 1 Torrey Pines from the San Diego Section vs
No. 2 Long Beach Wilson in Girls' Division I. Not only are they No. 1 and No.
2 teams in this tournament, they are also No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the nation,
according to the studentsports rankings. In other words, this would be a
national championship game. Who wouldn't want to see that? Well, the other six
teams in that bracket, maybe.
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