SIX TEAMS ARE HAWAII-BOUND
Many NM teams pass on costly trip to regionals in Hawaii
Expensive trip to Far West Regionals youth soccer tournament is limiting participation of New Mexican teams.
Earning a trip to U.S. Youth Soccer’s Far West Regional Championship is never easy but it’s usually simple.
Win your respective State Cup age division and pack up the van for a road trip. Not this year. Hawaii is hosting the annual tournament, which will be played Monday through June 24 in Honolulu. Earning the trip took on a new meaning in 2018.
“It’s not cheap at all,” said Travis Masterson, coach of New Mexico Rush Premier 05. “Teams had a decision to make a long time ago about whether they wanted to opt in or out. Our group was pretty adamant that if they qualified they wanted to go.”
Masterson’s team made it happen, winning the U13 boys division at May’s State Cup. The team also raised a considerable amount of money to fund its trip to the islands, something New Mexico’s other State Cup winners opted not to do.
Just six teams from the state are competing in the Far West Regionals, and Rush Premier 05 is the lone age-division champ among them. New Mexico’s other five representatives were allowed to opt in because their respective age-division champs did not.
Still, it’s a thin contingent. By comparison, New Mexico sent 16 teams to last year’s Far West Regionals in Seattle.
Trip prices vary but some players and coaches reported spending more than $2,500 for round-trip flights to Honolulu.
“We’re definitely fortunate to be going,” said Albuquerque United FC coach Aaron Forrester, who will coach U13 and U18 girls entries. “We had some parent donors step up and all the families are going with our U13 girls, but it’s pricey. I can understand why teams opted out.”
Those teams able to make the trip have high off-thefield expectations.
“Our U18 girls have never been to regionals,” Forrester said, “so they’re very excited. It should be a great experience — as long as the volcano doesn’t erupt.”
On the field, New Mexico’s six teams will, as usual, qualify as underdogs to at least the powerful Northern and Southern California squads. Here’s a quick rundown.
U13 BOYS: New Mexico Rush Premier 05 captured a State Cup title by defeating Rio Rapids SC 05 2-0 in the final. Rush Premier’s balanced lineup is led by Andres Andrade, Ethan Saiz, Derek Lozano and Kiden Giron. “I’d like to see them at least get out of bracket, and I think they can,” Masterson said.
U13 GIRLS: AUFC 05 rolled through pool play at State Cup but dropped a 1-0 decision to NM Rush 05 in the semifinals. Kiran Hill, Hannah Babinski and Ava Forrester are the team’s offensive leaders.
U14 GIRLS: Las Cruces Velocity reached the semifinals of its division at State Cup but fell to AUFC 04 by a 3-0 score.
U16 BOYS: Rio Rapids SC 02 Velocity did not advance out of pool play at State Cup despite allowing just two goals in three matches, but all four U16 semifinalists opted out of regionals.
U16 GIRLS: NM Sting Samba Elite 02 outscored its four pool foes by a combined 22-0 at State Cup but dropped a 3-2 decision to eventual champ Guadalajara Elite 02.
U18 GIRLS: AUFC 00 Fusion advanced to the State Cup finals but dropped a 2-1 decision to Rio Rapids SC 00. Fusion is led by rising prep seniors Hannah Dahl (Eldorado) and Carena Harrison (Sandia).
Notes
■ The U12s play in separate regionals. New Mexico’s AUFC 06 advanced to this week’s U12 Girls regionals in Salt Lake City but finished 0-3 in pool play and did not advance.
■ One New Mexico team, NM Rush 04, already has earned a spot in the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships (July 24-29 in Frisco, Texas) despite opting out of Far West Regionals. NM Rush 04 punched its ticket by winning a USYS National League Championship earlier this year. NM Rush 04 also won a U14 Boys State Cup, beating the Guadalajara Scorpions 2-1 in the final.