NM boys team in nationals
Rush 04 14U soccer squad to play in showcase event in Texas
In March 2018, the New Mexico Rush 04 14U boys soccer team embarked on a caravan of SUVs and minivans to Las Vegas, Nev. The club was playing in the prestigious National League, against other elite club soccer teams in the region.
Rush held a training session at dusk on a grass patch at a park
near the hotel. Play was pure and an early signal the team was building toward a special season. “Everything was going right, the speed of play,” Joaquin Torres said. “We brought it to nationals.”
Coach Justin Sells remembered the technical skills session similarly.
“It set the tone, here for business, not going for a vacation, we’re here for a result,” he said. “They’re really good to work with, it doesn’t seem to go to their head, all pretty respectful of each other. Coaching makes it easy, makes it fun.”
The club won the National League Red Division, undefeated in league play with six wins and a draw. GotSoccer rates NM Rush 04 as the top team in the state and 46th in the global rank heading into its appearance at
the 2018 US Youth Soccer National Championship. Play begins Tuesday at the Toyota Soccer Center in Frisco, Texas.
That’s first. Then, as defending champs, NM Rush (20-3-4) will compete in the National League in 2019. The team has scored 85 goals in its 27 games and allowed just 26.
“They really just show up and play,” Sells said. “National League was just games for them; they don’t put a lot of expectation or pressure. It’s the same for this coming week.”
Rush 04 is the lone representative of the state at nationals, which holds competition for each gender and ages from 13U to 19U. The weather forecast for Frisco calls for highs around the century mark with humidity hovering at about 40 percent. The round-robin group stage in the eight-team field runs Tuesday to Thursday with semifinals on Saturday and finals Sunday.
“Coach wants us to play fast, play smart, make good decisions on the ball,” midfielder Aaron Cisneros said. “Everybody on the team wants to get their spot on the field.”
Sells said the team’s high acumen enables the Rush 04 to mix formations from a compact defensive shell (4-2-3-1) to a fluid, wide attack (3-5-2 or 3-4-3).
“These guys are really pretty educated for how young they are,” Sells said. “Tactical awareness for their age is really high. If we have to change stuff they’re pretty adaptable.”
According to the tournament website, the 96-team field is pulled from “regional champions and representatives” and from the US Youth Soccer National League. This was the second New Mexico team to ever compete in the National League. In 2011, a U17 boys squad qualified after winning the Far West regionals but failed to win a match.
Vinay Sabnis has been active in New Mexico soccer as an official, coach and tournament organizer. Sabnis noted Rush 04 is one of a handful of teams in state youth soccer history to reach this level.
“All these boys are home grown,” Sabnis said. “They’re almost equally strong. (Sells) has a lot of interchangeable parts on this team. I think playing in the nationals in Frisco that’s going to give them a good measure of how they stack up against the rest of the country.”
Rush 04 is one of the 56 regional champions. In total, 10,000 youth teams are eligible nationwide for the tournament.
“It’s an honor to be the first team to nationals in New Mexico after many years,” goalkeeper Tenzing Manske said. “We have to make sure we’re working, we can’t shut off even when we’re leading.”
Seven of the Rush 04 have been playing together since age 7, giving the team a core group with plenty of familiarity.
“We’re all friends. Everyone knows each other well; that helps on the field,” Torres said. “It’s like the connection, you know what foot to play it on.
Supporters can follow results online at http:// championships.usyouthsoccer.org.