This expedition to Northern Ireland has been an amazing experience. Everyone learned priceless lessons regarding life and soccer. Soccer, no matter what you call it, is not just a sport, but a means of education and international friendships. It brings people from all over the world together, and helps open everyone’s eyes to what other countries are really like, not just what they are imagined to be.
Thank you to Marissa and Coach V, for making the Milk Cup possible for all of us. Without their dedication and support, our participation in this prestigious tournament would not be possible. This trip will be one that we will remember for all of our lives; from the games to going to JJB everyday to the youngers’ nicknames; everything will live on in our memories.
Thanks for following along with us, we appreciated the support we felt from all of you. Signing off...
Amy Mitsumori
Media Coordinator
Day 10 - Last Matches
Juniors
The Juniors played their final match today against Hapoel Haifa, a team from Israel. Both teams started off with opportunities to score. Steven Ortiz played the ball to Robbie Sagel, but he was unable to get a shot off. A counterattack off a Bayern throw-in drew a solid slide tackle from Dane Silverlake, which prevented a breakaway. Ortiz dribbled into the box, where he was aggressively taken out by a defender, but also awarded a penalty kick. Jaime Salazar stepped up to take the kick, which he easily placed in the bottom corner. A foul just outside the Bayern box allowed for a free kick on the ground to end up in goalkeeper Jason Trejos’ hands. Sagel earned Bayern a free kick about 20 yards out, with both Ortiz and Salazar preparing for the kick. Salazar ran down the line to receive the pass from Ortiz, but his shot sailed over the crossbar. Another goal came when Sagel crossed a ball into the box, where either Salazar or an opposing player touched it into the net. A miscommunication between Trejos and one of his defenders caused them both to miss the ball as it bounced across the face of the goal, and a player waiting on the back post missed the finishing touch needed for a goal. A free kick from 25 yards out on the ground was saved by Trejos, as was the follow-up shot.
The second half began with several Bayern attacks, all of which failed to beat the goalie. A poor clearance by the defense went right to the other team, which gave them an effortless shot and goal. A threatening cross into the box was punched out by the halftime substitute goalkeeper Carl Rubschlager. The ball was received by a waiting Haifa player, who maneuvered around the keeper to shoot on goal, only to have his shot headed out by Kashtin De La Cruz. The continued pressure on the Bayern defense forced them to concede another goal in the last 10 minutes of the game. Bayern refused to abandon hope of a victory, creating chances until the final whistle. A short corner made its way to Chase Abelson for a cross into the box, but the ball ended out of bounds. Rubschlager made a final, diving save to keep Bayern in the game. A final free kick taken by Dane Silverlake resulted in a corner, which came for naught as the final whistle sounded, taking the boys to the penalty shootout for the third consecutive game.
The final score of the shootout was 5-4, in favor of Haifa. The missed penalty was protested, as both the player and assistant referee claimed the keeper was off his line, but the center referee overruled them and refused to allow the player another attempt at the kick.
After the game on 8/5/2010 in the Milk Cup Junior tournament,
the 2 teams, players and officials, took a picture together as
a keepsake for the lovely event and a symbol of friendship.
Premiers
The Premiers faced Shamrock Rovers for their concluding game of the tournament. They played at Anderson Park, the same field as the Juniors, and it seemed to be a wee bit smaller than the size they are accustomed to.
The game was Bayern dominated, with just a handful of Rovers opportunities. The first early shot to hit the target came from Greg Antognoli to the near post for a catch by the goalie. A pass back to goalkeeper Adam Zepeda, a clearance to Antognoli, a flick to Carlos Gonzalez, and a final finish past the goalie created the first goal. A missed header created a dangerous moment in the defense, forcing Zepeda to come out and clip the sprinting forward as he attempted to reach the ball. The recovering defender shielded the ball from the forward with expertise, allowing Zepeda the necessary time to recover the ball. A punt from Zepeda connected with Antognoli’s head to connect with Erick Esquivel to play the ball to Munny Manak for a shot, which the goalie knocked away but not far enough to keep Antognoli from an easy finish into the goal. A shot by Esquivel hit the hands of a Rovers player as he attempted to both dodge and block the rocket. A free kick was awarded about 19 yards out, and Manak was the chosen one to take the kick. Manak lofted the ball over the both the wall and the goalie into the back of the net, making the difficult feat look simple. Another kick by Zepeda out of the defense drew a back trap from Carlos Gonzalez, then a nice pass to Esquivel ended with the ball being launched into space instead of into the goal.
The second half started with several Rovers free kicks and corners, none of which posed any real danger as they were either poorly hit, cleared, or hit over the goal. The only free kick to cause any worry was neatly saved by Zepeda. The first realistic Bayern attack of the half came when Antognoli beat the defense only to have his shot deflected by the keeper and roll out of bounds. The following corner also made its way to the keeper, this time safely into his hands. A Rovers free kick led to another moment of miscommunication between Zepeda and a defender, which allowed for a series of corners that eventually were safely cleared away. Another threatening free kick had a header at the end of it, forcing Zepeda to catch the ball very near the goal line. A great run by Dylan Pritchard and the following shot was blocked by the goalie, while Esquivel was crashing the net to pick up a goal in the last moments of the game, taking the final score to 4-0.
A photo with our friends from the Shamrock Rovers
After the games, we were finally able to act the tourist and visit Giant’s Causeway, a geological wonder of 40,000 hexagonal basalt columns that form stepping stones leading to the cliff and into the sea. The local legend goes that the great Irish giant, Finn McCool, lived on the North Coast of Ireland and his great rival, Benandonner, lived across the sea in Scotland. The two giants would shout at each other, and, after a dispute about each of their fighting abilities, agreed that Benandonner would cross the water to fight Finn. However, Benandonner refused to swim so Finn tore rocks from the land to create a causeway (bridge) to let Benandonner cross. Upon seeing Benandonner’s huge size, Finn had his wife dress him as an infant, so that when Benandonner looked at the “baby”, he assumed that the father was much bigger. Benandonner fled back to Scotland, ripping up the bridge as he went, the remains forming today’s Giant’s Causeway. The actual story is that an ancient volcanic eruption and cooling lava formed the perfectly hexagonal formation.
Amy Mitsumori
Media Coordinator
Sight o’ the Day:
After the Causeway, we headed down to Ballymena for the Milk Cup Elite final, where USA was playing the home team, Northern Ireland. The South Coast Bayern group made up the entire American fan base, sitting in additional chairs just a few feet away from the field in front of the main stands with some other Milk Cup teams. The American team appreciated the support, coming over to celebrate a goal with us, and after the game contributed to our own USA celebration.
Day 9 – Battle with the Brits
The Juniors had a rough game against the English team, Plymouth Argyle. The game began with both sides earning chances. Robbie Sagel, moved to forward, nailed a shot from the box, which was deflected for a corner. Plymouth earned a corner and sent it into the box, where goalkeeper Carl Rubschlager made a nice save to knock it out for another corner, which he punched out of danger. A perfect cross by Luis Dominguez on the wing reached Frankie Perez at the top of the box, which he nonchalantly flicked into the goal. A few minutes later, Perez slid into a rival player from behind. Traditionally in the tournament, such a foul has been limited to a yellow card, or not even acknowledged by the referee. Unfortunately for Perez, the center referee decided to make the foul an unprecedented red card, forcing Perez to abandon the pitch for the changing room and Bayern to play the remainder of the game with just 10 players. Plymouth was unable to capitalize on their advantage until a bad pass back allowed a throw-in at our end of the pitch. The forward received the ball in the box, turned on his defender, and shot the ball to the far post to tie the game. Despite the uneven numbers, the Bayern boys continued to earn realistic chances to score. Sagel created promising opportunities as he worked to win the ball, from sending the ball across the field to outside runners to dribbling through defenders for low shots at the goal.
The second half started a bit slow, devoid of any truly threatening opportunities for goals. A slide tackle cleats up directly into Dominguez’s foot which had already passed the ball off awarded the player merely a yellow. The game continued to beg for a goal, as chance after chance either went wide, over, or to the keeper. A corner taken by Jaime Salazar bypassed all the players in the box to reach Danny Herrera waiting on the opposite side to send the ball back in, where it reached Salazar for a shot that missed the target. An attack going the other way allowed an opposing player an opening through the defense, in which Rubschlager made a great 1 vs. 1 save that was immediately cleared by the recovering defense.
Sagel finally earned a call on the outskirts of the 18, after being fouled the entire game. He drove the ball on the ground, and it ended just wide of the post. Sagel had a couple more opportunities to take the lead, but his shots soared over the crossbar and his headers to the keeper. A final throw was sent to the defense, and another game ended in a deadlock, forcing the boys once again into penalties.
The shootout started with a phenomenal save by Rubschlager. The early save played a shred of doubt and fear into the hearts of the Englishmen, and provided a boost of confidence and inspiration to the Americans. Rubschalger made 2 more breath-taking, jaw-dropping saves, effectively conquering the other team and winning the game, with a final score of 7-6
The Premiers also faced an English team, Hartlepool United F.C. Hartlepool was the only team standing between Bayern and the Slemish final, where we would again face our arch-nemesis, Manchester United.
Despite the need to win, the boys appeared to lack the inspiration to play at their usual high standard. The opposition had multiple early chances, with one shot escaping the goalie to hit the post. A throw into the box was not cleared, and allowed a shot on goal. The shot was blocked by goalkeeper Cody Thompson, but the ball landed just 2 feet away from the goal for an easy finish.
A few minutes later, a quick free kick was played to the wide open Greg Antognoli. He launched a beautiful shot that hit the crossbar, bounced down, then bounced back up to the inside of the crossbar where it hit the net for an irrefutable goal.
Just a couple player later, a cross was sent into the Bayern box, where again it was not properly cleared and it dropped to a waiting player for a volley into the goal from 18 yards out.
After conceding this second goal, the Bayern boys began to play a tad bit better, creating more and more dangerous opportunities. Erick Esquivel dribbled into the box to take a shot that was deflected by the keeper. The boys began to start attacks out of the back, as outside back Shane Steffes passed to center back Thomas Carter, who in turn played the ball to Esquivel. Esquivel dribbled through the defenders before seaming the ball into the box, where an opposing player kindly nudged the ball into the goal, tying the game 2-2.
A Bayern corner was cleared, only to be sent back in to Esquivel, to again beat first a defender, and then the goalie with a shot on the ground to the opposite corner of the net. However, the referee controversially disallowed the goal on the ground of offsides.
Esquivel demanded revenge as a seam came into the box, and he ordered a dummy from a teammate, only to have his rocket of a shot deflected by a defender.
The second half opened with a goal for Hartlepool. A shot was again blocked, and another player was again crashing into the goal. The remainder of the half was full of Bayern attacks. A clearance off a corner drew a shot from Steffes, but it failed to hit the back of the net. A through ball to Jordan Gibbs was only a step out of his reach before the goalie interrupted the play. A throw by Gibbs made its way into the box, where a Hartlepool player committed a blatant handball, but when the whistle sounded, it was for offsides. In the closing moments of the half, Antognoli went 1 vs. 1 with the goalie, only to have his shot touch the goalie’s hands and roll just wide of the waiting goal. The game concluded with a throw into the box, again by Gibbs, where all of the Bayern team was waiting, goalkeeper included. Unfortunately, the 10 heads were unable to compete with the keeper’s two hands, which the caught the ball seconds before the final whistle. The final score of 3-2 destroyed any Bayern hopes for a tie, then a win in PK’s, after which would come the desired match-up against the intimidating Manchester United.
Amy Mitsumori
Media Coordinator
Sight o’ the Day:
The packed tea, also known as dinner, consisting of yogurt, banana, and sandwich was not enough to sustain the boys throughout the night. The bulk order of pizza was pounced on the moment it arrived in the kitchens, and consumed within minutes by the forever-hungry boys.
Day 8 - Heartbreaking PK's for Juniors
Juniors
Today, the Junior and Premier games overlapped, which forced our coaching staff to divide and conquer.
The Juniors faced Aspire, a team originating in Qatar. The Aspire players were smaller than our own team, yet extremely quick and nimble as they won numerous 50-50 challenges. Aspire’s ability to be first to the ball provided them an abundance of possession and shots on goal. One terrifying moment for Bayern arose when a fleet-footed forward beat the defense for a 1 vs. 1 with the goalie, but goalkeeper Jason Trejos made a beautiful, fully extended diving save. Another dangerous chance occurred as an opposing forward cut by several defenders, only to be stopped as the last defender Kashtin De La Cruz came sliding in to end the play.
The second half had more equal ball possession, as halftime subs Dean Wright and Clay Kelty helped win balls in the midfield. The continued pressure helped Steven Ortiz gain the ball on the wing and, after fooling another opposing player, passed to Jaime Salazar at the fringe of the 18. Salazar faked out his own defender to play a perfect pass to Luis Dominguez as he came running from the midfield to shoot a low bullet into the net.
After the morale raising goal, Bayern controlled the game and played very stingy defense to frustrate the Aspire forwards. In the last five minutes of the game, the opposition sent all of their players up to attack the Bayern goal. The increased players made marking difficult, since as soon as one player was covered, another would need to be marked. One unmarked player received the ball in the middle of the pitch, and took a great shot to the upper corner with just one minute left. With the game tied at the final whistle, the boys were sent into penalty kicks, where they were outscored 4-2.
Premiers
The Premiers faced KV Mechelen from Belgium, at the coastal venue of Portstewart. The first 5-10 minutes of the match were unexciting, with neither side making a particularly threatening attempt on goal. The first great opportunity for Bayern came when Brandon Vincent sent in a beautiful corner to connect with Blake Steele’s head for the opening goal. The next dangerous attack started when Steele cleared the ball out of the defense to Dylan Pritchard, who flicked the ball on to Greg Antognoli. The cross Antognoli attempted to send was deflected by a defender for a corner. Oscar Gonzalez sent the corner in, where Carlos Gonzalez headed it just wide of the goal. Defender Shane Steffes created an attack as he made a run up the field, and sent in a dangerous cross that the goalie and two Bayern players all missed. A free kick taken by Oscar Gonzalez was crossed into the box, only to be knocked out for a corner. The corner was cleared for a counter attack, but the last defender Steffes prevented the possible breakaway.
In the second half, a counterattack off the opposition’s corner led to a mistake-filled play in which the Belgian defender attempted to clear the ball, but instead crossed it into his own box. The keeper attempted to catch the ball, but it escaped from his gloves. Chris Luu attempted to strike the ball into the net, but he slipped on the sodden grass as he changed directions, thus ending the chaotic play.
Mechelen tied the game up when they won a free kick in the midfield and sent a high cross into the box. The goalkeeper and several defenders collided in their urgency to protect the goal, but in spite of their efforts, the attackers still managed to place a header in the back of the net.
A free kick 20 yards out provided a chance for Bayern to retake the lead. Both Erick Esquivel and Bobby Sekine lined up to take the kick in an effort to deceive the defenders. The deception was a success as Sekine ran a dummy over the ball, leaving Esquivel to cross it in, only to have Esquivel play it to the still running and onsides Sekine for a cross, but the ball proved just out of reach for Bayern heads flying through the air.
A long throw into the box by Jordan Gibbs reached the head of Steele, who flicked it behind him to the far post, where Esquivel leaped several feet into the air to score the game winning goal with his head.
In the closing minutes of the game, the defense had a rare mistake as several players missed kicking and heading the ball out of the box. The opposing coach demanded a penalty as one player aimed for the ball but hit ankles instead before the ball was safely launched away.
Except for this last play and the goal-scoring play, the entire Bayern defense, composed of outside backs Shane Steffes and Brandon Vincent, and center backs Thomas Carter and Blake Steele, played nearly flawless and exceptionally well the entire game, with great communication and direction from goalie Adam Zepeda.
Amy Mitsumori
Media Coordinator
Day 7 - Victory is Ours
Juniors
The Juniors played a much better game today against Queen of the South, winning 1-0. Their opponents today weren’t as agile or skilled as the Chelsea team that the boys were forced to contend with yesterday, which allowed the boys more possession and the opportunity to control the game.
The first half was full of goal scoring opportunities. Outside midfielder Michael Gray did an excellent job making runs into the box to receive through balls, but he was unable to beat the goalie, despite sliding in aggressively. An early shot from Chase Abelson soared over the crossbar. Goalkeeper Carl Rubschlager made an excellent sliding save as an opposing player slid into him, shutting down the attack. A free kick by Steven Ortiz from 23 yards out bounced about the box pell-mell until finally resulting in a goal kick. A long shot by Frankie Perez just skimmed the crossbar as it sailed over. The goal resulted when Dane Silverlake threw the ball in to Jaime Salazar, who passed it back to Silverlake. Taking a look up, Silverlake sent in a high, arching cross which the goalie appeared to catch but then fumbled into the goal.
The second half brought more work for the defense. A foul just outside the box provided a dangerous play for the opposition, but the ball ended in the side netting. Miscommunication and a break-down in the defense allowed a Queen of the South player a 1 vs. 1 with the goalie, which he slotted to the far post for what should have been an easy goal. Fortunately for Bayern, defender Quinn Brody had sprinted back to clear the ball off the line, saving the day. After these dangerous opportunities, the boys settled into a nice passing game, while still creating threatening attacks on goal.
Premiers
The Premiers had an exciting game against Co. Antrim in, as luck would have it, Ballymena Showgrounds, a stadium in County Antrim. The boys had a slow start, conceding an early goal from a bad pass in the midfield that led to an unstoppable shot to the far post. The first of many Bayern chances came when a pass into the box forced the goalie to come sliding out as Colin McAtee came sliding in, only to hit the crossbar. A few minutes later, a through ball by McAtee reached Greg Antognoli, who slotted the ball past the goalie to the far post where it was finished by Erick Esquivel. A free kick by Bobby Sekine soared just half a foot over the crossbar. A long throw-in into the box by Jordan Gibbs set up a goal for McAtee, which was disallowed for a foul on the goalie. The first half concluded with a Co. Antrim free kick just outside the 18 that cleared the goal by several feet.
The second half was dominated by Bayern opportunities. Oscar Gonzalez took a free kick from about 20 yards out, sending a cross into the box to connect with McAtee’s head, only to skip over the crossbar. Henry Rios won the ball in the midfield and played the ball into the box, where Antognoli sent it into the back of the net. One of the opposition’s few second half chances came from a through ball into space, with just the goalkeeper to beat, but center back and captain Blake Steele won the footrace to the ball and cleared away the danger. A cross by McAtee to Antognoli in the center of the box nearly made it into the goal, but a defender cleared the ball to the unmarked Esquivel, who took advantage of his loneliness to shoot and score a goal. Antognoli received another chance to score, as he received a pass a pass inside the box, but he was unable to beat the goalie’s looming figure. Winning the ball in the defense, defender Tom Carter took advantage of Co. Antrim’s failed attempt to dribble up the field, evading defenders before playing the ball wide to Antognoli. The attack ended with Antognoli blasting the ball over the goalie and the crossbar. The final score was 3-1, and the Premiers needed to score just one more goal from all of their missed opportunities to move on by goal differential.
Both the Junior and Premier teams failed to qualify for the Milk Cup round of the tournament, instead being destined to fight for the Slemish trophy.
Amy Mitsumori
Media Coordinator
Sight o’ the Day:
We concluded the day at the village of Broughshane, where we were guests for dinner. The small town has adopted South Coast Bayern, and has made it a tradition to provide us with cheerleaders during our stay. We are truly grateful for their generous hospitality and support, and hope to continue our friendship with “The Garden Village of Ulster” for many years to come.
Day 6 - A Somber Start
Juniors
Today the Juniors were defeated soundly by Chelsea, 3-0. Coming out of the locker room onto the field, the boys looked nervous and intimidated by all the aspects of their first international match, including the fans in the stadium, the BBC cameras broadcasting the game, and their opponents. The game began with a degree of intensity and speed that caught our boys a bit off guard. After conceding two early goals, the Bayern boys still struggled to find their footing. One particularly nerve-racking play was when the ball went over the heads of our center backs, which forced the outside back on the opposite side to leave his mark and step to the ball. The now wide open Chelsea player received the ball, and goalkeeper Jason Trejos made a great save to help keep Bayern in the game. Our first real chance came with a free kick just a few yards outside the 18 yard box. The ball was launched over the crossbar, instead of into the box where our players were waiting. The next opportunity came near the end of the half, when Shane Staudle played a nice through ball into space for Dean Wright, but this chance also ended on the wrong side of the crossbar.
After halftime, our boys seemed a little bit more alive, but they were still a split second too late to every ball. Bayern hopes were raised when Dean Wright received a ball in space, with just his mark and the goalie to evade, but he was thrown off the ball by the Chelsea player. Another chance came as Danny Herrera received the ball for a 1 vs. 1 with the goalie, but he was called back for offsides.
With just 15 minutes left in the game, center back Robbie Sagel was moved to play striker, where he almost immediately tweaked his ankle. Bayern was forced to play the last 12 minutes with just 10 men, as all the subs had been used. Chelsea took advantage of the lower numbers to knock the ball around the field until, catching our boys by surprise, one of them dribbled to the line and passed the ball back to the center of the box for an easy finish to crush any dreams of a Bayern comeback.
Premiers
The Premiers faced San Augustin of Venezuela, with a final score of 0-0. The boys had a myriad of opportunities to score, but they just couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net. Despite having to play against both the Venezuelan team and the refs, the boys had much superior chances to score, many of which should have been goals. Oscar Gonzalez had a great shot early on, which just skimmed the crossbar. A breathtaking through ball by Munny Manak to Erick Esquivel was kept out by the goalie’s foot. Esquivel later received the ball wide, only to hit the side netting. A nice cross by Henry Rios was left unfinished. Esquivel did incredible footwork, getting through 5 or 6 players before being fouled. Rios hit the crossbar from about 19 yards out off a free kick.
The best chance without a doubt came when Carlos Gonzalez stole the ball in the midfield and played it to Rios. Rios played the ball through to Greg Antognoli, who shot the ball under the diving goalie’s arms, only to have it stopped by the keeper’s butt as he landed. The ball was repeatedly crossing the face of the goal, with just one touch needed to finish, but, alas, no one was there. A beautiful seam, a flick off of a long throw-in, and a corner all passed right in front of the goal without any Bayern players to tap the ball in. Goalkeeper Adam Zepeda made a pair of stellar saves as he first dove one way to block a shot, then the other as the ball returned to the same attacking player.
Amy Mitsumori
Media Coordinator
Day 5 - Parading the Streets of Coleraine
The boys had their first taste of super stardom as they walked in the official “Welcome Parade” of the 2010 Milk Cup through the city of Coleraine. Before the parade, the boys were given a variety of South Coast Bayern memorabilia to distribute along the parade route to the enthusiastic fans. While the boys were waiting to get lined up for the parade, Dane Silverlake discovered his “mini-ME”. The Irish half-pint identical twin graciously posed with his full-sized model for an unforgettable Kodak moment. The entire town turned out, young and old alike, to cheer for the boys as they made their way to the Coleraine Showgrounds and Welcoming Ceremony. All the boys dealt graciously with the crowds, from hugging grandmothers to giving high-fives to the young children lining the streets. One fan in particular, standing in his front yard near the end of the route, earned cheers and excitement from the Premier boys. He was wearing a familiar yellow Laker jersey, an unfamiliar sight in this land of soccer and rugby. The parade ushered us to the Coleraine Showgrounds, the soccer stadium. Each team was introduced one by one, and ceremoniously entered the stadium where still more fans were cheering their arrival. As the teams were walking back to their buses, Junior player Clay Kelty struck up a conversation in French with one of the players from Senegal, who are all great fans of Obama. It was a momentous occasion of international camaraderie.
The Welcome Reception was attended by four members of our staff, and Stewart. Our club presented Mr. Victor Leonard, Milk Cup Chairman, with a gift from South Coast Bayern. Meanwhile, the boys were struggling to order pizza. Twenty minutes of preparation were required just to calculate how much money was needed, and how much to charge each person. While the Juniors still had the necessary three pounds in coins, the Premiers faced a challenge as the majority of them only had 5 or 10 pound bills. It took Blake Steele and Cody Thompson an hour of intense mental thought and consideration to guarantee that they gave 13 players their 2 pound change, which included selling their bills for coins, spreading all the money out over the table, and sliding coins one by one from one pile to another.
We all are having a wonderful time here in Ireland having fun with each other every moment we get. Here’s a brief moment to share:
It was a most memorable day and we now go to bed this evening with much anticipation of tomorrow’s opening matches. Wish us luck and stay tuned…
Amy Mitsumori
Media Coordinator
Interesting Sight o’ the Day:
The U20 U.S. national team is competing in the Elite section of Milk Cup. Before the parade, our boys had a chance meeting with the national players, resulting in a picture featuring all three teams from the United States.
Day 4 - SC Bayern's Winning Ways Continue
The Juniors had a great game today, winning 4-0 against Cruz Azul. In the first half, Danny Herrera scored two goals and Jaime Salazar scored one while battling the flu. The scoring concluded in the second half with a header by Shane Staudle off a corner kick. Everyone played extremely well, especially midfielder Jaime Salazar who created great plays throughout the game. The defense played brilliantly, starting effective counterattacks that led to all the goals. Robbie Sagel dominated in the defense, and defenders Michael Gray and Corey Schramm played very solid, as usual, and shut down any attacks that came their way.
The Premiers faced an aggressive Irish side, St. Oliver Plunkett from West Belfast. Greg Antognoli started off his outstanding game with a goal. A sloppy touch by one of our boys allowed the opposition an opportunity and forced us to concede our first goal. Fortunately, Antognoli came to the rescue, knocking in another goal before halftime. Jordan Gibbs and Bobby Sekine continued the scoring in the beginning of the second half. St. Oliver Plunkett scored a second goal of debatable legitimacy, as goalkeeper Adam Zepeda claimed the ball was on the line, while the sideline referee, when asked how far over the ball was, gestured to about half a foot. Thankfully for Bayern, the boys had the class not to argue too loudly with the referee. Letting their playing do the talking, the scoring rampage continued with another goal from Sekine and one from Chris Luu in the closing play of the game.
The boys are adjusting well to their time in Ireland, becoming accustomed to the Irish food, weather, and language. At dinner tonight, some boys were seen going back for second and even third helpings. The only weather threat today was "a wee speck of rain", which came down just before noon, and again during the Junior's game. Several of the boys are becoming more fluent in Irish, a language unto itself, and were displaying their newfound skills at dinner.
The excitement tomorrow includes the Milk Cup opening parade, but on the soccer front Sunday will be a day of rest and recovery, as well as mental preparation for the games starting Monday.
Amy Mitsumori Media Coordinator
Interesting Sight o’ the Day:
The Milk Cup trophy was delivered to the Milk Cup headquarters today. President Marissa Peña could not resist getting close to the trophy which has so long evaded South Coast Bayern. This year, however, the boys declared, “We are here to win.”
Day 3 - The 2.5 Hour Road to Victory - Newcastle Friendlies
Today we were granted another day of sunshine, although clouds seemed to appear just as we shed our jackets and disappeared just as soon as we put them back on.
At noon, we left for a 2.5 hour drive to the coastal city of Newcastle. The boys played their first friendlies, each team earning themselves a victory. The Juniors faced Tollymore, followed by the Premiers who played Celtic. All of the goalkeepers played, and each maintained a perfect clean sheet. The success of the shutouts can also be attributed to the defense, who were not well challenged and created beautiful attacks out of the back. The offense itself was extremely lethal; with Danny Herrera, Michael Gray, Frankie Perez, Dean Wright, and Steven Ortiz scoring goals for the Juniors, and Bobby Sekine, Greg Antognoli, Erick Esquivel, Colin McAtee, Munny Manak, Chris Luu, and Oscar Gonzalez all scoring for the Premiers. The team chemistry continues to improve as the teams prepare for their first Milk Cup matches on Monday.
We thanked our wonderful friends from Tollymore and Celtic for hosting us and hope to return the favor state-side some day.
After the games, the boys enjoyed a barbeque of hamburgers and hot dogs. They all had the opportunity to walk along the ocean front street before jumping on the bus for the long ride home. The boys requested “lights out” and most of them slept on the bus ride home.
Amy Mitsumori
Media Coordinator
Interesting Sight o’ the Day:
South Coast Bayern earned the honor of having a short article in a local paper, The Belfast Telegraph, the only Milk Cup team mentioned in today’s paper. Take a look and leave your comments as well.
Day 2 – Sunshine and Soccer
Yesterday, as we were riding in a rain splattered bus, we were promised sunny, “California weather”. As doubtful as it sounds, the weather did not disappoint. Although perhaps not as toasty as home, today’s weather was an improvement with the sun shining and few, if any, clouds in sight. A bit like a typical Huntington Beach winter day, with just a slight breeze keeping the weather cool.
After a good night’s sleep, the boys had a light morning practice as they took their first touches on the ball. While the Juniors ran a drill, the Premiers knocked the ball around the field. The air was filled with energy and enthusiasm, the setting a beautiful pitch on the University campus surrounded by thick, tall trees and a bright, blue sky. All the players seemed excited to be playing. At first it was evident that there were separate groups within the Premier team, but as time went by the small groups slowly evolved into one team.
The boys had another, harder practice later in the afternoon. This time, the final Premier player, Munny Manak, had arrived to join the team. After two separate practices run by coaches Vishtasp Farhadi, Joe Cantu, and Chris Lekavich, the two teams turned on each other to play a full-sided scrimmage, with all the trappings of a game including throw-ins, corners, and substitutions. Both teams initially appeared a little timid, afraid to hurt their counterparts. However, they were soon playing a much more aggressive game. The Juniors did not allow themselves to be intimidated by the older boys. Both teams looked very capable of handling any challenges set before them. Tomorrow, the boys will be truly tested as they each have friendly games at Newcastle. Let the games begin!
Amy Mitsumori
Media Coordinator
Interesting sight o’ the day:
The sunny day lasted well into the night, with the sun setting at 9:43 PM.
Day 1 - Milk Cup Dreams Underway!
A 14 hour journey was a small price to pay to arrive here in Northern Ireland, where The Milk Cup will finally begin. Our exciting odyssey began at LAX when at 12:30 we departed to Chicago for our connection to Dublin. The short, 3.5 hour flight helped ready us for the infinitely longer and more tiresome 6 hour, 44 minute (the pilot’s numbers, not mine) flight into Dublin. After disembarking in a light drizzle, we had our passports stamped, and we loaded our luggage onto the bus, which would take us the remainder of the way from the Republic of Ireland into the North.
The beautiful, scenic views of the lush countryside were not enough, however, to keep most of the team awake as it was about 2 or 3 in the morning, California time. With just one stop for a last taste of American food at McDonald’s, our 4 hour bus ride led us to our guide and host here in Northern Ireland, Stewart Hanna, our four-year courier. Weary and jetlagged, we entered the University of Ulster, where we were greeted by a gloomy rain and a hot lunch in the canteen (the cafeteria), as well as the dorms that we will be staying in for the next 10 days. The afternoon was a time of relaxation, followed by an early night for the exhausted travelers. Tomorrow, the boys will step onto the rain-soaked pitch for their first practice on Irish soil, allowing the adventure to truly begin.
Thanks to Raffy Afarian for this video diary:
Please return to this page as we bring you daily updates from Northern Ireland. Thanks and we'll talk to you tomorrow.
Amy Mitsumori
Media Coordinator
Forward
SouthCoast Bayern Prepares for NI Milk Cup 2010
South Coast Bayern will be sending two teams of boys, B93’s and B95’s, to the Northern Ireland Milk Cup at the end of July.Our B93’s will be participating in the Premier division, with the B95’s in the Junior division.Milk Cup is the most prestigious youth soccer tournament in the world, including teams from Venezuela, Senegal, Qatar, Brazil, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, Mexico, Japan, Russia, Israel, Norway, England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.While South Coast Bayern is not the only American club to ever compete in Milk Cup, it is the only team to be invited back to the celebrated tournament.South Coast Bayern was challenged to intensify the competition, otherwise risk closing the door to all other American teams.Fortunately, we succeeded, guaranteeing our continued participation in the tournament.
The tournament starts with 24 teams per division.After two games, the teams are divided into three groups of eight as each group competes for its own trophy.The highest group chases the Milk Cup trophy, which South Coast Bayern has qualified for in each of its previous experiences.
The draw for the opening two days of Milk Cup was completed earlier this month.The B95’s will be opening the tournament against the intimidating Chelsea, with their second game against Queen of the South from Scotland.The B93’s will start their quest for Milk Cup glory against St. Augustin of Venezuela and continue in their second game against Antrim. The excitement begins as we depart July 20 for Dublin, and continue our journey by bus into the realm that is Northern Ireland.I hope you will continue the adventure with us every step of the way, as we seek to complete the “American Invasion” of Milk Cup.
Please come back and follow us on this blog page as we follow the team's journey up to and through to the Milk Cup finals!
