The Colorado Rush finished the Snickers U.S. Youth Soccer Far West Regional Championship with a flourish at the Pleasanton (Calif.) Sports and Recreation Park, taking five titles. California-South teams won eight consecutive age-group titles for the fourth consecutive year. Host California-North teams earned two titles, and Arizona grabbed one. Cal-South and the Rush each qualified three teams for the upcoming national finals July 25-30 at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The tournament features boys and girls champions from the four US Youth Soccer regions in divisions Under-16 though Under-19 playing for youth soccer’s most prestigious cups. The Colorado Rush Under-18 girls will try to win a second consecutive national cup after earning their four regional title with a 3-1 win over the San Diego Surf (Calif.-S). The Surf’s Under-17 girls scored their third consecutive regional championship and fourth overall by edging the Santa Clara Sonics (Calif.-N), 1-0, and hope to atone for a poor performance at last year’s national finals. In the Under-16 girls division, the Southern California Blues claimed their first regional title by defeating Colorado Rush Nike for the second time this week, 1-0. The Rush Under-19 girls also posted their second win this week over 1999 Under-18 national runner-up AGSS Mirage (Calif.-S), 1-0, on Kerri Weaver’s overtime goal. All four boys teams are first-time qualifiers for the national championship. Cal-South Under-18 wild-card entrant Wolfpack (Huntington Beach) played a man short for the final 73 minutes but scored in the first minute of the game and the final minute of overtime to hold off Sacramento’s River City Rush United (Calif.-N), 2-1. Sacramento still will send one team to Florida. The San Juan Lightning avenged last year’s championship loss to eventual national runner-up Colorado Rush Nike, 2-1, for the Under-17 title, becoming the second San Juan Under-17 boys team to advance to the national finals in three years. Colorado will be represented by one boys team, the Rush’s Under-19 squad, which topped Albuquerque (N.M.) United, 1-0, on a penalty kick by Todd Dunivant in the 47th minute. The Under-16 Tempe AZ Pros won their third regional title, clamping down on Portland (Ore.) FC Blue, 1-0, for their fourth shutout of the week. California-South teams ruled the younger age groups, taking five of the eight titles in the Under-12 through Under-15 divisions. The Colorado Rush club had nine teams in finals, posting a 5-4 record.
