Last weekend, three Placer United boys teams traveled to the NPL National College Showcase held in Henderson, Las Vegas, and three boys and two  girls  Placer United teams traveled down to the South Bay to play in the Norcal Spring  College Showcase.

Out in sunny Las Vegas, there were about twenty five college coaches  attending the first NPL National Showcase. Our U16, U17 and U18 boys all faced  strong opposition from teams who came to play from across the U.S. The U17 boys won all three  showcase games, beating Las Vegas Premier 3-2, Tynecastle 2-0, and a very strong southern California team,  LAFC 3-0, to take first place. The U16 boys won their first two games beating Colorado Storm 4-0, Texas Dynamos 3-0, and then tied against Sporting Kansas City to finish third overall. The U18 boys had a tough time in the first two games losing 1-0 to the Chicago Sockers and 2-1 to the Madison 49ers, but bounced back in the last game to win 1-0 over a strong Scott Gallagher team.

Back in northern California, games were also taking place in front of  college coaches at various locations throughout Redwood City.

The U17B White team won the overall points championship in the Gold group posting four straight wins with no goals against.  They defeated Marin FC Red 2-0, Livermore 1-0, Bend FC from Oregon 3-0, and Orchard Valley 1-0.

The U14G White team reached the finals of the event after three straight wins. They defeated the Alpine Strikers 5-0 and Bullard 2-0. In the semi-finals, the girls beat the ACC Mavericks 2-0.  In the final, the girls lost to a very strong Boise Nationals team from Idaho, 3-1.

The U15B Red team went 1-1-1 in group play. They tied Marin FC Blue 1-1, lost to Stockton Storm 2-1 and then rebounded with a 3-0 win over Santa Clara Sporting.  That put them in a tie for points with the Cal Odyssey Earthquakes to make it to the next round.  The teams went to the penalty spot to decide who moved on and Placer came up on the short end.

The U16G White had a good weekend with four straight draws. The girls created many scoring chances but could not convert.  They drew 0-0 with MVLA, SF Seals, and the West Valley Legends.  They also had a 1-1 draw with Castro Valley.

The U15G White played some good soccer this weekend.  They had one draw and two narrow defeats.  They drew 0-0 with Union City, a 1-0 loss to Fusion and a 2-0 loss to Athletico Santa Rosa.

Congrats to all of the Placer United teams on a fantastic weekend!

NPL Boy’s National Showcase: Day 1 Recap

Article Written by Tanikka Queen, ESNN

Published: March 8, 2014

The inaugural US Club Soccer NPL Boys Showcase kicked off Friday in Las Vegas, NV. Here are a few highlights from day one.

U16 Colorado Storm Royal vs. U16 Placer Prestige 98 Gold 0 – 3

The wind began to pick up as these teams stepped onto the field.

Prestige 98 Gold began the domination the minute the whistle blows.

With the kickoff advantage, Placer occupied the attacking third for majority of the first half that lead to the first of two goals by Riley Holbrook.

His defensive run from his position at left defender begin the offensive drive.

With strong players in the attacking third like Donovan Guzman and Hunter Loomis the play kept its fast pace.

Defensive midfielder for the Colorado Storm Royal, Ryan Eddings, had several attempts at the goal but no support from his teammates to finish.

Late in the first half a beautiful shot went into the left corner of the goal off the left foot of Prestige’s Ethan Rohlf to end the half with Prestige up 2 – 0.

The final goal came late in the second half again by Holbrook.

The Prestige’s ball control and ability to open up the first game is just that, prestigious.

Congratulations to the Placer United U16 and U17 Boys for qualifying to play in the National Premier League Champions League Division. Over the last weekend, both boys teams had to travel and play really strong opposition in order to reach the NPL Elite Eight. The U16 Boys played the highly ranked San Jose Earthquakes 97 team and the U17 Boys had an even tougher game as they traveled to play the 9th best U17 team in the nation, Atletico Santa Rosa. The U16 Boys had stunning strikes from Nico Carpignano and Riley Holbrook to earn a 2-2 tie which put them through. The U17’s won 6-1 on the back of a hat trick from Striker Kristian Heptner.

Both  teams can now look forward to playing some very strong opposition in the Champions League Division of National Premier League.

Great job boys and Go Placer!

Rocklin, CA – Placer United Soccer Club is proud to announce area high school seniors, who have been actively involved in Placer United Soccer Club, will take their athletic skills to the next level as they move on to their chosen colleges and universities. These athletes will gather Wednesday, February 5th at 6:00 p.m. in Rocklin to be honored and sign their letter of intent to their chosen schools where they will continue to play soccer.

Dali Alarian – Vista Del Lago High School
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY  (Div. III)

Julia Beck – Granite Bay High School
University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA  (Div. I)

Destiny Butcher – Granite Bay High School
Sacramento State University, Sacramento, CA  (Div. I)

Makenzie Brito – Granite Bay High School
UC San Diego, San Diego, CA  (Div. II)

Maddi Dunn – Bear River High School
Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO  (Div. I)

Abbie Faingold – Lincoln High School
Portland State University, Portland, OR  (Div. I)

Chase Goulart – Granite Bay High School
Dominican University, San Rafael, CA  (Div. II)

Emily Hansen – Rio Americano High School
Cal Poly SLO, San Luis Obispo, CA  (Div I)

Elizabeth Hutchison – Rio Americano High School
UC Irvine, Irvine, CA  (Div I)

Andrew Ireland – Del Oro High School
Adams State College, Alamosa, CO  (Div. II)

Mei-Li Madamba – Woodcreek High School
University of Nevada-Reno (Div. I)

Jessica Raybe – Lodi High School
Arizona State University – Tempe, AZ (Div 1)

Bianca Tabuso – Antelope High School
Sacramento State University, Sacramento, CA (Div. I )

Matt Tarr – Antelope High School
Chico State University, Chico, CA  (Div. II)

Sara Wagner – Granite Bay High School
Chapman University, Orange, CA (Div. III)

Alex Walsh – Rocklin High School
Academy of Art, San Francisco, CA (Div. II)

Trevor Wildberger – Rocklin High School
Montana State University, Billings, MT (Div. II)

Cienna Wilkins – Del Oro High School
Dominican University, San Rafael, CA  (Div. II)

Alivya Wimmer – Ponderosa High School
Boston University, Boston, MA (Div. I)

“I have had the privilege of working with these extraordinary young people and seeing them not only grow as exceptional players, but as exceptional people,” said Ron Benjamin, Director of Coaching at Placer United. “They love the game and their hard work both on and off the field will no doubt take them far in their college careers.”

The journey through the Norcal State Cup is a long one. Hundreds of team in each age group play in the Norcal State Cup and are all vying for one thing, THE State Cup Championship. The teams are seeded by strength during the summer and begin the first round of play in September. (Red, White, Blue, and Green divisions). After the first round, the teams are re-seeded, based on results, for the second round of play. When the second round is completed, teams are then placed in their final divisions, based on results, for the quarter-finals.

U11 Teams

The Placer United U11B 03 Red had a magical run through the State Cup and it culminated with THE State Cup Championship! The boys finished their season with a thrilling 2-1 win over the Santa Rosa United Celtic in the final and were crowned the #1 Team in Northern California! The boys ran through the Cup with seven wins an no losses. Congratulations!

The Placer United U11G 03 Red also had an unbelievable run through the State Cup and ran off eight wins in a row to reach the State Cup Championship game. After a nail-biting, golden goal overtime win over the West Valley Magic, the girls then faced the Santa Rosa United Thunder. It was a back and forth affair with tons of excitement and passion. Unfortunately, Santa Rosa was able to score with very little time remaining to win the game 4-3. What a fantastic run by the girls and they have no reason to hang their heads as they finished as the #2 Team in Northern California.

The Placer United U11 03 White Boys and Girls also did very well in Norcal State Cup play, showing our depth and strength in the age group. The boys played in the white group and had six consecutive wins to advance to the Diamond 3 quarter-finals. They won their quarter-final match 4-0 but were upended in the semi-finals. The girls were placed in the Red division of the Cup and played against some very tough opponents. After the first and second round, the girls were placed in the Diamond 2 division quarter-finals. In that game, the girls won in thrilling fashion with a 2-1 win in golden goal overtime. In the semi-finals, they out strong and had a convincing 2-0 win. In the final, the girls gave it their best but came up short in the end with a 3-1 loss.

What a great season for our U11 boys and girls teams! We look forward to continued development and success as they move into the U12 age group.

U9 and U10 Teams

The Placer United U9 and U10 boys and girls programs also saw much success this past season. Many of the teams were in the top division of the Norcal Fall League, placed highly in tournament play and had nice runs in the Norcal State Cup. Highlighting these age groups were out U10B Red who finished #7 in the State with a 3-1 win over FC Elk Grove Navy. The U10G Red had 4 wins, 1 loss and 3 draws in the Gold division of the Norcal League. The girls also did well in the Norcal State Cup finishing #12 in the State. The U9 girls teams and the U9B Red were all seeded in the top 1-32 in the State Cup event.

We are very proud of all the kids! Congratulations!

At the request of Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Gerber), 16 girls from Placer United Soccer Club traveled to the State Capitol Monday to meet with winners of the year’s NCAA soccer champions — the women’s soccer team of UCLA. The UCLA women’s soccer team was honored by the Legislature for winning its first NCAA championship in the program’s history.

“This is such a unique opportunity for the young players to meet the best in college soccer,” said Senator Jim Nielsen. “Connecting young children with accomplished college athletes gives them aspiration and motivation to continue their dreams.”

Accompanied by their parents and coaches, soccer players from Placer United introduced themselves to the UCLA champions and received autographs.

Jeff Flint, Placer United Board Chair, noted how excited the young players were to meet with the national champions. “This is such a great honor for our players. They have been talking about it and thinking of what memorabilia they should bring to have autographed.”

In December, UCLA captured the NCAA title after defeating Florida State Seminoles in overtime with a score of 1-0. Under the leadership of Head Coach Amanda Cromwell, the Bruins finished the season with a 22-1-3 record and defeated three number one seeds en route to the championship.

UCLA Head Coach Amanda Cromwell reflected on the team’s visit to the Capitol, “We had a great experience in the State Capitol today. It was nice to be recognized by all the Senators and the State Assembly. The reception at the end was very unique in that they brought some club players in from Placer, and it’s always nice to join the college players with the young girls to see their role models front and center and get to meet them, talk to them and get autographs. We thank everybody at the State Capitol for all their efforts.”

We are very excited to announce that we have secured a block of seats for the upcoming inaugural season (April through September 2014) of the USL Pro League Sacramento Republic FC. Placer United Soccer Club members have the opportunity to sit together for every match and show our club colors and spirit.

http://shop.sacrepublicfc.com/products/club-seating-deposits-for-placer-united-soccer-club

How much does it cost?  It will be $331 per seat for a 20-game full season ticket.  This seating location can only be purchased through a youth soccer club affiliation and the spirit behind this offer from Sacramento Republic is to bring together area youth soccer clubs and have us all sit together to show that Sacramento is ready for Major League Soccer in our town.

So who wants in?  One way to organize this moving forward is to create our own “mini plans.”  Look within your own team and figure out how many games each family wants to attend.  There will be 17 guaranteed games (14 USL Pro league matches and 3 friendlies – vs. MLS, a European and Mexican League team), with 3 potential playoff games (you will be refunded for any games not played).  Ask your Team Manager or a season ticket veteran organize on behalf of the team, then sign up through the Placer United Soccer Club link above.  We have until 2/16/14 to get ORGANIZED and submit for seats in our own section. This historic, inaugural season is going to be great fun. We want to make sure we have enough seats for Placer United members, so buy now!

How do we make it happen?  Once your family, your team, or group of friends have decided how many seats you need, please click on the link  http://shop.sacrepublicfc.com/products/club-seating-deposits-for-placer-united-soccer-club and submit your request.  $100.00 per seat will be needed to secure each spot.  50% of the balance will be due on or before 3/1/14 and the remaining balance due on or before 4/1/14.

This is a fantastic opportunity to see professional soccer played in Sacramento.  Coming together as a group will help to show the world that Sacramento is a soccer town and we deserve an MLS team.  Organize and join the fun!

Thanks for your time and GO REPUBLIC!

Republic FC only USL PRO club to align with two MLS Clubs.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (January 23, 2014) – Sacramento Republic FC has entered into separate affiliate agreements between the Portland Timbers and the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer (MLS), making Republic FC the official USL PRO affiliate to both MLS clubs. The agreements come following a development partnership between MLS and USL PRO in 2013 to help further the development of professional soccer in North America.

Each respective affiliate agreement between the Timbers, Earthquakes and Republic FC, set to play its inaugural season in USL PRO in 2014, encompasses multiple strategic elements including but not limited to player development.
“We are excited to partner with the Timbers and Earthquakes in an effort to develop talent on the field, emulate each club’s business success and to entertain our fans with the high quality talent from each club,” said Warren Smith, president of Sacramento Republic FC. “Our organization is twice blessed with the ability to learn from not one, but two MLS clubs, their experienced operating teams and engaged, passionate supporters. Each affiliate agreement is an important part of our efforts to provide Sacramento Republic FC, as well as the entire Sacramento region, one of the most talented USL PRO clubs in the league and a MLS vision for our community.”

In addition to providing loan opportunities for select players, Rod Underwood, an assistant coach for the Timbers Academy and Timbers U-23s and a longtime professional coach, will join the coaching staff of Republic FC as an assistant coach to Head Coach Preki.

“We are pleased to form an affiliation with Sacramento Republic FC for 2014,” said Gavin Wilkinson, Timbers general manager. “This partnership allows us the ability to aid in the development of players by getting them more consistent playing time in a competitive environment, while helping Republic FC strive for success on the field.”

The Timbers and Earthquakes annually will loan a minimum of two players to Republic FC for the entire USL PRO season to further aid in player development, but will retain the ability to recall those players as needed. Each MLS Club’s agreement with Sacramento Republic FC are one-year in duration.

“We are excited to team up with Republic FC as our USL PRO affiliate,” said Earthquakes President Dave Kaval. “Establishing a USL PRO affiliation is a critical step in our continued investment in player development that includes our Academy, our PDL team, and our homegrown player efforts.  Beyond the player development benefits, we feel that it is important to help develop professional soccer in Sacramento with an eye to eventually making it a home of its very own MLS team.”
On January 23, 2013 MLS and USL PRO announced a groundbreaking, multi-year partnership aimed to enhance the development of professional soccer players in North America, strengthen the competition in both leagues and establish a solid foundation for future collaboration.

ABOUT SACRAMENTO REPUBLIC FC
Sacramento Republic FC is an expansion franchise of USL PRO. The club will launch its inaugural season in 2014 and is planning to host its matches at an 8,000-seat multi-use facility at Cal Expo, pending approval by the Cal Expo board of directors. The club’s commitment to position Sacramento as an “indomitable city” is evident through its community investments and obtaining an MLS franchise by 2016. The club has taken steps to build the franchise with the highest caliber of talent, both on and off the field, for its inaugural USL PRO season including the hiring of head coach Predrag “Preki” Radosavljevic. The club’s motto is urbs indomita – Indomitable City. Indomitable Club. For more information, visit SacRepublicFC.com or follow the club at www.facebook.com/sacprosoccer and @SacRepublicFC.
ABOUT USL PRO
USL PRO is the strongest U.S. men’s professional soccer league on and off the field below and in support of Major League Soccer (MLS). Focused on league stability and franchise performance longevity, USL PRO features 13 teams, including announced 2014 expansion teams in Oklahoma City and Sacramento. Through aggressive and deliberate growth in adding teams fully capable of meeting USL and US Soccer standards, USL PRO is building a robust, national professional soccer league in a format that promotes the benefits of regional league play. In 2013 USL PRO began a groundbreaking, multi-year partnership with MLS that features individual team affiliations, inter-league play, and the opportunity for MLS clubs to field a second team in USL PRO. In addition to league play, USL PRO teams compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup as well as various domestic and international exhibitions. USL PRO is the longest-standing pro league affiliate member of US Soccer.