CHARLOTTE SOCCER CLUB TEAMS PUT ON SHOW AT DISNEY SHOWCASE

This past Thanksgiving weekend, while most of America was reclining on a favorite couch, recuperating from Thursday’s turkey dinner, the young men and women from Charlotte Soccer Club were battling it out with some of the nation’s finest young soccer players.

The setting was the Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. Charlotte-area soccer was well represented, with teams from not only Charlotte Soccer Club (CSC), but also Charlotte United Football Club and South Charlotte Soccer Association making the trip.  Every game played was highly competitive.  So much so, that of the CSC teams that made the journey to Orlando, only two were able to survive the journey to the finals; the 96 Spitfire G, coached by Brad Francis and the 96 Red Bulls B, coached by Phillip Goodrum.

The Spitfire played their first match on Friday, taking Florida’s FSA Academy Krush girls 2-1. On Saturday, they defeated the Coweta County Lady Cannons 4-1 and that afternoon, played a very hard-fought match against the #5 ranked team in the US, the Del Ray Hot Shots.  The Hot Shots took an early lead, leaving the Spitfire down 2-0 at the half. The CSC girls battled back, however, leaving the field with a tie and securing their spot in the Semis on Sunday. Sunday morning, they met Georgia’s Norcross Fury Gold and coming away with a 1-0 victory, would once again face the Del Ray Hot Shots, this time for the gold medal.  The final against the Hot Shots was much like their first meeting; an extremely physical match and a battle at every touch.  The Spitfire dominated throughout but after sixty minutes of regulation play and two overtime periods, there was still no score for either team. In the end, the Hot Shots prevailed however, winning by one in Penalty Kicks and handing the Spitfire the silver.

On the other side of the Wide World of Sports Complex, the RedBulls were tearing up the competition on their way to the Championship.  Over the course of the 3-day competition, the team allowed only three goals and scored 11 while racking up a 5-0 record.  The Championship match was a true test for the RedBulls after suffering injuries to two players and playing the entire second-half short of two starters.  Their first place result is hardly surprising, however, even given the circumstances.  The team’s list of accolades includes: 11-0 record in the NC Classic 1st Division West, #1 ranking in the nation by “Soccer in College”, 2007 NC State Champions, and 2007 Atlanta Cup Champions.

In the end, even though the traditional turkey dinner was missing, the Disney Junior Showcase proved a tremendous finish to a very successful fall for both teams.  For information on Charlotte Soccer Club visit www.CharlotteSoccerClub.com.  For more Disney Junior Soccer Showcase results, visit www.DisneyWorldSports.com