BOYS UNDER 14 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Druids hexing Celtic ever winning a “USA-National-Championship” was a growing worry... Good luck, bad luck-soccer matches Celtic team’s should have won, could have won, would have won, but never won,
from 1979 include:
1984, BU/16, Cal South National-Cup final VS Nomads with the score
2--2 draw, lost in OT. Nomads, a beautiful team, went on to win the National-Cup in New York; the most memorable match of my life.
1986, same team, last minute penalty kick in the rain against Fram-Culver, lost 4—3. Fram, I opine, is still one of the most efficient BU/19 teams ever assembled is So Cal; Tad Bobak coached the team.
Fram won the McGuire Cup that year; first time a West Coast won it in 52 years. Marcello Balboa, Waldeir Guerra and Danny Pena played on Fram. The aforementioned 1968 DOB Celtic team is the founding team of
Celtic Soccer Club.
1976 DOB team scored a winning indirect goal in state final of 1988; however, after the ball ricocheted off the goalkeepers’ hands up into the roof of the net, the referee decided the goalies hands were behind the goal line, consequently, goal disallowed, lost in OT.
(John O’Brien Ajax-Holland MVP)
National
Champions 2004:
This August or younger 1989/90 DOB team was very successful U/9, U/10, and U/11; however, Cal State Cup record 1999, 00, 01, lost every year.
2002, U/12 was a new year, once again Celtic lost the
So. Cal National-Cup Final versus San Diego Surf-7th kicker S.O.
If there was a way to choke in National Cup, it seemed I could find it.
1989/90 DOB team was the most overachieving I’ve ever coached from the age of nine to age twelve, compliments of ‘Baby Shaq’ in the net…all free kicks in defensive and offensive third of the pitch were his exclusive domain and specialty; leading scorer on the team throughout….
While the National-Cup U/12 Final match was in progress and before, a 4-parent unsuccessful coup d e tat against this author occurred.
Said parents busily organized a secret dinner party immediately after the match. Informed of said shenanigans by friendly fire, hungry and curios, I decided to show up uninvited and unannounced
one hour after the appointed dinnertime,
around the moment of the third course, and stated
“Since I’m probably the subject here,
I though I might as well also be the predicate”.
What was disappointing upon arrival is the fact
no one offered me any food, not even a drink of water.
‘This is a private dinner party’ exclaimed the leader, with enmity.
When the dust settled, six players moved to another team. Serendipitously, six new players found their way onto the team, said players promptly transformed the team from good to great. The six best players on the team for years, refused to attend the dinner or join the conspirators.
Some players (11 years old) were offered college-funding opportunities
if they would leave Celtic...
2003 was a very good year, BU/13 with 12 players on board, the team won Cal. So NTL-Cup and Regional Championship in Honolulu
Celtic were also selected for the “FIFA Fair Play award” NTL-Cup, Cal. So edition, and won it again @ regional edition in Hawaii.
The players swam in the ocean, performed wonderfully and enjoyed immensely 10 days on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu.
2004 was another exciting year with ambitious aspirations and high hopes of winning the USA Championship, something no Celtic team ever accomplished. Celtic prepared for the steep climb with 13 players and the opportunity to take on all comers, stand-alone-Crème de la Crème….
Opening salvo: Celtic won the Cal. So NTL-Cup, then won Regional-Cup in Spokane and closed the year by winning the
National Championship.
(U/14 is the youngest age eligible for “USA-Final-4”.
The team won Nationals in Orlando with essentially 11 players. Two of the forwards had serious hamstring problems and didn’t participate until the final match even then they were at best 60%.
Celtic players realize success is derived from many factors including: Respect for opponents always paramount, confidence in the hoops ever supreme, fighting the good fight fair and square, win, lose or draw.
No excuses!
SEMPER FI!
Final words before departing our hotel
Championship Match:
You know how proud I am of you
We’ve discussed tactics ‘til we’re blue in the face
Wear the hoops with pride!
If we go down, we’ll go down with all guns blazing to the last man!
This is a Mexican-IRA squad heading for Belfast…
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I usually close our pre-match meetings, out of habit, with the command:
Up and out!
After my Guns-Blazing and Mexican-IRA metaphors,
team slammed their hands on the desks and spontaneously roared
‘Up and out’!
At that moment, I knew my lad’s was ready to lock and load….
(1) George Amezcua
(7) Emmanuel Rodriguez
(11) Moises Balderas (14) Daniel Simonian (15) Omar Tapia
(8) Chuy Corona (12) Mario Gutierrez (17) Mata Isiordia
(6) Alex Fitschen (18) Michael Mora (9) Omar Ramirez
(10) Alex Serrano - (4) Jorge Valencia
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Record over last two years
So-Cal 2003 National-Cup:
Wins over Valley Utd, So Cal Utd, San Diego Vaqueros,
San Diego Lightning, Barcelona,
Final: Celtic 4 So Bay Force 2,
Regional Championship in Hawaii:
Undefeated VS-WA, OR, CO, HI, Cal North,
Final: Celtic 2 AZ Toros 1
So Cal 2004 NTL Cup:
Wins VS Clarita Rangers, Foothill Flyers, Arsenal, So Cal UTD, Storm.
Final: Celtic 2 Barcelona 1
Regional Championship in Spokane:
Victories over Cal North, NM, WA, OR, Cal-So-WC Barcelona,
Final: Celtic 3 AZ Serrano Eagles 0
National Final-4 in Orlando:
Raptors, Rockford IL 2 Celtic 2
Tampa Bay, FL 1 Celtic 4
Hockossin, DE 1 Celtic 2
Final: Celtic 3 Raptors 1
Celtic trailed at half time in two of the Final 4 matches,
(1) VS Tampa Bay, FL, (2) VS Hockessin, DE.
Celtic 10 points total, next best, Raptors 4 points
George Amezcua, Chaffey High School
Golden Glove=MVP, Goalie
Mario Gutierrez, Lynwood High School
Golden Boot=MVP, Center half
Award ceremony Celtic MVP-none; went to the “team”
The Druid hex is over.
Life is good!
BU/15, 2004/05, ranked #1:
NationalSoccerRanking.com,
GotSoccer.com
Editorial: USysa.org
Matt McDonagh
