Youth Sports Report:

Soccer: RSL Girls fall in quarterfinals

Posted Jun 22, 2009 by Nick Murray

Updated Jun 22, 2009 at 02:03 PM

RSL Florida’ girls under-18 team was knocked out of the U.S. Youth Soccer Southern Regionals after falling 2-0 to the Dallas Sting in the quarterfinals on Monday morning in Dallas.

Despite creating numerous chances in either half, RSL was unable to find the net, twice having shots cleared off the line, and also hitting the goalpost.

As unfortunate as RSL was at finding the net, Dallas had the bounce of the ball go their way, especially on its second goal. What was intended as a cross into the penalty area got redirected by a stiff wind, and ended up in the corner of the RSL net.

“We just couldn’t score,” Coach Ben Strawbridge said. “Once they scored that second goal, it kind of knocked the wind out of us.

“The girl crossed it, and it was going out of bounds, but the wind held it up, and it dropped in at the far post. Everyone was a little surprised.”

Strawbridge said the team was disappointed, but gave credit to the Sting for taking their chances.

“We were good enough to advance,” Strawbridge said. “But they were a good enough team to beat us. The two teams that beat us were certainly good enough to do that.

“We did very well in all the aspects of the game, but we just couldn’t score, and they beat us.”