Disney Soccer Showcase: Day Two Recap

Disney Soccer Showcase: Day Two Recap
by Chris Girandola
December 29, 2016
ORLANDO -- The second day of action at the Disney Showcase at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex heated up -- both literally and figuratively -- as some of the top players in the nation competed under the hot Florida sun in a full slate of games. Here is a recap from some of the day's best matches:
 
More from the Disney Soccer Showcase: Recap of Day One | Standouts from Day One | Day Two Stars
 
Cincinnati United Premier 02 Gold 3, Carolina Elite SA 02 Premier 0
 
A day after battling to an exciting 4-4 tie against Bethesda SC South 02, Cincinnati United Premier (CUP) overcame a scoreless tie at halftime to cruise to a 3-0 victory over Carolina Elite.
 
Luke Birdsong, Eric Cervantes, and Anthony Samways each tallied a goal to lead CUP to the win. Center back Caleb Tan was responsible for setting up two of the goals with assists and stabilizing the defense after CUP secured the second half lead.
 
"We weren't structured right through much of the first half and we made it a point during our talk (at halftime) to change that," CUP coach Chris O'Neal said. "We were playing too compact in the first half and we kept playing the ball backwards. It just seemed as if the guys were trying to be too safe."
 
Tan was an integral part in changing the dynamics of the game when he assisted on Birdsong's goal a little less than 15 minutes into the second half of play. Shortly thereafter, Cervantes scored. 
 
From that point on, Tan made sure the defense was intact while CUP goalkeeper Nic Lemen came up with a few key plays to ensure the shutout.
 
"Caleb [Tan] is an elite player and he knows how to create scoring opportunities just as well as he makes sure the team possesses the ball when needed," O'Neal said. "Having players around him like (Samways) and (Birdsong) makes things a bit easier, of course, but Tan is the centerpiece."
 
CUP leads the group that also includes Penn Fusion SA Elite 2002, which finished in a 1-1 tie with Bethesda SC South on Wednesday.
 
Lake Grove Newfield SC Rampage 1, Campton United SC 98 NPL 0
 
With a little over 25 minutes left to play in regulation, the Rampage held a 1-0 lead when Brian Terra made perhaps the save of the tournament when he made a soaring save to thwart a direct kick shot that nearly went into the upper right corner of his goal. From then on, Terra made five more key saves to help the Rampage hold on for a 1-0 victory.
 
"Brian was just sensational," Rampage coach Tim Graham said. "He made key plays in both halves to not only keep us in the game but give us confidence to push players forward. He came out when he needed to and he positioned his defense in superior fashion, especially on the wall before the direct kick."
 
The Rampage, based in New York, played the first 20 minutes of the match in similar fashion as on Tuesday when they finished in a scoreless tie with Real Miami Madrid, keeping possession of the ball and playing conservatively as they dealt with different conditions than the typical cold weather in Long Island.

"We aren't used to playing in this type of heat and humidity so we need to be smart from a physical and tactical standpoint," Graham said.
 
After conserving energy, the Rampage began pushing forwards in the second portion of the first half, eventually producing a goal in the 28th minute when Jared Lee scored on a perfectly placed header into the far post.
 
From there, Terra made the saves -- 14 total -- to give the Rampage its first win. In the group's other match, Real Miami beat FC Europa '98 Elite 3-0 to move into a tie for first with Rampage.
 
Vaughan Azzurri A 4, Pipeline SC Black 0
 
A day after being blitzed in a 4-1 loss to Pinecrest Premier 1998 Blue, Vaughan Azzurri A routed Pipeline SC Black by four goals.
 
Darren Commissiong scored two goals while Aiden O'Hara and Zach Zifolli each tallied one goal to pace Vaughan.
 
Commissiong scored twice in the first eight minutes of the match and O'Hara put his goal in before the 10 minute mark as Vaughan played far different as the first day.
 
"We played with a different sense of urgency," said Commissiong, who scored in Tuesday's action.
 
Vaughan, which is from Canada, seemed to play with more energy in the Florida heat, a day after they seemed lethargic.
 
"Getting used to the heat is definitely something we had to handle," said O'Hara said.
 
Vaughan is tied for second in the group with Pinecrest with three points. Houston Express 98/99B Navy, which had a 2-2 tie against Pipeline on Tuesday and secured a 1-0 win against Pinecrest Wednesday, leads the group.
 
NASA Tophat Nth NASA 98 Elite 4, West Florida Flames 98 Elite Brandon 2
 
NASA Tophat beat West Florida Flames in an exciting 4-2 victory Wednesday, a day after cruising to an easy 4-1 win over FC Dallas Youth 99.
 
Rylan Lavery scored two goals to pace NASA and now has three goals for the tournament. Logan Llano and Ansel Lerner also scored.
 
"It was an interesting match for us," NASA coach Dan Pietro said. "We began the game with good pace, took a 3-1 lead into halftime and then made some troubling plays in the second half to let them back into it. Fortunately, we were able to possess the ball nicely in the last 10 minutes to win the game."
 
NASA took a 1-0 lead in the first 10 minutes of the match when Greg Stratton took the ball from midfield down the left side and then cut the ball back to Llano just inside the box and Llano finished it with an easy tap-in.
 
Christopher Pope evened the game shortly thereafter with a strike off a corner kick. Lerner put NASA back ahead on a penalty kick after he was fouled in the box following a nifty through pass by Evan Hall.
 
Hall assisted on Lavery's first goal when he found Lavery streaking through the defense.
 
In the second half, Jeffrey Guttentag pulled West Florida to within one goal when he put a header into the net midway through the half.
 
Cody Lawson assisted on Lavery's second goal in the final five minutes of play on a breakaway play.
 
West Florida is in a tie for second place with three points along with FC Dallas Youth 99, a 7-0 winner over Michigan Jaguars Green 98.
 
NASA leads the group with six points. 
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