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Discoveries star comes through

[Under-18 BOYS] In the opening game of the Under-18 boys competition at the US Youth Soccer National Championships lived up its to its billing Wednesday as Discoveries Soccer Club Green of South Carolina twice came back from a goal down and beat the Westside Metros Internationals of Oregon, 3-2, on a second-half goal by Uruguayan-born star Enzo Martinez.

 

WSM went ahead in the 14th and 19th minutes on goals by Jean Marie Mwanga and Santa Clara-bound Erik Hurtado, but DSC equalized through Shawn Ferguson and Juan Velasquez and won on the North Carolina-bound Martinez's goal in the 69th minute.

 

DSC is seeking to bring a national championship back to South Carolina for the first time. WSM would the second team from Oregon to win a U.S. Youth Soccer championship.

 

The National League champion Lower Merion Velez of Pennsylvania pulled away from Kentucky powerhouse Javanon, 4-1, to win its opening game in the under-17 boys competition in Lancaster, Mass.

 

A minute after Javanon took the lead, Lower Merion equalized on a goal by Jonathan Dolezal. Velez then pulled ahead on a goal by Kevin Israel, and Voltaire Escalona put the game away with two second-half goals.

 

Javanon's U-18 entrant fared better, beating the East Fishkill (N.Y.) Thunder, 3-1.

 

The Hicksville Strikers exploded for five goals -- the most goals scored by a boys team on Day 1 -- to beat South Carolina's other boys finalist, CESA Premier, in Under-17 play. 

 

 

Force is with De Anza

[UNDER-16 GIRLS] Coached by Shawn Medved, whose claim to fame as a player is that he scored the tying goal in D.C. United's memorable comeback against the Los Angeles Galaxy to win the inaugural MLS Cup in 1996, the De Anza Force pulled the biggest upset on Day 1 of girls play at the US Youth Soccer National Championships when the California team trounced the defending national champion Dallas Texans Red, 4-1, in Under-16 play -- with all four of its goals coming in the first 25 minutes.

 

The Force, which qualified as Region IV runner-up when the Region IV champion So Cal Blues finished second in the National League, needed only four minutes to open the scoring thanks to Cristina Farrington. Alesha Blair had back-to-back goals in the 21st and 24th minutes, and Farrington gave De Anza the 4-0 lead with her second goal a minute later.

 

The Texans' U-16 team began its title defense with a 1-1 tie with GSA Phoenix Red of Georgia. The Texans defeated the So Cal Blues, 2-1, in their Under-15 opener.

 

Eclipse Select, the only other club with three entrants in the girls competition, won two games, beating Internationals, 4-1, in U-17 play and Scorpions, 2-1, in U-14 action and tied Birmingham United SA, 2-2, in its U-19 opener.

 

The defending champion Colorado Rush Nike opened with a 2-1 win over FC Delco Fury II in the U-19 competition on goals by Portland star Danielle Foxhoven and USC's Brittany Kerridge.

 

The San Diego Surf, the U-15 National League champion, put up a five spot with the goals in its 5-0 win over St. Louis Scott Gallagher coming from five different players.