The San Jose Earthquakes Juniors traveled to Orem, Utah over the weekend to play their final two games of the first round of US Youth Soccer's (USYSA) Far West Regional League. Needing one win in the U14 bracket to secure a playoff berth, the Quakes split their weekend series against Real Nampa and Sparta FC.
In the first game, the Quakes faced Real Nampa, the reigning Idaho State Champions. The boys didn't leave any doubt in a 7-0 win, which included a hat trick by team captain Phillip Hausen.
"Real Nampa and Sparta FC are both top notch teams who won state championships," said San Jose coach Jeff Jenkins. "We signed up for this league to test ourselves against the best in our region. The boys knew we needed a win this weekend and wasted no time in getting it."
Having already qualified in the top spot, the Quakes played to a 2-0 loss against Sparta FC. The game was back and forth with both teams having chances to go up early. Just before the half, Sparta FC netted in a loose ball in the box to take a 1-0 lead. San Jose worked to tie the score only to see Sparta net a second goal off of a direct free kick before the game ended.
"We went to Utah with a thin roster and having already qualified allowed us to give some of our younger players important experience and high-level minutes. Regardless of the loss, I was extremely happy with their performance," Jenkins said.
The Juniors next travel to Lancaster, Calif. in November to compete in the Far West Regional League Finals for a chance to earn a berth to the USYSA Regional Championships, which will be played next June in Phoenix. The top two U14 teams from each Far West Regional League bracket will face each other in a round robin, with the top point-getter earning the coveted berth.
