U.S. National Youth Soccer Championships : New Jersey team has burning desire
Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2008
The PDA Fire from New Jersey has won its regional tournament for the past three seasons, and Coach Tom Anderson said he wouldn’t mind adding a national title to the growing list of team awards.
The Fire just missed that goal last year, coming as close as possible without coming away with the trophy. The Fire reached the national championship for under-15 s, but fell to the So Cal Blues in a shootout that broke a 1-1 tie.
On Wednesday, the Fire faced the Blues in a rematch, but this time the Fire pulled away with a 1-0 victory in round-robin play at the US Youth Soccer National Championships at Burns Park in North Little Rock.
Anderson said reaching the finals again won’t be an easy task and winning the tournament won’t happen by accident.
After all, the Fire will be facing Eclipse Select of Illinois today and the Dallas Texans Red 92 team on Friday. Eclipse Select won the inaugural National League this season and the Texans finished second. The teams with the two highest point totals in the 6-team Under-16 group will compete for the championship Sunday at 10: 15 a.m.
“We drew three difficult teams,” Anderson said. “If we win it, it won’t be because we got a free pass or anything. We’ll have earned it.” Mary Gibson Wagner dribbled past three defenders before scoring an unassisted goal in the left corner of the net to give the Fire a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute of the match.
Wagner and the other forwards nearly put away additional goals for the Fire in the second half. Wagner took an open shot from the left side that bounced off the crossbar, the second shot by the Fire to bounce off the top of the goal. The Fire also missed a shot that sailed just over the goal on a direct kick.
“If the goal was a little higher, we might’ve had a few more,” Anderson said.
The Fire, which did not allow a goal in the regional tournament, continued its tournament shutout streak. The Blue, one of just four returning champions in the national tournament, had few opportunities to score in the match, missing a close goal in the 32 nd minute.
The PDA teams, the Fire included, have experienced almost instant success since Anderson and Sam Nellins co-founded the PDA in 1998. Eight clubs from PDA reached the regional tournament this year, and PDA teams have won the Region I tournament 20 times.
Before joining the Fire a year ago, Anderson led a team called Wildcats that one five consecutive Region I Championships and the Under-15 national title in 2003.
The program has produced nationally elite players as well. Of the 18 players on the women’s US National Team, four of the team played in New Jersey. Two of the players, Heather O’Reilly and Tobin Heath, were former PDA players from New Jersey.
Anderson said New Jersey’s participation on the U. S. team speaks to the success and talent of soccer in the state.
“Obviously, California has the weather where they can play outdoors all year around and has great competition,” Anderson said. “They’re a fantastic state and Texas, too, but I think New Jersey’s right up there.”
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