Malibu Soccer Team Excels at Strawberry Fest Tournament

The Girls GU-12 Extra Soccer Team, the Blues, finished second in the Strawberry Cup last weekend in Camarillo. The team lost in the championship game by one goal to Sherman Oaks/Van Nuys in a double-overtime thriller. The squad is playing again this weekend in the Top Gun Tournament in San Diego, where the girls will compete with some of the best teams in the state

Here is a rundown of the weekend in Camarillo from head coach William Buckley:

It just does not get any better than this game for the age group. The teams played their hearts out in an epic and dramatic game to remember. Sherman Oaks/Van Nuys scored first and as billed showed tremendous speed and tenacity in developing and pushing the attack. Here was a team that was able to match both the Blues’ team and tactical speed. The ball was constantly in play as the game unfolded at a frantic pace. Wow!

The Blues adjusted and started to control the mid-field, then when they really hit stride, the ball was moved quickly to the wings, then up and into scoring positions. The opportunities started to come and the confidence really soared as the Blues took a 3-1 lead. But Sherman Oaks/Van Nuys came back strong and determined, adjusted to a long-ball game and got two long shots to settle high corner. Regulation concluded with a 3-3 tie. It was a fitting outcome that reflected the game.

The first overtime was evenly matched with neither team able to break the determined defenses. Then, in the second overtime, a quick break-away, a slip behind a defender with no immediate support to pick up the pressure and a skilled player was able to take advantage of that one moment to put up a strong high-corner shot from about 25 yards. With 1:30 remaining, it was just not enough time for a response by the Blues, who were exhausted by nearly 70 minutes of continuous play. The game ended with a score of 4-3.

The tournament began with a match against Woodland Hills A. The difference was the Blues’ ability to gain advantage from many different positions and play the game at a higher overall speed. It was a tight contest early, then the Blues’ better skill-set started to wear Woodland Hills down. The team coasted into the fourth period with a 3-0 lead, then gave one and got one back to get the 4-1 win.

The second game was against Santa Barbara A. The billing from the Santa Barbara coaches was a speed-on-speed game. That turned out true on one side of the pitch as the Blues dominated in possession time. I gave up counting, but we had about 15 missed shots, so I think we were likely around 20 for the game. The great part was the Blues created that many opportunities. Huge kudos to everybody. The yikes part was they let a team stick around to the end when it really was not a close game. The final score was 1-0, but it easily could have been 5 or more to 0. 

The Sunday morning game was against Camarillo Extra. This was a great game as we knew it would be, two very skilled and fast teams meeting for the chance to play in the championship on the Camarillo home field with about 150 spectators cheering them on at 8 a.m. on a wet, slick and fast field. It was a huge challenge for the Blues, who not only rose to meet it, but also proved to all that they were the rightful championship team. A game not to be denied, it was a hard-fought 1-0 victory.

We should all be so proud of them.

What an exciting tournament the girls put together. The training and the comfort the team has worked so hard for allows them to excel against top competition. Every game is tough, but they have confidence and the belief of true champions.