Nomads take the title in U17 Red Bull League

Nomads have won the inaugural season of the Red Bull National League 17, holding off a furious comeback effort from Arsenal FC to prevail 3-2 in the title game. Jose Torres scored twice and Jeo Sandez once for the San Diego-area side, with Rafa Baca and Norberto Ochoa netting in Arsenal's 2nd half rally. Nomads' goalkeeper Chris Blais saved a 2nd half penalty, and Arsenal had 3 other great scoring chances toward the end of the match, but Derek Armstrong and Paul Holohan's squad held on for the win.

Torres worked well up front with Jeo Sandez, Shawn Nicklaw, Rodolfo Godinez and Adrian Avila as Nomads set their stall out to attack at the beginning of the Sandez had a couple of near misses as he raced down the right in the first 10 minutes. After winning a deep throw, Sandez sent the ball to Torres who struck a neat half-volley from the edge of the area to make it 1-0 Nomads in the 22nd minute.

Arsenal tried to equalize through a mazy run from left winger Ryan Thomas, but Jordan Gafa made a vital intervention to end the danger. Sandez almost immediately attacked on the other end, but Luis Ocampo made a good reflex save for Arsenal to keep the score at 1-0. In the 38th minute however, Nomads earned a corner and Adrian Avila sent a lovely ball in that an unmarked Sandez met with a glancing header that bounced inside the far post for a 2-0 Nomads lead, which they carried into the break thanks to a pair of saves from goalkeeper Chris Blais, who twice denied Arsenal's Armando Ochoa from close range.

The 2nd half started slowly and Arsenal appeared to be feeling the effects of playing 2 games the day before due to rains on Saturday. Nomads were organized and doing a good job of keeping the ball from their Southern Californian rivals.

Godinez made a surging run through the middle in the 69th minute and fed Torres on the left wing. With the keeper coming, Torres calmly chipped him and the ball reached the back of the net for a 3-0 Nomads lead with just more than 20 minutes to go.

That simple provided a cue for the Arsenal team that had been largely missing to that point, to reappear. Ryan Thomas, dealing with cramps and slight injuries, began to run with the ball and the young Nomads squad, by their coach's admission afterward, began to panic a bit. A long throw from Thomas was punched out by Blais, but only as far as Rafa Baca who calmly controlled the ball and hit delicate chip of his own that snuck in under the crossbar to make it 3-1.

Armando Ochoa followed with a teasing cross for Arsenal but Gafa was again on hand with a good clearing header. Cameron Lamming then hit a good cross that was handled in the area by a defender, and the referee pointed to the spot. Blais however made a great save on the spot kick to keep the match at 3-1 with 10 minutes left. Gerson Mayen and Armando Ochoa linked well to create a chance for Baca, but the flick went just over the crossbar. Ryan Thomas then made a run down the right and chipped in a serve that Blais got a hand on, but the ball fell to Norberto Ochoa and he finished from close range to cut the lead to 3-2.

Nomads were really on their heels now and Baca, Lamming and Chris Ortega all came close in the dying minutes, but Nomads hung on for the win.

Goal hero Torres said the winning formula was born south of the border. "We passed the ball well and played kind of a Mexican style, like Mexican people play," Torres said. "We (Torres and Sandez) have played together since we were 10 years old. We know each other."

Championship Game Lineups

Arsenal
GK: Luis Ocampo (Jack McCormack)
D: Azeez Atanda, Evan McNiel, Joshua Kelly, Cameron Lamming
M: Chris Ortega, Jonathan Kluz, Gerson Mayen, Ryan Thomas
F: Norberto Ochoa, Rafa Baca
Subs: Cesar Diaz, Steven Ritchie, Armando Ochoa

Nomads
GK: Chris Blais
D: Margarito Corado, Tim Soltysiak, Jordan Gafa, Henook Snook
M: Shawn Nicklaw, Devin Garcia, Pedro Anan, Jose Torres
F: Rodolfo Godinez, Jeovahnni Sandez
Subs: Adrian Avila, Matthew Norton, Luis Robes, Jorge Valenzo, Jesus Sanchez

Consolation Results
3rd Place: Concorde Fire Elite 3, PDA 1
Connor Barbaree, Nick Burton and Jamie Deal (a goalkeeper taking a rare runout as a field player) scored for Gregg Blaasingame's Georgians, with Jon Silva scored for Sam Nellis' New Jersey side. The match was cut short when Concorde goalkeeper Patrick Martineau suffered an apparent spinal injury and was transported by ambulance to the hospital.

5th Place: Solar SC 2, Sockers FC 1
Bob Miltenberger continued an excellent weekend with with an opening goal, but after Sockers' Sergio Realegeno equalized in the 2nd half, Solar's Steven Embry scored a last-minute winner.

7th Place: Dallas Texans 2, Chicago Magic 0
Jeremy Burkett scored for the 3rd consecutive day, and and Ben Hill added another for Texans in the shutout win, with Michael Murray recording the shutout in goal.

9th Place: Pateadores 3, FC DELCO 2
Benny Estes, Paulo and Juan Cuella netted for Mike Gartlan's Californians, while Joe Crowley and Dwayne Dove scored for FC DELCO.

11th Place: CASL Elite 3, Irvine Strikers 2 (OT)
Conor Byrne brought his club soccer career to a close with an overtime penalty kick to lift the North Carolina side to the win .

Zane Tharakan and James Carpenter had scored in regulation for CASL, but Daniel Crandall and Alex Fitschen equaled the tally for the Californians.

13th Place: Scott Gallagher SC 2, Crossfire Premier 1
Dave Schwer and Will Bruin scored for the St. Louis side, with Fernando Monge pulling one back for the Seattle-area side.

15th Place: Colorado Rush 3, Atlanta Fire United 0
Thomas Hoang bagged a hat trick for the Rush.