Nado Olders, specifically GU14 AAA and BU18 Premier, had a particularly strong showing at the prestigious Slammers Futbol Classic the weekend of July 17th.

Highlights – GU14 AAA
The GU14 played against some very good Coast League teams in bracket and came out it in first place. The team dominated play in the first game versus Laguna Niguel, but three costly mistakes in transition led to three breakaway goals and a 3-1 loss. Ridley Gatlin had the lone goal.

Going into the second game, the GU14 needed a 2-0 win in order to advance. Coach Medina had this to say, “Our best game played this season was definitely our second game versus the Hurricanes. We dominated play, beating our opponents 4-0. Our defense played flawlessly, truly showing that they learned from the mistakes made in our first game. The shutout showed the team’s determination in limiting a very powerful team and the few chances that they did have were denied by goalkeepers Brooke Voorhies and Amber White. Mary Reilly had an outstanding game and finished the opportunities her teammates created for her, resulting in her scoring all four goals.”

The GU14 moved onto the semifinals, where they played RSF Attack Premier. It was an outstanding game and Nado dominated possession. Even though Nado had most of the scoring opportunities, the team couldn’t convert their chances. The game went into PKs and Nado lost 3-2. Defender Michaela Murphy was not happy about the loss to RSF, “Well, we dominated the entire game and we should have won. This was definitely a disappointing loss for us.” Coach Medina had this to add, “PKs are definitely something we’ll be working on throughout the season. For the most part, I thought we continued to improve from where we’ve started. This is our goal every time we take the field. I’m looking forward to seeing where this group can go this season.”

Highlights – BU18 Premier
BU18 Premier fought their way to the finals of the Slammers Futbol Classic, playing against some tough competition. They tied Patedores White as well as Vikings Supreme 0-0 in games one and two and defeated Titans FC 3-1 in game three. In the Championship, Nado Select met Patadores White for the second time in two days. The scoreline did not end up in Nado’s favor, as Patadores White won 2-1.

Upon his return from the tourney, Coach Hiatt-Aleu had this to say,”This tourney is top-notch. We had some great competition and over the 2 days, our squad diminished from 19 players ready to play for game one to only 11 players for the finals. Coming into this tournament and walking away with a second place finish is not disappointing, but proof to me that this team will have an exciting and successful run for top place in the Presidio’s Premier bracket.”

Featured Player: Mary Reilly glides pass Hurricanes goalkeeper, scoring one of her four goals in that game.