The biggest trophy a U-12 soccer team can win was brought home on Sunday by the Santa Barbara Soccer Club, as Rudy Ybarra’s boys took down teams from all over the western United States en route to winning the Far West Region IV National Championship in Albuquerque, NM.
Shea Blackman, Jacob Blacker and Juan Pablo Alvarez each scored for Santa Barbara in its 3-0 victory over Colorado Arsenal in the championship showdown. The team lost its first game of group play 2-1, but outscored opponents 14-0 from that point forward.
Just as important was the fact that the referees voted Santa Barbara as the recipient of the tournament’s Sportsmanship Award.
“I’d say that this is the best team that’s ever played at this age group in the Tri-Counties, and probably all of Southern California,” said coach Ybarra.
At the U-12 and U-13 levels, there are not other tournaments after the Regionals. The Santa Barbara squad won every title possible this year except for the one in its own league, the formidable Coast Soccer Gold Division.
After dropping the group-play opener to Rock Pack, Santa Barbara dominated Oregon Willamette United 5-0 behind goals from Tanner Mees, Tony Andyan, Giovanny Acosta, Benji Garcia and Eric Contreras. Mees then scored the only goal in a 1-0 decision over Sparta Utah.
In the quarterfinals, Mees, Alvarez, Acosta and Contreras scored in a 4-0 defeat of Colorado Rush. Mees and Carson Vom Steeg scored both goals in the semifinals to beat Utah Sparta once again, 2-0, before the final victory against Colrado Arsenal.
Keeper Lalo Delgado had an impressive five shutouts in the tournament.
“We started in late February, so we’ve been at this for awhile,” said Ybarra, whose team went unscored upon en route to winning the California South Tournament to make it to New Mexico.
“We really weren’t changing anything after the opening loss. We played solid defense and our forward line and midfield pressed well.”
