Santa Barbara Soccer Club’s U18 and U16 teams celebrate together after winning U.S. Youth Soccer Far West Regional championships.
It was a thrill-ride of a final for the Santa Barbara Soccer Club’s boys Under-18 team at the United States Youth Soccer Far West Regionals on Sunday morning in Albuquerque, N.M.
Miguel Padron scored four goals, and Santa Barbara bounced back from a 2-0 deficit inside the first 10 minutes and beat Southern California rival FRAM Premier of Palos Verdes 5-3 for the regional title and a berth in the USYS National Championships in Maryland next month.
Padron, the offensive MVP of the Pac 7 League from Pioneer Valley High, scored in the 30th minute and in first-half stoppage time to square the match at 2-2 at halftime.
He gave Santa Barbara the lead three minutes into the second half and scored again in the 85th minute for a 4-2 advantage.
FRAM responded quickly with a goal from Grant Sampson.
Geoffrey Acheampong sealed the win for Santa Barbara in the 91st minute.
Padron and Acheampong finished 1-2 in goal scoring in the division, with eight and seven respectively.
This was the second time SBSC and FRAM played each other in a final this year. SBSC beat the Palos Verdes-based team in the championship of the Cal South National Cup in May.
