Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-18 Prospects teams are in San Diego, California, this weekend for the prestigious Surf Cup tournament.
After the U-11 and U-12 Prospects teams took part in their Surf Cup tournaments last weekend, it is now the turn of the club's U-18 Prospects sides to face some of North America's top youth clubs in an event where no Canadian team has ever won. The Surf Cup is widely recognized as the top youth tournament in North America.
The Whitecaps U-18 Boys and Girls teams will play three matches in the group stage on Saturday and Sunday, with the tournament quarterfinals set for Sunday afternoon. Surf Cup XXIX will culminate with the tournament semifinals and championship finals on Bank Holiday Monday. Group-stage and quarterfinal matches will be played in 30-minute halves, while the semifinals and finals will be played in 35-minute halves.
Coming off last weekend's triumph in winning the coveted Dave Fryatt Challenge Cup as Pacific Coast Soccer League (PCSL) Premier Division champions, the U-18 Girls have been drawn in Bracket C of the U-19 Women's Super division and will face Real So Cal White from the California South region and De Anza Force SC '91 Blue from California North on Saturday. Jesse Symons' squad will complete group play versus Real Colorado National on Sunday morning.
Coming off a challenging PCSL season, the U-18 Boys have been drawn in Bracket D of the U-19 Men's Super division, where they will face the Long Island Junior Soccer League Olympic Development Team from New York State, as well as the Bay Oaks Gold '91 from California North on Saturday. Bart Choufour's side complete their group stage on Sunday versus FC San Diego B91 Gold. In the 2008 Surf Cup, the U-18 Boys suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 overtime defeat to FC Barcelona of Los Angeles in the U-19 Super division final.
Following their participation in the Surf Cup, the U-18 Prospects teams will then represent the province of British Columbia at the 2009 Canada Games in Prince Edward Island later this month.
Click here to follow the Whitecaps results at Surf Cup XXIX
