U14-U19 #NorCalStateCup Round of 16 Preview
After group stage play that concluded in the fall and Round of 32 matchups last month, the U14-U19 NorCal Premier Soccer State Cup returns this weekend for the Round of 16.
All across the state, teams will compete in club-hosted games during the last phase of the tournament before NorCal begins hosting the games at neutral sites for the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals.
Sixteen teams remain in each division, with all just four wins away from lifting the trophy in their respective divisions.
“The U14-U19 NorCal State Cup is one of our most exciting competitions that players all look forward to competing in each year,” said NorCal State Cup Coordinator Brian Voltattorni. “Like in previous editions, the competition and level of play this year has been up to the high standard that NorCal is used to.”
Teams that come out victorious during the Round of 16 will earn a spot at the quarterfinals, due to take place April 27 and 28 at Davis Legacy Soccer Complex.
From there, the semifinals will be hosted May 11 at a venue to be determined, while the finals will kick off June 1 and 2 at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento.
For more information on the U14-U19 State Cup, including schedules and past results, click here.
For the Round of 16, NorCal has previewed one game from each of the 10 State Divisions:
U14
U14 Boys Round of 16 | |||||
4/14 | Elk Grove United | San Francisco Glens | |||
Sunday's matchup in Elk Grove will feature two teams that have the quality to go all the way in this competition. Hosts Elk Grove United won the NPL Capitol division in the fall, while the SF Glens were State Cup finalists last year. | |||||
U14 Girls Round of 16 | |||||
4/14 | Solano Surf | Marin FC | |||
Both Solano Surf and Marin FC went undefeated in the group stages of the competition back in the fall, meaning that this weekend's matchup between the two could end up as a close contest that goes down to the wire. |
U15
U15 Boys Round of 16 | |||||
4/14 | Turlock Academica Jrs | SF United FC | |||
Defending State Cup finalists Turlock Academica Jrs are looking to make it back to the final again this year, but in order to do so, they'll have to knock off SF United FC. United come into this round having defeated last year's State Cup champions and will hope to continue their Cinderella story in Central California this weekend. | |||||
U15 Girls Round of 16 | |||||
4/14 | San Juan South | Alameda SC | |||
Defending State Cup champions San Juan South are beginning their knockout campaign this weekend after their No. 1 seeded status saw them receive a bye into the Round of 16. On Sunday they'll meet Alameda SC, who are coming off of a 1-0 victory in the Round of 32 and will be looking to knock off another side en route to the quarterfinals. |
U16
U16 Boys Round of 16 | |||||
4/14 | Stanford Strikers | De Anza Force | |||
The Stanford Strikers and De Anza Force sides are already familiar with each other--currently in the ECNL-RL they occupy two of the top three spots and are fighting for a league title. In the fall, the pair met with De Anza prevailing via a 3-1 scoreline, making this weekend the perfect opportunity for Stanford to get something back against their Bay Area rivals. | |||||
U16 Girls Round of 16 | |||||
4/14 | Stanislaus United | West Coast Soccer | |||
Defending State Cup champions Stanislaus United are looking to repeat in this competition and entered the knockout stages as the No. 1 seed. Hoping to upset them are West Coast Soccer, who come into the game having won the U16 State Premier North division in the fall. |
U17
U17 Boys Round of 16 | |||||
4/13 | Eastshore Alliance | Sunnyvale Alliance | |||
This Round of 16 matchup pits ECNL-RL squads Eastshore Alliance and Sunnyvale Alliance against each other in a battle of Alliances. Eastshore reached this phase of the competition thanks to a 2-1 victory over the SF Glens, while Sunnyvale knocked off Diablo Valley Wolves via a 6-3 scoreline. | |||||
U17 Girls Round of 16 | |||||
4/14 | Stockton Storm | IR Academy | |||
After an undefeated campaign in the group stage, Stockton Storm are looking to take down a giant when they host IR Academy this weekend. The visitors are both the defending champions of the competition and currently sit in first place in the ECNL-RL. |
U19
U19 Boys Round of 16 | |||||
4/14 | Clovis Crossfire | Sacramento United | |||
In a matchup between two sides currently in the NPL 1, Clovis Crossfire travel to the State capital on Sunday to take on Sacramento United. The hosts come in with the pedigree of having made the U19 State Cup final last year and are looking to cap of their run together with another berth in the title game. | |||||
U19 Girls Round of 16 | |||||
4/14 | Blackhawks SC | Davis Legacy | |||
This battle between Region 6 rivals features defending State Cup finalists Blackhawks SC against upstarts Davis Legacy. While Blackhawks are looking for their second consecutive final, Davis are looking to take their strong ECNL-RL form and translate it to cup play. |