Event Preview: U15-U19 State Cup Semis

Just four teams remain in each bracket of the U15-U19 NorCal Premier Soccer State Cup as the semifinals take place this Saturday at Davis Legacy Soccer Complex and Salinas Regional Soccer Complex.

Each team left in 41 different divisions is fighting for a spot at Finals Weekend, set to take place May 30 and 31 at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento.

“To just make it to the semifinal stage of the NorCal State Cup is an incredible accomplishment at any level,” said NorCal State Cup Coordinator Brian Voltattorni. “There’s always a different level of energy when teams are one win away from the Finals, which makes for some of the most exciting matches of the event.”

The U15-U19 NorCal State Cup began back in August with club-hosted group stage matches that were played throughout the fall.

From there, teams were seeded into knockout round brackets, with most starting in the round of 32, meaning that most of the four teams still alive in each division had to win three knockout round matches to reach this stage of the tournament.

Those matches began with the higher seed hosting the round of 32 and round of 16, before neutral sites were chosen for the quarterfinals.

“It’s been a long journey for these teams, but the ones still standing are now playing for moments they’ll remember forever,” Voltattorni said. “You see tight matches, late game drama, penalty kicks, and teams leaving everything on the field for a chance to reach the finals! That’s what makes this time of year so special.”

Of the 164 teams still in the competition, 32 remain in the State Division, NorCal’s highest level of play. Just eight teams will garner State Division titles, earning the right to call themselves NorCal’s true State Cup champion, as well as a berth in this summer’s US Club Soccer National Cup.

The National Cup will take place this July in Denver.

For more information on the NorCal State Cup, click here.