U11/U12 Gold, Silver, and Bronze State Cup Concludes This Weekend

This weekend, many of the teams participating in the U11/U12 NorCal State Cup will head to the culmination of their season as it’s Finals Weekend for the Gold, Silver, and Bronze divisions.

Overall, 58 different divisions will be decided this Saturday and Sunday at Mary Grogan Park in Modesto and Robertson Park in Livermore, with all finals being held at Mary Grogan.

“We’re expecting another festive atmosphere as hundreds of teams from around the state gather at a central location to play for their division’s title,” said U9-U12 State Cup Coordinator John Stoppelmann. “Just to make it to Finals Weekend is an accomplishment for each of these teams.”

“Every team here has battled through tough competition to earn their spot,” Stoppelman added. “This is the reward for their hard work and a chance to showcase their growth. Families, friends, and communities gather to support these young athletes and it’s that energy that makes Finals Weekend truly special.”

The U11/U12 State Cup began back in September with a three-game group stage in which teams were placed among similarly skilled sides to partake in matches hosted by one of the clubs.

From there, each team was reseeded into a knockout round bracket, with most entering in the round of 32 in their particular division, which was also a club-hosted event.

NorCal’s unique reseeding process ensured that each game beyond the group stage would be as competitive as possible, with ideally every team able to have the potential to make the final.

“At NorCal Premier Soccer, we believe that quality competition is imperative for player development,” Stoppelman said. “This format ensures that each player will get the most amount of competitive games possible which will in turn provide the best development possible.”

The teams who won their first knockout game then advanced to the NorCal-hosted rounds, with the sides prevailing in both the round of 16 and quarterfinals earning the right to play at Finals Weekend.

While the Gold, Silver, and Bronze divisions will conclude this weekend, the U11/U12 State Cup continues on in the State and Premier divisions.

Those teams have until January 25 to complete their club-hosted round of 32 match before the NorCal-hosted games begin in late February. Finals Weekend for those divisions will take place February 28 and March 1 at Bartholomew Park in Elk Grove and San Juan Soccer Complex in Rancho Cordova, with all finals hosted at Bartholomew.

For more information on the U11/U12 State Cup, click here.