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TSC 97 Red results in the Spring Classic Tournament
Dallas, TX
March 21-23, 2008
TSC 97 Red 1, Fort Worth FC 97 White 0
TSC 97 Red 1, D'Feeters 97 Girls 0
Sting Dallas Royal 97 G 0, TSC 97 Red 1
FC Dallas 2, TSC 97 Red 1 (Shootout)
[click for official tournament results]
[click for SPRING CLASSIC photo galleries]
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TSC 97 RED MAKES QUARTERS AT SPRING CLASSIC TOURNEY IN DALLAS
It was high-noon. (okay, more like 6 pm). Before the fretful contest commenced, you could literally taste the nervousness in the musty air down at the OK Corral (not really, but Dallas is close enough). Tumbleweeds rolled lazily across the lonely plains (Texas is a big state, There were tumbleweeds blowing somewhere, surely). Despite a not-so-slightly less picturesque setting, nonetheless, on the beautifully breezy, gorgeously precipitation-free day of March 22, 2008, a Texas-style gunfight did take place in the Quarter-Finals of the Spring Classic in Dallas, TX. It ended in a shootout. There was a victor and a victim. Licking fresh wounds from a second straight tournament shootout loss, the vanquished, aka TSC 97 Red, dusted off its cleats and recoiled off into the sunset to rehash another missed chance at toppling Texas’ best and to regroup for future battles yet to come, comforted in the knowledge that success was only one swift(er) kick away.
TSC 97 Red entered the Spring Classic eager for action against a tough bracket of Texas broods, including two Division I and one Division II teams, some of which TSC had met in prior ventures south of the Red River. The first game pitted 97 Red in a third bout with FW 97 White, who TSC had battled twice in the Kyle Owens Classic in January. The game was quick-paced. The first half ended scoreless, though not for lack of offensive opportunities. With the wind at their backs, finally TSC strapped one on as the defense held the fort to pull out of the match with a 1-0 win.
The evening game featured size and power versus speed and quickness in a re-visitation with the 97 D’Feeters, (whom TSC 97 Red had previously tied in the Plano Invitational in September 2007). Yet another scoreless first half added to the high-drama of a very physical contest between two solid defensive teams. TSC’s D thwarted long range bombs while its offense tested every inch of the D’Feeter keeper’s considerable height as she aptly demonstrated great range knocking down sure-fire goals both high and low. She would have had a perfect game save for one breakaway right-side, two-on-one ripper from Mars into the top left corner. This score mid-way through the second half gave TSC enough advantage to come out on top 1-0.
Posting wins against two very good teams had TSC 97 Red feeling confident heading into the match with bracket high-seed 97 Sting Royal. (Perhaps a little too confident.) Despite a temporary period of disorganized unrest in the miraculously scoreless first half, 97 Red managed to congeal prior to half’s end and get things sorted. TSC spring-boarded to an early advantage in the second half following a three-on-one skills clinic schooling session held in the box by the TSC midfielder known as “silk”. It was the solo score of the game as the TSC D tightened up and locked things down.
Three shut-out 1-0 victories sealed the bracket win and a quarter final bid, positioning TSC for a rematch with FC Dallas Youth 97, who had knocked 97 Red out in the semi’s of the Plano tourney last fall. The FC Dallas defense was surprised by early advances and then the mid-field reorganized for offensive penetration that materialized in a TSC defensive breakdown mid-first half. TSC answered on a fanciful header-goal-off-free-kick opportunity seconds before half to tie it up 1-1. The second half was a mid-field struggle as both teams fought tooth and nail to post the go-ahead score. The 1-1 tie lasted though the remainder of regulation play and double overtime, ultimately forcing the game to a shootout situation. Red would not be vindicated this go-round, falling behind 4-3 in the shootout.
FC Dallas’s gunfire mettle was tested again in another successful shootout in the Semi’s against Solar 97 Blue to yield them a spot in the finals where they met their doom 0-1 against the eventual Spring Classic U11 Champion Dallas Texans Reds. The tourney top seed Dallas Texans had sailed through their side of the bracket before being challenged in the Semis by fellow Okie HFC 97 Elkington, defeating them 3-1 to advance to the championship. All in all it was a testament to the strength of Tulsa’s elite squads who represented Oklahoma well amongst the cream of the Texas crop.
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