LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Monday, February 11, 2008) – The Pali Blues Soccer Club headed to Las Vegas this past weekend and returned to the Pacific Palisades as champions of the 2008 Silver Mug Tournament presented by Friendship Sports, Inc. The tournament pitted the Blues against some very experienced clubs in a series of highly-contested match ups.
“A lot of character was shown by our team this past weekend,” Blues head coach Charlie Naimo stated. “Our group has not had a lot of experience together, but our players were still out there solving problems. It was a great experience for all of the players involved, and we now have somewhat of a measuring stick to guide us into preseason training.”
The Blues came out in a 4-4-2 formation in the first contest of the Silver Mug Tournament, playing Ajax of the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL). A halftime adjustment into a 3-5-2 formation proved to be beneficial, but some solid opportunities came up just short for the Blues. The two clubs inevitably played to a 0-0 draw with goalkeeper Karen Bardsley recording the shutout.
The Blues then posted big wins in their next two contests. Eight different players tallied goals for the Blues in an 8-0 victory over Athleticos, and the club followed up that game with a 9-0 win over the Legacy to conclude the first day of competition. Within those match ups, a long look was able to be given to a variety of players and offensive combinations.
Day two began with a hard-fought victory over the Denver Diamonds, 4-2. After Danesha Adams gave the Blues an early 1-0 lead, Denver scored two unanswered goals to take a 2-1 advantage. Facing their first deficit in team play, the Blues rallied off three straight scores to advance to the semifinal round. Erika Prado led the charge, registering two goals and an assist.
Naimo commented about his pleasure in seeing the club battle back after being down, and defender Kendall Fletcher noted that, “winning a game like that always helps for the next match.”
In the semifinals of the tournament, the Blues faced the West Coast Soccer Club (WCSC) in a highly-contested match up. WCSC hails a pair of players from the Mexican national team, and the Blues saw aggressive defensive pressure, handling the ball quite well in those situations. Adams set up a Manya Makoski tally for the lone score of the game, and goalkeeper Joanna Haig held on for the 1-0 shutout.
In the finals of the Silver Mug Tournament, the Blues would again face the same team that they played in the opening contest of the weekend, Ajax. An Adams feed to Makoski gave the Blues an early 1-0 lead, and the club would not relinquish that advantage. A passionate effort from the entire Blues team eventually led to a 1-0 win and the tournament championship. Bardsley recorded the clean slate in goal during the first half, and Haig finished the shutout in the second half.
Makoski led the scoring for the Blues in the tournament, netting six goals. Adams registered five goals and two assists to help the offensive charge.
The Blues are now 5-0-2 in tournament and exhibition play, outscoring their opponents by a tally of 24-3. 11 different players have scored throughout those contests, and five shutouts have been recorded in net.
The Pali Blues Soccer Club will play the first game of their inaugural USL W-League season on the road against the Ventura County Fusion on Saturday, May 10. The following weekend, the Blues will play their inaugural home contest at the “Stadium by the Sea” when they host the Los Angeles Legends on Saturday, May 17. Tickets for home contests are only $10 for adults ($8 with student ID) and $5 for kids under the age of 12.
Stay tuned to the team website at www.bluessoccerclub.com for all updates regarding the Blues.
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