DANVILLE, Calif. (December 17, 2023) - Three AC Marin teams made the trip to Danville, CA for the U9-U12 Cal North State Cup, two of those teams were able to lift a Cal North State Cup for their first time.
The AC Marin 2015 Boys Black led by Coach Efren Del Toro were the first one on the podium for the club from Marin County.
Despite being young in age, these players and their families are used to playing tournaments week in, week out.
"They're a group of families that love to play," said Del Toro. "We've been doing tournaments just about every weekend."
Coach Del Toro says these kids are learning how to get open in space, but has seen improved ball control has. For him it's a new team, but some of the boys have know each other for 2-3 years already playing together at a younger age.
"They're very smart. It's only been half a season (fall) and these boys, everything I've taught them, have caught on, they keep practicing it," he added.
The 2015 Boys Black came out firing on Day 1 of State Cup, beating Sunnyvale Alliance SC and San Jose Rush by a score of 6-1 each.
Day 2 on Sunday, knowing that the State Cup was in their control, they were able to keep a clean sheet in a 3-0 victory over Cupertino FC.
In three games, the AC Marin 2015 Boys Black scored 15 goals and conceded two. This is the youngest age group that the Cal North State Cup is offered at, claiming their first State Cup ever.
In the meantime, Coach Del Toro will continue to do his part in the development of these kids. "Keep pushing them. There's a reason why these kids are eager to play at 8 in the morning, because they love the sport. They want to be here," he said.
As for the AC Marin 2013 Boys Black, this year they came out on top after falling short in the last edition of the Cal North State Cup.
In the 2022/2023 Cal North State Cup, this team was drawn in Group C, beating Santa Cruz City SC Sharks, Chowchilla Reds and McSwain Soccer League Colts in group stage. In the semifinals, they ran into FC Fresno Academy, who would end up winning the U10 Boys bracket.
This year the 2023 Boys Black from AC Marin once again had no issues getting past the group stage, beating Valley United Soccer Club, San Leandro United Academy and San Jose Rush.
"Our boys came out to play and they were hungry and they were passionate," said Coach Will Diaz. "We had a good couple of games leading up to it, but this was our biggest challenge for sure."
In the State Cup Final they matched-up against Pittsburg Youth Soccer Club who had finished top of their group as well. An intense back-and-fourth Final was witnessed at Mustang Soccer Complex, with thrills and emotions roaming the field. A total of six goals were screamed, with AC Marin coming out victorious by a final score of 4-2, claiming their first Cal North State Cup as a team and their second State Cup as a club.
"We had 12 returning players this year, which really added to that chemistry and added to that team bond," said Diaz. "We had a couple of 14's (born in 2014) move up to play which was nice," he added.
The 2023-2024 Cal North State Cup for all U13-U19 age groups will be taking place on April 13-14, 2024 at Morgan Hill Outdoor Sports Center in Morgan Hill, California. Several District Cup Champions are already confirmed and waiting for opponents. If your team is interested in playing Cal North State Cup, you have until March 30, 2024 to register. Learn more Here.
Click Here to see 2023-2024 Cal North State Cup (U9-U12) photo gallery powered by Geosnapshot.
Supporting Sponsors
We would like to thank Stanford Medicine Children's Health, Raley's , Dick's Sporting Goods & SoccerPro for being supportive sponsors of Cal North State Cup.
A special Thank You to Mustang Soccer Club for helping us host the Cal North State Cup for U9-U12 age groups in their beautiful facilities.
Follow Cal North @calnorthsoccer on all social media platforms for coverage of the event.
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