South Tampa-based RSL Florida had a strong showing at the Florida Youth Soccer Associations' Florida State Cup Championships (U13-U18) on May 22 and 23 at Lake Myrtle Complex in Auburndale.
The weekend marked RSL Florida's U16 Boys' fourth appearance in the Final Four. This time, they brought home the gold. In the semifinals, the team dispatched South Florida Elite Futbol Club 2-1. Their recent successes in big tournaments brought them into the championship game on May 23 feeling confident against Florida Nike Rush, who they beat 2-0 for the state title.
RSL Florida's U18 Girls team is packed with talent, as most are headed off to play Division 1 and Division 2 college soccer in the fall. They faced an equally talented Orlando-based Rush Nike Premier team in the semifinal. After regulation and 20 minutes of overtime, the game ended 0-0 and was decided by penalty kicks. The kicks went down to the seventh player before ending in RSL Florida's favor. The U18s went on to play Boca United in the Finals. They fought back from a 2-0 deficit to win the championship game 3-2.
The Cinderella story has been RSL Florida's U13 Girls, who exceeded expectations by battling their way through challenge rounds to make it to round 16, where they knocked off local rival HC United Soccer Club, and in the quarterfinals they defeated third-ranked First Coast Kyx to reach the Final Four. RSL Florida's U13 Girls extended an experienced Eastlake team to overtime before falling 2-1.
For information about RSL Florida and its programs, call (813) 541-7613.
A staff report
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