Rays Athletes Excel at Mustang Stampede

Editor's note: This article was submitted by Anu Subramanian. To submit an article, e-mail miriam@patch.com.

The Burlingame Rays braved the brutal heat to put in an impressive performance at the Mustang Stampede tournament August 10 through August 12, but bowed out in penalty kicks at their semi-final game.
 
The Rays placed in the U13 Premier bracket at the Mustang Stampede tournament this year like previous years. They began their tournament on Friday, August 10, against a tough MFC Newcastle 99G (Surf 2012 finalists), and pulled off an upset with a 1-0 score.

They then went on to win their second game 2-1 against Carlsbad Lightning 99G (one of the top Southern California teams).  

The girls tied their next game 1-1 on Saturday morning (August 11) against Placer United 00G Red to top their bracket and move on to the quarter finals on Saturday afternoon. The temperature on the turf on Saturday afternoon measured a whopping 156 degrees,and the girls worked through both the stifling heat and heat-induced blisters on their feet.

They put a respectable 5-0 on the scoreboard that afternoon, despite the tough conditions, to beat Davis Legacy Millennium and move on to the semi-final game.

The semi-final was against a tough Santa Rosa Tremors team, but the Rays were relentless in their pursuit. They dominated the game and tied 1-1 to go into overtime. Both teams held each other off in overtime, and the game went to penalty kicks, where the Rays ended their tournament run 4-5.

Look here for game results - http://www.mustangsoccer.com/schedules/2012/46933792.html 

Hats off to the kids for playing their possession style with flair and giving it their all. What a breathtaking performance! The Rays faced tough match-ups and great competition throughout the tournament, but dominated all their games with their technical and tactical skill under Coach Luciano’s guidance. The team played disciplined yet creative and scintillating soccer and earned the respect of onlookers and opponents alike. 

The team will now go back to the practice pitch and continue training for the upcoming Blues Cup tournament in Southern California.  

The 99G Rays are coached by Luciano Fusco. The objective is to establish a good foundation for the girls and facilitate future developmental stages. Coach Luciano places player and team development above winning. Players are encouraged to take risks in their game without the fear of losing.    

Additionally, the Rays practice and play at facilities that include different playing surfaces – futsal flooring,turf and grass – while using varying pieces of soccer equipment that provide a broad spectrum of learning and conditioning opportunities. To learn more about the team, look here.
   
The Rays welcome talented players to tryout and join the team. The team consists of girls with birth dates between August 1, 1999 and July 31, 2000. If your player’s birth date falls in this age range, please email alliance99g@gmail.com to inquire about participating in an upcoming practice.

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