Double Gold For United

Surrey-Guildford United went into the Baker Blast tournament not really knowing what to expect out of their untested squads. Both the boys and girls teams had played a couple of exhibitions but nothing close to the intensity and competition of a higher level tournament.

The boys opened the tournament early on Friday afternoon against the hosts, Whatcom F.C. Rangers; the Rangers are one of the top ranked teams in the state. Surrey-Guildford performed well in the opener, both teams built up well and traded chances but neither team could find a goal in the first half. Early in the second half Whatcom was awarded a PK which was finished for a 1-0 lead. Shortly after, United drew even when both strikers were able to hound a Rangers defender into a turnover; the ball was collected and crossed into the box where it was well struck into the back of the net. Although there were some tense moments at both ends, neither team managed another goal. Final score 1-1.

The girls played thier opener on Friday evening. They were pitted against the hosts WFC Rangers as well. The girls had a considerably easier time in their contest. United got on the scoreboard inside ten minutes and continued to pick on the shaky Rangers goalkeeper for the remainder of the game. After the dust settled Surrey-Guildford had piled up six goals from five different players for a 6-0 win.

On Saturday morning the girls stepped into game 2 knowing that a win would likely get them through to the semi-finals and take a little pressure off for their final group stage game. The girls looked dominant in the early going by keeping the LVR Renegades penned into their own end but couldn't manage many scoring opportunities. Late in the first half United finally got on the scoreboard as a Surrey-Guildford striker out-muscled the Renegades defender and broke in onto goal and slotted the shot low for a 1-0 lead. It seemed the floodgates were ready to open, however, after the half-time break SGU continued to dominate LVR but a combination of spectacular saves, poor finishing and just downright bad luck kept the game close. United's inability to put the game away nearly came back to bite them as the Renegades were awarded a PK with no time left on the clock. The win was preserved by a great save and United was now firmly in control of their group with two wins.

In the boys' second game it seemed they frustratingly chose to follow the example of the girls. Matched up against NK Explosion it was very apparent within ten minutes that Surrey-Guildford was the far superior side and would win with ease. United completely dominated the entire game with the Explosion rarely crossing half but time continuously ticked by without United finding a goal and at full-time SGU was saddled with a heartbreaking 0-0 draw. With two ties, advancing the semi-finals would be very difficult.

The girls third game could only affect placement for the semi's as they had already earned enough points to advance. Playing against TSS, the girls again struggled to score early but put together a tidy performance and eventually, in the second half, the goals started to come and United managed a 4-0 win.

The boys third group stage game was a big one. Surrey-Guildford controlled their own destiny but needed to keep their opponent, Langley FC, off the scoreboard. Should Langley score, they would advance instead of SGU. On top of that pressure, Surrey-Guildford also needed to put up three goals to move past Langley in points and take the fourth and final spot in the semis. United rose to the occasion. The SGU boys took care of the goal scoring first and put up three goals inside the first fifteen minutes. With the necessary lead taken care of, United calmly controlled the game allowing no scoring chances and just one shot on goal. Final score, 3-0.

On Sunday morning both teams played their semi final games at the same time. The boys were taking on Peace Arch United and the girls were playing Kelowna United. The girls game started very well with SGU putting on all the pressure and Kelowna struggling to get out of their own end. Much like the groups stages though, the girls could not find a way to score despite out-classing their opposition in posession. The boys had a much more difficult time having to weather significant pressure by Peace Arch in the first half. Both games were locked at 0-0 going into half-time. The boys were able to turn the tables in the second half putting pressure on Peace Arch and getting their fair share of scoring chances. The girls continued to pressure but the necessary goal continued to elude them. The two SGU teams teams seemed strangely aligned in their efforts to get to the gold medal game. Midway through the second half the boys finally broke the deadlock going up 1-0 and within seconds the girls did the same. With less than ten minutes remaining, the girls were able to put the nail in the coffin for Kelowna and went up 2-0. Lo and behold, within seconds of the girls second goal, the boys were award a PK and scored for a 2-0 lead. Both teams steered home the win and a spot in the Championship final.

The final games were again played at the same time, this time however, on adjacent fields. In the final, the girls were taking on the SFC Rangers also from Surrey. The boys saw a matchup of their opening game, playing against the hosts, Whatcom FC for the gold medal. The girls were facing the toughest competition they had seen in the tournament. The SFC Rangers were physically bigger and stronger but United battled hard. Surrey-Guildford girls got the opening goal at the six minute mark and seemed to be well on their way. The Rangers had other ideas and turned up their physical play. Midway through the half, SFC broke in and outpaced the United defenders and scored to tie up the game. The goal seemed to break the spirit of the SGU team and shortly after SFC scored again on a free kick to go up 2-1. Down by one at the half and bruised up, the girls had a bit of gut check.

The boys first half was very balanced, both Whatcom and Surrey-Guildford had scoring chances but the teams were not willing to let each other get the upper hand. SGU was hoping their fitness would out-last Whatcom as they had no injuries and a very deep bench that allowed them keep up a high-pressure game. Score at the half 0-0.

The girls went into the second half refusing to give up on the game despite playing from behind for the first time in the tournament. Early in the second half SFC tried valiantly to bury SGU but United held strong and locked down the back end giving their offense a chance to draw back even in the game. Near the 48th minute, the girls hard work paid off and they got the tying goal. Not satisfied with a tie, United pressed hard in the last ten minutes and nearly got the winner a few times. Time ran out and the game went into OT.

The boys, in their contest, continued much the same as the first half. Both teams started to get more chances and the teams tired but as is the nature of championship games, goals are hard to come by. At full-time the score remained 0-0 and went into extra time. Very late in the first period of extra time, a United winger attacked toward goal and was hauled down just outside the box, the ensuing free kick was beautifully struck and beat the Rangers keeper for a 1-0 lead. The boys managed to close down Whatcom in the final five minutes to win gold.

The girls went through extra time with no goals from either side and the gold medal would be decided by penalty kicks. United's first four shooters put all of their attempts on goal however one was saved and another caught just too much post rebounded out. SGU's keeper came up big with three saves setting the table for United to win with the final shooter. With the boys team cheering them on, the girls converted the final attempt to complete the double gold performance.Surrey-Guildford had an outstanding weekend, both teams combined allowed just three goals against in ten games while scoring 22 times. Both teams now gear up for the Nike Crossfire tournament in July.