POMONA, CALIF – Tough midfield battles were the order of the day so it took a gritty goal to win, but Thori Bryan’s Team 1 got a 1st half winner from Sammy Scofield to eke out a 1-0 victory over Shannon Macmillan’s Team 6 here at the adidas ESP for Girls.

The goal came from a scramble in front of net, with Sydney Payne tapping an incisive pass that Scofield, a midfielder for Chicago-area club Eclipse Select, volleyed into the net from close range. Team 1 nearly doubled their advantage a few minutes later when West Coast FC attacker Gabriela Iribarne, fresh off her two-goal performance on Friday, hammered a free kick off the crossbar. There was a hint that the carom crossed the goalline but the assistant referee was not in a position to judge it and a goal was not given.

Birmingham United’s Annalika Steyn tried to get something going on the other end for Team 6, producing a good run on the left followed by a good driven cross, but it evaded any of her teammates. Team 1 defender Satara Murray continues to have a good event, winning balls in the back, covering a lot of ground and distributing well from the back line.

Right wing player Sydney Payne looked especially strong on the day, with good turns and quality running with the ball. At the end of the half, her twin sister Shelby nearly scored with a volley from a cross by Lonestar SC’s Stephanie Hepfer, but it went wide.

The game slowed down a bit in the 2nd half as the 2nd match in 18 hours began to wear on the legs of the players. St. Louis Scott Gallagher’s Lauren Flynn looked good running with the ball, while defender Olivia Brannon again showed herself to have exceptional feet.

CASL’s Stephanie Bronson is one of the smallest players here but also one of the most creative, and her quickness and technical ability make her an entertaining player to watch. PDA defender Shannon Roche, who has been battling injuries for the better part of a year, looks to be returning to form very quickly, winning a lot of balls in the back and showing some healthy aggression with her challenges.

 

 

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