OCEANSIDE, California - Solar Soccer Club announced their arrival in Southern California with a 7-1 thumping of LA Galaxy in one of the opening games from the 2019 Girls Development Academy U17 Playoffs. The squad from Texas played at a pace that made the opposition (and perhaps the referee) uncomfortable.
MORE: Complete 2019 postseason club soccer coverage
With the foot firmly stuck on the accelerator, there was no time to regroup or take a breath during the 90 minutes on Sunday. It was exactly the way that Solar wants to play given the attacking talent on the team.
Despite the result, LA Galaxy showed some positive signs for a relatively young academy. Goalkeeper Alexandra Reynolds had a lot to do on the day in the first half and she did exceptional when she was called upon. Academy Director Kevin Hartman is the laying the foundation for a strong club in the ultra competitive Southern California landscape - the goal that LA Galaxy scored was a goal that any team would be proud of against a squad like Solar.
Solar, meanwhile, has approached this trip as unfinished business. After Trinity Byars and Lexi Missimo led the Solar U19 team to an appearance in the national championship game last season, but ultimately coming up short against LAFC Slammers (who are now a part of the ECNL), this year’s team is on the hunt for the national title and nothing short seems acceptable. The message the team sent on Sunday is that it’s not personal, it’s just business. Goal after goal poured in, but no one seemed contempt with any score. The neon yellow ladies - with parents donning the same jersey - are the favorites in the U17 age group, and everyone else is already on notice.
There were some teams that put forth noteworthy showings on Sunday. TopDrawerSoccer highlights some of the standouts from the games below.
