BRADENTON, FLA., - A tight-knit soccer club featuring players from in and around the Tampa area took on one of the many elite teams that feature players from all over country at the IMG Cup – College Showcase on Saturday.

MORE COVERAGE: Day 1 Recap

TOP PLAYERS: Day 1 | Day 2

As it turned out, Florida Spirit of 97 didn’t need to search far and wide to find the proper winning combination.

It also helps that the Tampa-based crew has been playing together for the past four years under veteran soccer coach Harris McIlwain.

Florida Spirit of 97 defeated USL ODP (Dobson) in a U16 match on a gorgeous early-spring afternoon at IMG Academy.

When asked about his team’s patient, effective style of play, McIlwain said, succinctly, “We have skilled players who train seriously.”

One of those players is Victor Arruda who booted home a goal that gave Florida Spirit a 1-0 lead at halftime.

Early in the second period, Nicholas Brabent made it 2-0.

“I love playing for my club,” Brabent said. “We’re always loyal to each other and we’re always the underdog. It’s nice to come out and get a good win.

“I was talking to some of the defenders on the other team and the four I talked to were all from different states.”

The Olympic Development Program team managed to slice the lead to 2-1 later in the second half on a goal by Canadian Dylan Carlyle.

Florida Spirit also won its first showcase game on Friday against longtime rival Musc Tsunami of Melbourne, Fl., by the same 2-1 margin.

“We’re having a good time so far,” Brabent said. “It’s good to be 2-0. It would be nice to get one more on Sunday.

“We’ve been together for four years. We’ve added some kids along the way, but we’ve kept the same group of core players.”

 

Forza U15 3, Cutler Ridge Fury 0 – The team from Austin, Texas, finally got to play on Saturday.

Forza arrived in Bradenton earlier in the week, only to have their scheduled foe not show up for Friday’s scheduled game. The club won the game by forfeit over Miramar United from the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area.

After being frustrated not having a Friday game, Forza took it out on Cutler Ridge Fury, another Florida team, 3-0 on Saturday.

Forza received goals from Brandon Mendoza, Elias Lara and Max DeLeon.

“The team won,” said Coach David Dinh, who has taught and coached soccer at the same technical school in Austin for the past 14 years. “It’s a team effort. No individual player is greater than the entity.

“They all did well and played hard. I’m very proud of them.”

 

USL ODP (Irwin) 1, Miramar United 0 (U16) – The Olympic Development Program team picked up a second-half goal from Dylan Rodrigues of Naples, Fl., to provide the margin of victory.

From start to finish, the game was an impressive defensive struggle.

Other results – Also on Saturday, Miramar United U17 defeated FC Nashville U17, 1-0, while IMG U17 and Pinecrest Premier U17 battled to a 0-0 tie.

Plantation FC U17 rolled over VSI Pinellas Flames U17, 4-1 and Dynamo FC U17 of Indianapolis topped West Pines United U17, 1-0.

USL ODP (Goudie) U14 trounced IMG U14, 10-5, and Orlando QPR U17 slipped past Tallahassee United U17, 3-2.