Day 2 coverage | Day 1

Albuquerque, NM – The Far West Regional Championships jumped back into action on Tuesday, and so did we.

Each team still has one game left in group play, but with the top two teams from each “flight” advancing to the knockout stage (like the World Cup), the standings are starting to take shape.

Today we take stock of two flights in the U15 age group, where Mustang Blast won to stay even with Arsenal atop the girls’ Flight A, while Neusport further established its dominance in the boys’ Flight C.  

Here’s a look at how some of Tuesday’s action went down.

Blast-off: The U15 Mustang Blast girls, national champions a year ago, are again the team to beat at this year’s regional championships. But as the Blast’s close 2-1 win over Leahi SC clearly showed, repeating the feats of 2009 won’t be easy.

While the Blast got off to a fast start, they couldn’t sustain their momentum in the second half, which left coach Neil McGuire with plenty of room for concern.

“Frankly, I thought they were the better team in the second period,” he said. “We did a poor job possessing the ball and our spacing wasn’t good. The grass is long here, and with the wind and the dry heat, the conditions won’t let you dribble like we tried to. In this environment, we must work the ball together and improve our rhythm of play.”

Early on, the Blast was in total control. Kimberly Low and Alexa Vandevanter worked the midfield and forward Ryan Walker’s athleticism caused problems for the smaller Leahi defenders, and she scored in the 13th minute.

Morgan Idso had several dangerous looks at the Leahi goal, and Stephanie Amack was dynamic, showing excellent all-around strength, vision and speed. She scored the Blast’s second goal off a corner kick in the 27th minute.

Despite their initial dominance and early 2-0 lead, though, the Blast lost their composure in the second half and allowed Leahi’s confidence to grow.  

Taylor Kipilii and Taylor Candelario were pesky pushing the ball forward, and Daisy Pascua suddenly became an attacking threat in the second period.

Forward Isabelle Delgado stretched the Blast defense with her speed, and midfielder Dempsey Banks was rewarded for her relentless effort with a goal in the 67th minute.

Even though the Blast ended up winning 2-1, they must improve. Games shouldn’t be that close with a stacked roster that includes players like the aforementioned Walker and Amack, along with talents like Reilly Parker, Alyssa Alarab and others.  

It should be a good one when the Blast faces a strong Arsenal team for Flight A bragging rights on Wednesday.

Neusport FC (yellow) competes against Ka’Oi Cyclones on Tuesday.

Green machine: Neusport FC Green took a commanding lead in the U15 Boys’ Flight C with a 7-2 demolition of Ka’Oi Cyclones Tuesday, who appear to be on their way home after two losses in two games.

After beating FC Portland 4-1 on Monday and picking apart the Cyclones today, Neusport is clearly the class of the group.

They got goals from Saul Aguirre, Tony Velazquez, Adrian Pinal, Osvaldo Valencia and Gerardo Zacarias against the Cyclones, and their ball-movement, organization and athleticism have been second to none in the tournament so far.

With Neusport leading the pack, FC Portland and Eastside are left battling for the final spot in the quarterfinals. They tied 1-1 today in a game that included plenty of jawing and jabbering, proof that these neighboring teams know each other all too well.

Hudson Rhoads put Portland ahead 1-0 in the first half, and defenders Gus Schweinfurth and Luke Brocker were solid holding off the Eastside attack. Midfielder Eric Zechenelly was an energetic ball-winner and forward Koby Yudkin showed the ability to hold the ball up front.

But in the second half, Eastside pushed the pace. Midfielder Jordan Morris was in the middle of everything, and Jordan Thompson provided him with a dynamic attacking option along the wing. The two combined on a pretty series of passes in tight space to get Thompson the equalizer in the 56th minute.

With a tie against Neusport on Wednesday, Eastside is into the knockout round. We know Eastside can score, but can they slow down Neusport’s high-powered attack?

We’ll find out Wednesday – check back with us tomorrow to see how they did.

Day 2 coverage | Day 1