EastSide ready to play in the national final

SOCCER – Gresham's Eastside United 18U team advances to Sunday's championship match

By David Ball

The Gresham Outlook, Jul 24, 2010

Eastside United's Ricardo Carillo juggles a ball during a practice session earlier this month. He scored the team's first goal at the 18U national tournament.

David Ball / The Outlook

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The Eastside United soccer club found itself right where it hoped to be when it lined up to finish pool play at the US Youth Nationals in Overland Park, Kan., on Friday morning.

A win in its final game would mean a berth in the championship match. Of course, Eastside was facing the YMS Xplosion out of Pennsylvania – a team that had taken care of its first two teams with little trouble.

“It seemed like there were a thousand scenarios going into that match, but we knew if we took care of our business our fate was in our hands,” coach Marc Evans said.

Eastside took care of business and then some, diffusing the Xplosion by a 3-0 count. The first goal came just 15 minutes in on a throw-in by Steven Evans deep in the Xplosion end. Teammate Cameron French leapt above a crowd to deflect the ball with a header, and Tyler Pummel deflected it past the keeper for a 1-0 lead.

The game remained tight into the second half before Eastside added a second goal when Evans pounded a shot into the left-hand corner off an assist from Alexander Eckerson in the 51st minute.

“It was a one-goal game and both teams were fighting hard, but once you get that second goal it’s a breaking point for teams – it sucks all the energy out of them,” coach Evans said.

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