State Cup Wrap Up

Hey all,

State Cup started Saturday, and will continue through Friday. I came back after an Under 15 Girls Semi-Final on Thursday, so I stayed all but the very last day.

In my first game on Saturday, I had the whistle in an Under 16 Boys match between Lou Fusz SC (from St. Louis) and Springfield SC (from here in Springfield). The game was excellent, it was a little chippy in the first half, but the second half settled down, and the boys played some great soccer. Springfield took a 1-0 lead into the last 10 minutes of the game, before Lou Fusz tied it up and sent it into overtime. The first 10 minutes of overtime went with only a couple fouls, but the next 10 had a couple more (as players were getting more and more tired). With two minutes left in overtime, Springfield took a shot from 20 yards out, hitting the upper 90 and seemingly preserving the win. After the goal, the player who scored took his shirt off in celebration. The problem, however, is that he was cautioned earlier in the game, therefore he was sent off for his second caution. All was well, though, as Springfield played hard for the last couple minutes and won the game.

Later in the day I was an AR for a State referee out of St. Louis, and the game went well. The most exciting part, however, was that the other AR was Chris Strickland, FA AR from Branson. He refereed at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, and had been doing MLS for over 12 years. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn from him (not to mention, seeing his FIFA badge. That thing is huge!)

The next day I had the whistle again for an Under 13 Girls game that went well. Despite the 3-0 final score, the game was competitive throughout. Later in the day I was on the crew (with Chris Strickland in the middle) for the game of the tournament, an Under 18 Boys match-up between St. Louis Scott Gallagher and Springfield SC. Springfield had won the state championship in back-to-back years, beating Gallagher each time. The game was hard fought, with only 3 cautions. The game went into overtime, and then kicks from the mark, eventually ending with a Gallagher 4-3 win from kicks. There were local camera crews and over a hundred people watching the game from three of the four sides of the field, it was quite an experience!

The rest of the week was relatively uneventful, with nothing but good, hard-fought games. It’s quite interesting to see the emotions that players, coaches, fans, and referees go through game after game. It’s a tournament like this that makes me remember why I love soccer so much!

State Cup is an opportunity to be around old friends, make new ones, and see some of the best soccer in the state. It’s an excellent experience that every referee can learn from. Hopefully, I’ll see more of you next year!