Irvine, CA, 08.23.09 – As they had done the previous year, the Galaxy Wildcats played hard and fought their way into the Championship Final at the Orange County Kickoff Classic. The Championship game, this year against the Laguna Niguel SC White, was tied 0 – 0 at the end of regulation and was ultimately decided in PKs resulting in a 0 – 1 score with the Wildcats claiming the Finalist medals.  This year, however, the Wildcats did not allow any goals to be scored against them during regulation play in any of their four tournament games while scoring just as many goals (9) as they had the previous year.  What’s more, the new “balanced attack” from the Wildcats resulted in 7 different Wildcat players scoring goals during the course of the tournament.

In their first game, the Wildcats trounced the City Soccer Gazelles by a score of 6 – 0 while allowing just 1 shot at their own goal.  The second game was nearly as lopsided: 3 – 0 against the LAFC Chelsea White team resulting in a 20 point total for the 2 games.  On Sunday morning, the Wildcats played hard against a fast and aggressive Greater Long Beach Heat team which ended in a 0 – 0 tie.  Because of their point advantage, the Wildcats were able to win their Bracket over Long Beach and head into the Championship final vs. Laguna Niguel.  This year’s Wildcat team promises to be a very exciting team to watch with a stable roster of returning players plus some great new additions.  In fact, three players new to the Wildcats since last season (Nancy Lopez, Fiona Duerr and Jacquelyn Espinosa) all scored goals during the course of the tournament.  Other goal-scorers on the weekend were Ashley Coreas, Betsy Mebane, Siena Landay and Sasha Meyer.  With the Wildcats’ aggressive offense combined with a stiffened defense that doesn’t give up goals, the Wildcats are definitely a team on the move this season.  The Wildcats have been either Champions or Finalists in all 3 tournaments they have played in 2009.

The Galaxy B92 had a most impressive run of games at the 2009 Pateadores Cup to win the championship trophy in the Boys Under 17 bracket.  The B92 were never scored upon by any of their excellent Gold and Premier-level opponents at this renown and very competitive tournament. The Galaxy squad beat Hoffman United Hurricanes 4-0 in their opening game,  then beat Pateadores Blue 1-0, and Legends FC Black 2-0 in pool play. In the semi-finals, the Galaxy B92 beat Pateadores White by the impressive score of 5-0. In the finals, the Galaxy B92 won 3-0 over the Yucaipa Athletic Cal Heat team.

The Pats Cup was held July 25, 26 & 27 with the Galaxy B92 having played their pool games at UC Irvine and the championship rounds at the Polo Fields in San Juan Capistrano. The Galaxy B92 is scheduled to play in the BU17 Gold bracket of Coast Soccer League in the upcoming fall season.

The Galaxy B92’s Mariano Guerineau has been selected to attend the 2009 Adidas ESP camp, an official select event within the Olympic Development Program. Players are invited to this program based on the recommendations of a nationwide scouting network seeking out the most promising players in the country.

Mariano is a 16 year old player who also made the 2009 Adidas “Top 100 Players List” for the USA.  Mariano has played for several years now with the Galaxy B92 team having been coached by Mark Shanley, Beto Dos Santos and now by Chendo.  Mariano will attend the Adidas camp this coming summer.  Other graduates of the Adidas ESP program are now playing on the US Men’s National Team, the MLS, on European clubs and in several Division 1 college programs. 

The Galaxy Alliance Soccer Club congratulates Mariano for this well-earned recognition and this honor and we all wish him great success.

The Galaxy Alliance Soccer Club’s director of coaching, Beto Dos Santos will also be attending the 2009 Adidas ESP camp as a coach.

In its first tournament back after its summer training/competition in Brazil, the Galaxy B92 Premier won the top B16 bracket at the Nike Barcelona Cup over the Labor Day weekend. The team was undefeated and untied as it advanced through the brackets, beating a game and talented LB Supreme Squad 2-1 in the finale. Supreme had just knocked off Premier teams Arsenal and Canyon PSA in recent tournaments, and although the Galaxy created numerous first-half scoring opportunities, it was Supreme that took a 1-0 lead on an opportunistic header as the first half ended. But the Galaxy was more than equal to the task, and it claimed the Championship trophy with some beautiful team soccer and two superb Mariano Guerineau goals in the second half.

Congratulations to the boys, who played with skill and heart, and to coaches Beto Dos Santos and Mark Shanley, who somehow managed to integrate four new players and 12 returnees into a unified and inspired team in such a short period of time.

Our Galaxy Elite, who play in the PREMIER bracket for the coming 2008/09 season is open to a few exceptionally hard-working, talented players wanting to play at the top level of Cal South club soccer for the coming season. Galaxy Elite’s new coach is Beto Dos Santos, our club’s Director of Coaching. Beto, a Brazilian native, signed his first professional contract at the age of 16 with Club America. After playing professionally in Brazil and Mexico, Beto came to the United States to embark on an award winning career in the CISL, the professional indoor league. Beto’s nephew, Giovanni Dos Santos, is Barcelona’s brilliant young striker and member of Mexico’s national team. The team trains on Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30-8:30 at the Veteran’s facility.

You may contact Beto directly by email, betoe44 @ yahoo.com, or Cell (909) 631-7074.