The 2002 Boys team will begin semifinal play Saturday, May 20, for the Florida Youth Soccer Association State Cup.
With a 5-5-5 record at the end of their season, the Plant City FC Lancers hit a slump and may not have looked like a tournament contender. But the team proved that not all slumps are meant to last and have completely turned it around in time for the Florida Youth Soccer Association’s 2017 State Cup series.
That 5-5-5 team made it all the way to the round of four, in which it will play over the weekend.
“(It took) a lot of hard work,” head coach Roger Kennedy says. “We won because of what we’ve done the last two years. Working hard every day, every week … last year, we didn’t even make it to the second round of State Cup. They’ve improved so much.”
Fatigue, illness and outside commitments (such as the high school season) hurt the 2002 Lancers in the later half of its season, but wouldn’t affect it for good.
As a member of the Florida State Premier League, one of the state’s top youth soccer leagues, the Lancers were able to qualify for the State Cup series despite placing eighth out of 16 in the FSPL season. Fifty-one teams participated in the U15 division’s first round of the tournament, back in March, but the 2002 Lancers were not among them — the team received a bye for the round, giving it several extra weeks to regroup and practice.
The 2002 Lancers began their quest for the State Cup in the second round, starting with a Saturday, April 8, 1-0 win over West Pasco FC. The following morning, Plant City FC picked up another 1-0 win, this time over St. Petersburg-based Strictly Soccer FC.
Ives Estates Thunder proved to be a thorn in Plant City FC’s side, picking up a 6-0 win over the team on Sunday, April 23, but the Lancers were not eliminated from the tournament. They bounced back in the round of 16 with a pair of 3-2 wins — one Saturday, May 6, over the Boynton Beach Knights, and one Sunday, May 7, over Tampa Bay United Premier.
“One thing I can say is, we were not lucky,” Kennedy says. “We fought for every single game. We didn’t get any breaks or any lucky games. We worked for everything. They fought for everything.”
The Lancers point out that, as one of the younger teams in the tournament, virtually all of their opponents have been bigger, faster or stronger. But the team has shown that it’s crafty enough to make up for what it lacks in size.
“Once we get the ball, we counter-attack all the way to their side,” midfielder Alexander Vela says. “Then we get chances to score.”
On Saturday, May 20, Plant City FC will face a familiar foe in Key Biscayne SC at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex, 2701 Lake Myrtle Park Road, Auburndale.
“We were losing, 2-0,” Kennedy says. “We were without one of our better players. We came back and tied the game, 2-2, so we feel really good about playing this team. There’s no pressure on these guys, whatsoever. We just go out and play.”
Plant City and Key Biscayne are both FSPL teams, and met during the regular season. In that game, the Lancers came back from a two-goal deficit to tie. This time, Plant City FC wants to end the game on a higher note and end the tournament on the highest note.
“I’m excited,” midfielder David Ruiz says. “I think we can go into the final and, hopefully, win the State Cup. I feel like we can win and give them a battle.”
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
