Morgan Hill brothers John and Tony Vasquez are at it again. Last
winter they coached their respective high school girls varsity
teams, Leland and Live Oak, to league championships and eventually
to a share of the C.C.S. championship. This spring they decided to
pool their coaching talents to build a new Under-16 girls club
team, the San Jose SC United.
Morgan Hill brothers John and Tony Vasquez are at it again. Last winter they coached their respective high school girls varsity teams, Leland and Live Oak, to league championships and eventually to a share of the C.C.S. championship. This spring they decided to pool their coaching talents to build a new Under-16 girls club team, the San Jose SC United.
When word that the Vasquez brothers were forming a new team spread through the soccer community, talented players from across the south bay called to seek a tryout. By early May a roster had been set and practices began in earnest.
While the United roster consists of players from all over the region, the south county is particularly well represented. Live Oak players Cobbie Jones, Shawna McKeown, Allison Power, Ashley Thomas, Andrea Riolo and Sarah Whitling all joined the team. Other south county residents on the team include Jessica Wrye, Erin Lemmon and Jackie Iwanaga.
With barely two months of practice under their belts, the new team took to the field this past weekend at the Morgan Hill Soccer Complex to compete for the right to join the CYSA State Premier League. The Premier League features only the elite teams from across Northern California.
Nervousness and lack of familiarity with each other were obvious during the first half of the opening game of the tournament. San Jose United fell behind 2-0 early and were unable to recover while losing to the Sacramento United Storm.
Team play and communication improved dramatically over the balance of the weekend as S.J. United outscored their remaining three opponents 5-1 while earning two wins and a tie.
Local players anchored the defense for S.J. United. Goalie Andrea Riolo and fullbacks Jackie Iwanaga, Allison Power and Ashley Thomas were joined by Stephanie Kato and Denelle Spencer to limit their opponents to a single goal over the final three games.
Midfielders Erin Lemmon, Sarah Whitling and Jessica Kolte controlled the play for much of the tournament, creating several scoring chances for Shawna McKeown and Samantha Vega. Vega scored three goals over the weekend to lead the United offense.
Prior to the beginning of the tournament, coach Tony Vasquez admitted he “had no expectations” for the team, given their lack of practice time together.
By the end of play on Sunday, the Vasquez brothers could barely contain their satisfaction, as the team’s efforts allowed them to achieve the unlikely goal of earning a berth in the Premier League.
