Real So Cal shut out, needs win to reach final

The Encino-based Real So Cal Blue club soccer team closed the gap against Dallas Texans Red since their last meeting in April, a five-goal loss at the Dallas Cup.

But the Far West Regional champion wasn't able to gain a measure of revenge from its previous setback, suffering a 1-0 loss in Thursday's pool-play crossover match in the boys' 16-under division at the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships at Burns Park Soccer Complex in Little Rock, Ark.

"They definitely had the better of us, but they were never dangerous," said Real So Cal coach Travis Kikugawa, the head coach of the boys' and girls' soccer teams at Viewpoint of Calabasas. "We had one breakdown on defense and they scored. That's what great teams do. They finish their chances."

Zachery Barnes scored in the 55th minute for Dallas Texans Red, who faces North Carolina's Triangle United Gold today in the final round of pool play to determine which team advances to Sunday's championship match.

Since Real So Cal, which missed an uncontested shot in front of the net in the first half, and Pennsylvania's YMS Explosion each have one pool-play victory, combined with a crossover loss, today's match will also determine who will play in Sunday's final.

"As long as we win or tie (today), then we're OK," said Kikugawa, citing his team's edge in goal differential over YMS Explosion based on the teams' first two matches. "We just have to forget about the Dallas Texans and move forward. We can talk about woulda, coulda, shoulda, but we need to focus on the fact that we're playing (today) for a chance to be in the national championship final."