United SC Over-30 advance to Adult National Championships with 5-1 win

The United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) Region I Cup Finals were hosted by the United German Hungarian Club in suburban Philadelphia on Sunday 27. Eight teams battled in four Region I Championship matches throughout the day at the 100-year old facility, all to earn a spot in the USASA National Finals to be hosted at the same location later this summer.

The temperature wasn’t the only thing that made it a hot day, as all four games were decided by excessive margins, with winning teams outscoring losing teams by a combined 21 goals to four.

Local Washington area team United SC Over 30, booked their ticket to that event with a convincing 5-1 drubbing of regional rivals Danbury United of Connecticut. The trip to the national finals weekend will technically be United SC’s first trip to the event, but for most of the players and staff, it will be the fourth overall, with the three previous trips as part of Bier FC.

United SC started the game like the USA at the World Cup, letting in a goal within the first 15 minutes. Fortunately, they were able to equalize just five minutes later through a Dave Atkinson penalty strike, earned by Garth Campbell. It was a cool kick on a very hot day.

After the equalizer, the Northern Virginia-based team never looked back, as they ran the halftime score up to 3-1, then added two more in the second half. The goal margin was something very much on their minds.

“Last time we played, Danbury came back from 2-0 to tie the game, so after halftime we really expected them to come out fired up”, said Roger Hale, United SC Manager, Goalkeeper, and occasional outfield player.

Much to Hale\'s delight, history did not repeat itself, and the team now looks forward to returning to Philadelphia on July 30th to play Kells FC from Portland, Oregon in the national semifinal match. The winner of that game will play the winner of the Florida Kickers vs. Ajax of Missouri.

In other action Sunday:

Boston Olympiakos brought in the first win of the day, downing New Jersey’s German America Kickers 5 – 1 for the Region I US National Amateur Cup crown.

In the 2 PM US National Women’s Cup Region I final, NYAC of Eastern New York beat Danubia of Eastern Pennsylvania 6 – 1.

The marquee match of the day was for a berth into the USASA National Open Cup finals weekend, the NY Pancyprian Freedoms downed the Brooklyn Italians of the NPSL 5 – 1.

Werner Fricker III, member of United German Hungarians said, “We will host the USASA National Finals on July 31-August 1. We will be celebrating our 100th anniversary as we host the Finals for the fourth time.”

This USASA Region I Finals tournament is the largest in professional era history. It includes 16 teams from eight different member associations and the National Premier Soccer League.