CARLSBAD — City SC Carlsbad’s U14 Gold team captured the prestigious SoCal State Cup on Feb. 28, defeating Irvine Slammers 2-1 in a dramatic final at Silverlakes Sports Complex in Norco.
The month-long tournament featured more than 30 of Southern California’s top youth teams, marking the first State Cup victory for a boys’ team from the club in nearly a decade.
“It’s really tough at this age, with all the traveling and staying consistent,” said head coach Tapiwa Manhungo. “But I have a unique group of boys — driven, motivated, and tight-knit. They’ve made six finals this year, and even on days off, they train together on their own. They’re not just good players, they’re good kids and good human beings as well.”
Over the course of the club tournament season, U14 Gold (players born in 2014, competing in the U12 age group) won five tournament championships. At the State Cup, they competed in the Super Cup, the highest level. Running from Jan. 28 through Feb. 28, the team went undefeated, winning six games and drawing one.
“There was a bit of pressure, but we just tried to focus on the game,” Manhungo said. “For these boys, it’s another final, another tournament. But the State Cup brings together Southern California’s finest teams, so it’s a different kind of excitement. Winning it is something that hadn’t been done by the boys’ side of our club in a long time, and you could see how ecstatic they were after the game.”
In the championship game, Carlsbad controlled much of the first half and opened the scoring when Evan Escobedo netted a long-range goal, assisted by Peter Allen.
The Slammers responded in the second half, equalizing on a counterattack after winning the ball in the middle third and capitalizing on the chance inside the box. With 15 minutes remaining, Caleb Lion scored off a corner kick to secure the 2-1 victory.
“They were a very good team and played well together, but I thought we did well, especially in the first half,” Manhungo said. “We had control early and focused on neutralizing their best players. Our previous successes also played a huge part in calming nerves — our experience gave them confidence and motivation throughout the game.”
Goalkeeper Yusuf Tabet was instrumental in getting the team to the final, saving three penalties in the semi-final shootout against Borussia. In the previous three games combined, Carlsbad only allowed one goal.
“Our defense was really one of our main anchors,” Manhungo said. “They set us up well to succeed. Going into each game, we knew we only needed one or two goals to win because our defense is so strong and consistently set the foundation for us.”
For Manhungo, the championship was especially sweet, serving as his final tournament with the U12 age group after several years, as he transitions to coaching an older cohort at City SC Carlsbad.
“It was a good way to finish off together, having coached this age group for four years,” Manhungo said. “Now they get a new coach and a new voice, and I think we left a solid foundation for the person taking over to continue building on what’s been done.”
