11 Jul Regional Semifinal Preview: ASC vs. Crossfire Redmond – July 12, 2019
ASC make 1256 Mile, 3 State Journey to take on Crossfire Redmond in West Region Semifinal
This Friday, ASC San Diego will be traveling 1256 miles up the road to Redmond, Washington, 15 miles east of Seattle. They are bound for their first ever matchup between their opponents Crossfire Redmond with a West Region Final bid on the line. They will be hosted by Northwest conference champs Crossfire Redmond. Kick off will be at noon.
ASC San Diego has had a stellar season and are starting the postseason in great form. Their first round of the Southwest regional playoffs was won in spectacular fashion. ASC took #1 seed FC Golden State past 90 minutes, through a huge TWO halves of extra time, all the way to their defeat in a PK showdown with a final score of (2)2-2(4).
ASC is in top form throughout the 2019 season. Looking to achieve their fifth victory in a row, they have outscored their opponents a whopping 16-2 in the process. They have bolstered an already stellar roster with the likes of midfielder Eder Arreola, defender Mike Kafari, and University of Washington alum forward Elijah Rice.
The Road Ahead:
Crossfire Redmond is in their first season of the NPSL and have already achieved major success. Finishing out the regular season as the Northwest Conference Champions, and securing an impressive 7-1 rout over rivals OSA Seattle in the West Region Quarterfinals, Crossfire Redmond will be a tough opponent for the league veterans ASC San Diego. Similarly to ASC, Crossfire Redmond’s foundation begins from a highly successful youth club. 16 out of the 17 Redmond players are current or former Crossfire academy members. The Crossfire starting 11 will feature 4 former teammates of ASC star striker Elijah Rice who played together at the University of Washington. For most of the team, the 3 state, 1256 mile journey to Redmond will be a new experience. For Rice, he will be back in familiar territory having played collegiate soccer just 15 minutes west of Redmond. Although looking forward to being back in the Evergreen State, the reasoning for his return is far more important, “it’s going to be great to see some familiar faces; however I’m more focused on what I can control and executing my job for the team.. I’m not too concerned about who’s on the other side of the pitch, what’s more important is keeping things simple and executing our game plan as a unit which has allowed us to get to this point”. Rice, whose goal and last second assist which setup the PK shootout in ASC’s upset over #1 seed FC Golden State will be looking to make a similar impact on Friday as San Diego’s team pushes for their first ever West Region Final. 1 down, 4 to go.
The Stats: Crossfire Redmond
3 goals per game, 2.3 against (10 Game Regular Season)
Goal Scoring Leaders Regular Season (# of Appearances)
- Charles Ostrem 6 (8)
- Declan McGlynn 5 (10)
- Joseph Parish 4 (8)
- Jaret Townsend 3 (10)
- James Burkholder 3 (10)
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