The sixth annual Bainbridge Island Football Club Island Cup saw numerous first-place finishes by island teams as the yearly youth soccer spectacle took over playing fields around Bainbridge recently.
The tournament is open to Washington Youth Soccer teams, US Club teams, US Youth Soccer teams from across the U.S. and youth teams from Canada as well, and has become a staple of summertime athletics on Bainbridge Island. Teams of both boys and girls ages 9 to 14 play in age-specified brackets in this three-day tournament, which began Friday, Aug. 19.
In the girls U9/U10 Group A bracket, Bainbridge Island FC Blue G07 claimed first place, defeating Seattle United G08 Copa 1-0 in Sunday’s final match. They advanced through a 5-0 shutout win against the NK Pip Squeaks Friday to an 8-2 victory Saturday over Seattle United G08 Tango, and a 1-1 draw against Copa earlier on Sunday before claiming a win in the culminating contest.
In the Group B bracket, BIFC had two teams vying the top spot.
Bainbridge Island FC Rapinoe G07 was first bested by a fellow island squad, Bainbridge Island FC Lloyd G07, 2-1 on Friday. They then scored a 5-1 win over Seattle United G09 Tango in the very next game of the day before suffering a 3-1 loss to Seattle United G09 Copa Sunday. Bainbridge Island FC Lloyd G07 made it to the final game Sunday, but lost 1-0 to Copa. They advanced from a 5-0 shutout win Friday against the Tango squad to the aforementioned victory against Rapinoe Saturday before facing a 3-3 tie later that day against Copa.
Bainbridge Island FC Blue G06 did not have as strong a showing in the Girls U11 bracket, finishing with an 0-4 total record. Sparta G06 White went on to claim first place.
Bainbridge Island FC Blue G05 made it to the final match in the Girls U12 bracket, but lost 1-0 against Crossfire Select G05 Gold Jorda. They won their first match on Friday 5-1 against SK United GU12 05. On Saturday, the BIFC team scored a 2-0 win over Cascade FC G05, then suffered a 3-2 loss against Crossfire Select G05 Gold Jordan. They won their first game Sunday with a resounding 7-0 final score against Storm King G05, before moving on to the final match.
In the Girls U13 tournament, Bainbridge Island FC Blue G04 ended the weekend with a 2-2 final record, earning second place behind Storm King GU13 Azzurre.
Bainbridge Island FC Blue G03 also scored second place in the Girls U14 bracket. The team claimed a 1-0 shutout win against Velocity FC 03 Green in their first match Saturday, but were bested in the very next match 2-0 by Lake Oswego Force. On Sunday, the BIFC team defeated Velocity FC 03 Green 1-0, earning the runner up spot.
Bainbridge boys also had a strong showing.
In the Boys U9/U10 Group A1 bracket, Seattle United B08 Copa took the top spot. Bainbridge Island FC Blue B07 ended the tourney with a 2-0-1 final record.
Bainbridge had no team competing in the Group 2 bracket.
The Group B U9/U10 bracket was full of island teams.
Bainbridge Island FC Gotze B07 made it to the final game Sunday, but was bested 4-3 by Seattle United B09 Copa. Gotze advanced from a 8-2 win early Saturday against Bainbridge Island FC Neymar B07 to then tie 3-3 against Bainbridge Island FC Dempsey B07 in their very next match before earning a 4-4 draw in the first match on Sunday against Seattle United B09 Copa — and then playing them again in the finals. Bainbridge Island FC Neymar B07 finished the weekend with a 1-2 final record, and Bainbridge Island FC Dempsey B07 managed 1-1-1.
In the Boys U11 Gold bracket, Bainbridge Island FC Blue B06 made it to the final match, but lost 1-0 against Kitsap Alliance FC B06. The island squad advanced through an early 4-3 loss Friday to Sparta B06 Red to a 4-1 win Saturday against NK Fuerza B06 before tying 2-2 against that same team later that day. They bested Storm King B06 Strikers 4-0 Sunday before moving on to the finals.
In the Silver bracket Bainbridge Island FC White B06 claimed the top spot in a points-based round robin format. The island team Sparta B06 White 5-1 then tied NSC B06 Black Knights 2-2 Saturday before claiming a 3-0 win Sunday over NSC B06 Black Knights and moving on to the finals.
Bainbridge Island FC Blue B06 won first place in the Boys U12 Gold division with a perfect 4-0 record. The Bainbridge squad bested Storm King Fire 3-0 Friday, Crossfire Select B05 Pedraza 12-0 Saturday and Crossfire Select B05 Pratt 2-1 early Sunday, before scoring a 1-0 shut win against Crossfire Select B05 Pratt in the finals.
In the Silver division, Bainbridge Island FC White B05 finished the weekend with a 0-3 record and Sparta B05 Red claimed the top spot.
Bainbridge Island FC Blue B04 made it to the championship match Sunday in the Boys U13 Gold division. They bested NK Crew 3-2 on Friday, U.P. United 04 5-0 Saturday and Storm King B04 3-1 early Sunday before suffering a 3-2 loss to NK Crew in the finals.
Bainbridge Island FC Blue B03 also made it to the final match only to suffer a slight loss (3-2 against NK Fire). They advanced through an early loss, 2-1 by NK Fire Friday, to earn a 3-2 win Saturday against NSC B03 Nitro. They were then bested in their next match 1-0 by Seattle United South Blue B03 before earning a 3-1 win early Sunday against Storm King 03 Thunders and advancing to the championship match.
In the combined Boys U13/14 Silver division, Bainbridge Island FC White B03 made to the final match and were edged out 1-0 by SK2 B03. They had advanced through a 4-0 shutout win against fellow island squad Bainbridge Island FC White B04 Friday and suffered a 1-0 loss themselves early Saturday at the hands of SK@ B03 before earning a whopping 5-0 win against Cascade FC B04 White in their first match on Sunday.
