Prescott Valley Tribune
Local youth soccer coach Craig Hacker didn’t know he would be pitted against himself in the finals of the 3v3 Live Soccer Tournament May 21 at the Snedigar Sports Complex in Chandler.
But that’s what happened after he split his Yavapai Soccer Under-12 team in half to enter the tourney, which allows just six players per team, and both squads made it to the title game.
The green squad handed the white squad its only loss of the tournament in the championship game, and both teams qualified for the 3v3.
“They have worked so hard in the past season earning them no less than third place in every tournament we entered this year,” said Hacker. “I am proud to be their coach.”
“That’s one happy coach and a bunch of happy kids,” said Yavapai spokesman John Sterling.
He said each squad played four games in one day in 100-degree heat. The fast game is played on a smaller field (40-feet long by 30-feet wide or about one-fourth the size of a regulation field) in 10-minute halves.
He added, “This particular group of boys has been playing together for about two years without any major additions or deletions from the roster. Both teams were unchallenged on the day scoring over 25 goals each. They beat teams from San Tan soccer club in Phoenix, The Tigers and local team Vardar.”
Sterling noted the very young U10 boys, playing in their first 3v3 tourney, improved every game.