DYNAMIC SOCCER FIFA 2023 WOMEN'S WORLD CUP
NEW ZEALAND GIRLS SOCCER TOUR JULY 19-AUG 1, 2023
Our 55 person California FC U12/U14 tour team was comprised of Socal Blues 10G, San Diego Surf 10 ECNL, PSV Union FC, Bay Area Surf players coached by former LA Sol/WPS Coach of Year Abner Rogers and Dynamic Soccer owners Gary Ireland and Carine Ireland.
The tour started and ended in Auckland with a side trip to Wellington and included 6 FIFA World Cup games including the New Zealand vs. Norway opening ceremony, USA vs Vietnam, Argentina vs Italy, Spain vs Zambia, Sweden vs Italy and USA vs Portugal.
“We wanted to try something different with parents booking their own hotels and flights and internal travel which allowed everyone maximum flexibility. Unlike other tours where we selected the flight, accommodation, this tour allowed parents to enjoy quality time with their children and share the experience. It worked brilliantly thanks to Carine who arranged everything!” said Dynamic Soccer owner Gary Ireland.
 California FC opponents provided a mixture of competition defeating Hibiscus United and Northern Rovers 10:0 and 10:1 respectively, lost 4:1 to Japanese (J-League) club Shonan Bellmare 09G, lost 1:0 to (A-League) New Zealand club Wellington Phoenix 09G and tied 1:1 vs Wellington Phoenix 08/09G at the Sweden women's national team FIFA training base.
“The trip to New Zealand was a trip of a life time! Not only did the players get to see and enjoy this beautiful country, but got some good games in as well as watched 6 World Cup games. I couldn't pick one highlight as there was so many, but the game with Japan's 2009 club team stands out, and hopefully our players/parents can see how far we are behind both technically and tactically” Abner Rogers 2009 & 2010 SC Blues coach.
A customized team uniform was created especially for the tour which was based on the Wellington Phoenix kit design, including the Maori ‘tohu’ design. New Zealand Women's Football icon, former New Zealand Women's Football President, FIFA Women's Development & former New Zealand Football Foundation President Michele Cox to do a book read of her book trilogy 'Sammy' with a guest appearance from her mother, founder of New Zealand women's football Barbara Cox who teamed up with Michele for New Zealand when they defeated the USA. Many group members explored the North Island by car and train visiting the Hobbit movie set, saw the Waitomo caves glow worms, visited Waiheke Island and Rotorua thermal hot springs as well as tour the scenic West and East coast of the North Island and the famous wine regions. An coincidence was our coaching staff seeing the famous All Black’s Rugby team and on another occasion the worlds best ever Rugby player Richie McCaw!
“Having our tour in one region with so many World Cup games and sightseeing options available enabled our group to move around safely and efficiently. Accommodation quality and locations (stayed next to US team hotel) were excellent and winter the weather aside from a few days was superb and we enjoyed some spectacular views and memorable World Cup games”. Said Dynamic Soccer co-founder Carine Ireland.
U.S. Futsal National Champs!
 SC Blues 2012 Futsal Team has just won their second National Futsal Championship. This team returned to the courts in Kansas for the title run after winning the Southwestern Regional USYF Tournament. They spent 4 days competing vs the best teams in the US. 2012 Blues Futsal defeated Upper90 Futsal Academy, CCF, and Gold Star Futsal, to win their group. They then were victorious versus D7 Futsal in the Semifinal with a score of 5-1.
July 10th at 4:00 pm marked the National Championship SoCal Blues Futsal vs South Futsal from Huston, TX. This game was a match to remember, with the best of the US battling it out and tied 2-2 when the buzzer rang. The Final Match was to be determined by PKs. With the ability to remain focused under extreme pressure, the SoCal Blues 2012 Futsal Team has done it again! 5-4 on PKs in the final. Congratulations to these girls on bringing the cup home!
Thank you coaches Brandon Flynn and Natalie Oronoz...great job!
SC Blues ECNL 2010 & 2009 Punch Ticket To Virginia
 The ECNL Girls National Playoffs finished at the Surf Cup Sports Park in San Diego with two of our Blues teams advancing to the knockout rounds.
SC Blues 2010 ECNL scored a total of 11 goals in the group stage against three tough opponents (Match Fit Academy ECNL, SLSG Green ECNL, and Charlotte SA ECNL), and conceded only one goal to win their group.
On Friday, June 30, all of the surviving teams were back in action, competing hard to clinch berths in the Girls National ECNL Quarter-Finals. In order to win the National Championship teams must win quarters, semis, and finals which will all take place in Richmond, Virginia on July 14-17.
SC Blues 2010 ECNL earned a hard fought 2-0 victory in the elimination game vs DKSC to advance to quarter finals!
 The 2009 ECNL Team also punched their ticket to the ECNL Finals in Richmond, Virginia after their 3-0 win against Crossfire Premier in the Round of 16.
Under the supervision of Coach Abner Rogers, the team powered their way through the first 3 games of the ECNL Playoffs defeating Alabama FC 3-0, FC Bucks 6-1 and Eclipse SC 4-2. After ending the regular season in 2nd place for the Southwest Conference - Sonoran Division, this team of 18 is well-prepared for the post-season challenge in Virginia.
Their first match of the Finals will be against Solar SC, a tough opponent, of which this 09 Blues team has never had the opportunity to play against. All eyes are on this elite squad of 19, who are eager to win the title and bring home the trophy.
U.S. National Team News
Vlatko Andonovski hails Ashley Sanchez & Trinity Rodman for 'ruthless' USWNT performance
By Lizzy Becherano Feb 19, 2023
  US women’s national team head coach Vlatko Andonovski hailed young figures Ashley Sanchez and Trinity Rodman for their contributions in the SheBelieves Cup performance against Canada, adding the two must be 'ruthless' moving forward to succeed.
The USWNT kicked off the 2023 competition with a 2-0 triumph over Canada, as two goals from Mallory Swanson in the first half sealed the victory. Andonovski experimented with the lineup, bumping up Rodman and Sanchez given the injury-laden roster.
But the two figures maximized their opportunity, leaving a much-needed lasting impression on the head coach as the 2023 Women’s World Cup approaches.
“Obviously very happy with Trinity’s performance. She’s a tremendous finisher. She’s shown that in different ways. She needs to develop ruthlessness. We could have easily scored another two or three goals, or created enough opportunities to score two or three goals. But again, happy with everything that we got. We’ll use those moments as learning opportunities so we can show Trin how she can be even better,” Andonovski said of the 20-year-old forward before speaking on Sanchez.
“She [Sanchez] has special qualities on the ball. It’s not easy to synchronize her movements right away because she hasn’t played much with Alex [Morgan] but when they do it, I think it worked very well. We are very happy where she’s at, positionally and happy where she’s at in the time of her stage of development.”
But defensively, Andonovski added Sanchez has room to grow.
“She puts much work in and effort but her timing and angle is just a little bit off. And it’s not quite synchronized with Alex’s movement when we want to shift from mid blocking to high press,” he said. “But she’s a true student of the game. I have no doubt that she’s going to get better.”
The head coach maintained that matches against top-tier teams like Canada will inspire Sanchez to improve as they expose her current weaknesses.
“Games like this are going to help her get better, because if we do again try certain things with her against a team that is not going to expose us, we’re probably not going to see everything that we want to see,” he continued.
“Now, every little thing, if you’re not in the proper spot, if you’re one step to the left or one step to the right, you’re gonna get exposed and that’s where you learn.”
 The road to the US Fustal National Championship is the oldest, biggest, and most prestigious annual futsal tournament. 2022 marked the 40 anniversary of US Futsal and a National Championships Tournament held is Santa Clara, CA.
SoCal Blues Futsal successfully qualified 4 teams to compete for the National Championship. The 2013, 2012, 2011, and 2010 teams all traveled, representing our club, and made their mark at the US Futsal Nationals.
Leading the way to SoCal Blues Futsal’s first National Championship, the 2012 Girls team won the final 4-0 and has continued to commit to excellence since. The 2013 and 2010 teams also performed well. They both made it out of bracket play and into the Semifinals. Blues Futsal is upon our First National Championship Win, set their focus on UFYF Futsal Regional Championships in San Diego, CA.
2022 USYF Southwest Regionals - (December 2022):
Teams from across the country will compete in twelve U.S. Youth Futsal Regional Championships, seeking a regional title and qualification for the U.S. Youth Futsal National Championships.
The champions and finalists of the girls divisions receive guaranteed bids to the U.S. Youth Futsal National Championships.
SoCal Blues Futsal has done it again! With work ethic, focus, tactics, coaching, and family support, Blues Futsal Qualified 4 teams to compete for Nationals in 2023! Thanks coaches for all your hard work with the girls.
- 2013 Girls : SoCal Blues Futsal vs Pama Golden Nights (Win 4-3 on PKs), Southwest Regional Champions.
- 2012 Girls : SoCal Blues Futsal vs Toque (Win 3-2), Southwest Regional Champions.
- 2011 Girls : SoCal Blues Futsal vs 619 Futsal (Win 5-4), Southwest Regional Champions.
- 2009 Girls : SoCal Blues Futsal vs 619 Futsal, Southwest Regional Finalists.
With all this success, one thing remains, we have work to do. Thank you for continuing your support and dedication to our athletes, to our program, to our club, and to growing the game of Futsal.
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Alumni News
Purchasing Book
Hey Blues...Here is the link to my book, being sold on Amazon:
Becoming a Superhero: Awaken Your Superpowers and Inspire the Magic in Others.
Author Bio
As a self-proclaimed goofball and natural bundle of energy, Marina Paul never takes herself too seriously. And yet, she worked her way up in the competitive world of collegiate soccer, becoming an All-American, an NCAA College Cup Final Four contestant, and a three-year Team Captain of the Georgetown University women’s Division 1 soccer team.
With a life’s worth of team successes, Marina knows firsthand how sisterhood-like bonds can transform lives for the better, on and off the sports field. She carries this unbridled passion for establishing meaningful, deep connections between people of various backgrounds through her career as a management consultant, marketer, and SPRHRA brand owner. Marina proudly holds a Bachelor’s degree in business and a Master’s degree in marketing from Georgetown University.
Description of Book
As of 2020, only 6.6% of Fortune 500 companies have a female CEO. This needs to change.
From an Olympic Gold Medalist to a CEO to a Lieutenant Colonel, Marina Paul shares the journeys of highly successful women on their intensely raw, emotional paths to leadership.
In Becoming a Superhero: Awaken Your Superpowers and Inspire the Magic in Others, Paul uncovers:
- What it means to be 100% human while lifting our own worlds and our unique selves out of suffering
- How representation and “being the first” sets the groundwork for others to seek inspiration to lead their own teams
- How sisterhood is a lever of success for how readers can begin to lead their Superhero lives Through the lens of Paul’s own vulnerable life experiences, both in competitive soccer and personally, readers will explore what it means to be deeply human, to lead by example, and to love your people so that, ultimately, everyone is lifted up in a more equitable world.
Now, get ready to let your cape fly and unleash your superpowers.
Penelope Hocking Semifinalist for MAC Hermann Trophy
  USC Women's Soccer
May 4
The 15 semifinalists for the prestigious Hermann Trophy were announced today; Blues Alumni & USC's
Penelope Hocking made the list!
LOS ANGELES – USC junior forward Penelope Hocking was named a semifinalist for the prestigious MAC Hermann Trophy, which is given each year to the top player in college soccer. Pulling for you P.
Blues Alum Trinity Rodman Taken No. 2 in 2021 NWSL Draft
written by Chris Haney January 14, 2021
 Trinity Rodman has been selected second overall in the 2021 National Women’s Soccer League Draft by the Washington Spirit.
The athletic genes in the Rodman family run deep. Rodman, an 18-year-old soccer player, attends Washington State University and decided fairly late to enter this year’s draft. WSU’s conference, the PAC-12, postponed the 2020 women’s soccer season as a precautionary measure because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, Rodman had yet to play a single game for the Cougars.
However, the freshman’s other performances earlier in 2020 showcased her talents on the pitch. Rodman is part of the United States under-20 national team. Last March, she helped lead the United States to victory in the 2020 CONCACAF under-20 women’s championship. The forward netted nine goals during last year’s CONCACAF tournament. In addition, she scored two of those goals in the championship – a 7-0 win against Mexico.
Rodman visited the idea of playing professionally in Europe before making her final decision. Traditionally, the majority of U.S. women’s soccer players play at the collegiate level for four years first. Then they take the next step towards a pro career in the NWSL or in Europe. In recent years, the culture has shifted due to improved professional opportunities at home and abroad.
“As COVID hit, I felt kind of stuck in a way,” Rodman explained, according to the Washington Post‘s Steven Goff. “I know professional is a higher level, and I know I am at a point right now where I could be at that level to get even better than I would be in college. I was like, ‘Let’s just go! I want to get better. Let’s go!’ ”
“Soccer, to me, felt like home,” Rodman explained. “I felt so comfortable playing. … Soccer has always been embedded in my brain and I can’t stop thinking about it. I was just like, ‘I want to go out and play soccer. I want to learn more. I want to play with my feet.’ I fell in love with the game.”
She acknowledges that her dad was an exceptional athlete, and people will often compare the two. But, Rodman is ready to step out from Dennis’s shadow.
“He was an amazing athlete and I got those genes from him, but I am excited to be Trinity Rodman and not just Dennis Rodman’s daughter,” she proclaimed. “I am excited to pave my own path and get better throughout this journey.”
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Blues Cup Website
Hey Blues...PUMA has a special partnership with the Blues. We are among only a handful of clubs nationwide who belong to the PUMA KING program.
Check out PUMA's awesome soccer site www.puma.com/football.
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