Somerset Spectator Newspaper - September 22, 2014

Case High Varsity Soccer Team vs Wareham, MA.

Somerset Spectator Newspaper - September 10, 2014

Case High Varsity Soccer vs Bourne

The Fall River Herald Newspaper - September 4, 2014

Case High Varsity Soccer vs Old Rochester, MA.

Skylah Dias - Starting Center Midfielder for Case High Boys Varsity Soccer Team

I made the starting line up as the Center Attacking Midfielder for the Joseph Case High Boys Varsity Soccer Team, as a Freshman.

Skylah Dias and Jacob Castro from Swansea were invited to try out for the U.S. National Team

Caption Top Row left to right: Coach Jason Miller (MA), Martin Konstantinov (DC - age 15), Duncan Mergen (NJ - age 16), Adrian Konstantinov (DC - age 15), Chris Pinkham (NH - age 15), Robert Barrese (NJ - age 16) and Coach Tom Bellen (NH). Bottom Row left to right: Chukwuma Onyejose (RI - age 14), Skylah Dias (MA - age 14), Jacob Castro (MA - Goalie / age 14), Kayke Alves (NH - age 15), Jarrett Davis (NH - age 15) and Chukwudi Onyejose (RI - age 14). The wave of excitement and enthusiasm that engulfed the United States during the World Cup recently played in Brazil increased awareness and interest in the sport of soccer among casual fans. But, for those who have loved the game all along it was simply another reason to keep striving to reach the highest level. And for the countless thousands of youngsters who play the most popular sport on earth, in the United States that level is making the U.S. national team. Well, for a couple of boys from Swansea that goal is within reach. Skylah Dias and Jacob Castro, who play for the U-14 Massachusetts State champion GPS Massachusetts Crusaders Elite Team, were selected to participate in the US Youth Futsal National Festival that was held recently in Olathe, Kansas, which was actually a try-out for the U.S. National Futsal team. It has been a long road for these two youngsters. It all started when they were chosen for the US Region 1 Futsal Select team at a grueling try-out, held in Boston, back in October of 2013. Dias and Castro spent five exhausting days at the try-out, which consisted of three workout sessions per day, basically a daily testing battle as only the best survived to move on to the following day. The candidates came from all of the states affiliated with Region 1 --all six New England states, Delaware, Eastern New York, Western New York, Eastern Pennsylvania, Western Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia and West Virginia, D.C., as well as Florida and even some who had travelled from the Bahamas. All of the training sessions and tryouts were directed by Keith Tozer, U.S. Futsal National Team head coach, the organization’s first technical director as the sport has only caught in recent years. Tozer is an indoor soccer legend and was the first player drafted in the inaugural season of the Major Indoor Soccer League, back in 1978. When he concluded his playing career, Tozer moved to coaching and eventually led his teams to more than 700 wins. As a result, he was hired in 1996 to coach the U.S. Futsal National Team and has led the U.S. to two CONCACAF Futsal Championship gold medals (1996, 2004) and a seventh-place finish in the 2004 FIFA Futsal World Cup in China Taipei. Futsal was first invented in Brazil. It stands short for “futebol de salão”, or indoor soccer, but it is vastly different from the indoor soccer that many local youngsters play as they develop their careers. Futsal is played on a hard court surface and no walls or boards are used. The game is played with a smaller ball with less bounce and it focus on improvisation, creativity and technique, as well as ball control and passing in small spaces. Great Brazilian soccer legends, such as Pele, Zico and Socrates, credit Futsal with developing their skills. “Futsal is another added tool for youth coaches in our country to help speed up the learning process for the outdoor game,” Tozer told ussoccer.com when discussing the sport. “Now that U.S. Soccer is mandating that futsal will be a component with youth development, I think it’s going to be tremendous for our players. It’s just logical. Small-sided games have been something that everybody has preached around the world; getting more touches on the ball, being able to think quicker and react quicker, and being able to answer the soccer equation not through a kick but through technique. I think futsal is going to be another great benefit for us.” After the five day try-out, Dias, a midfielder, and Castro, a goal keeper, had to just sit and wait to find out if they made the team. Finally, in November, they received an e-mail informing them that they had been selected and therefore would be invited to go to the National Team try-outs, in Olathe. “When I got the email that I made the team I was so happy, especially when I found out that I was the only US Region 1 U16 Futsal goalie, it was more than exciting,” Castro recalled. Although U-14 players, the two youngsters from Swansea were actually selected to try-out for the U-16 team, the only two players from Massachusetts to make the U-16 Boys Region 1 Futsal Team. “U.S. National and Region 1 Coaches put us through very intense training sessions,” Dias recalled. “But it was an honor to be selected for the team because there were so many great players from so many states trying to get selected for a position.” “There were players from so many states and even as far as Florida and the Bahamas. It was so cool to see that,” Castro remembered. “I knew I had to perform at my best as I was one of the youngest goalies as well”. Nearly 60 players attended the try-out in Kansas in this age division, but Jacob Castro was the only keeper on the team, so he had numerous chances to shine. “Playing at the National level is a dream come true for many kids and I had that opportunity,” Castro said. “Having the experience of playing at a high level on many occasions with my club team already prepared me so well, so I didn’t get nervous. I was one of the youngest goalies at the Nationals in the U-16 Bracket and we won 3 games and lost one. So I performed very well and hope I make this team. To know you made a U.S. National Team and will travel all over the World representing your Country is amazing.” Skylah Dias was not as fortunate as he sustained a knee injury during his team’s 1-0 victory over Global Premier Soccer, from New Hampshire, in the Region 1 Soccer Championships, held last month at the campus of the University of Rhode Island (URI). That injury prevented Dias from participating in the try-outs, although he made the trip to Olathe. “When I attended the U.S. National Futsal Festival and National Tryout in Kansas I was excited and yet it was disappointing for me,” Dias said with a hint of sadness. “I was excited, honored and thankful that I was on the team and being looked at to possibly make the US Youth National Futsal Team, but was so disappointed that I was injured and could not train, play or tryout at all. To have played Futsal and Soccer since I was 6 years old and to have had this opportunity slip away did bother me a lot”. But he is not letting the disappointment affect his attitude. “I know that I will work hard all year to get this invitation once again next year for the U16 Boys National Team as I am only 14 years old,” Dias added. “But all in all it was the best opportunity I have ever had. Sitting there knowing this is a huge opportunity to know there were players that week in Kansas that will be on a US National Team traveling the World playing for your country at such a young age, how incredible is that, this was exciting to me.” The two youngsters have been team mates for a number of years, as they started playing when they began to attend the St. Stanislaus Catholic School in Fall River and have been together with the GPS Massachusetts Crusaders Elite Team. But, that streak is also about to end because in September Dias will be attending Joseph Case High School in Swansea, but Castro will be going to Bishop Connolly in Fall River. So, now they must wait again. Skylah Dias knows that he will not make the team, but Jacob Castro understandably has high hopes. Regardless of what might happen, they both realize that playing futsal is crucial to their development as players. Tozer has made that very clear. When asked to list some of his goals for futsal in the U.S. in the next 5-10 years, he responded that “one is being able to develop more technical players and more tactical players through the game of futsal to help our ultimate goal of winning the World Championship. One of my roles as the National Team coach is to hopefully push our country in the right direction in that development.” For 2015, there will be five US Youth FUTSAL I.D. camps scheduled for Akron, Boston, Dallas, Kansas City and San Diego, as well as the US Youth Futsal Festival and US Youth Futsal Summit. Locally, the 2015 U.S. Youth Futsal East Region I.D. Camp will take place October 24-26 at Mansfield SportsPlex. Dias and Castro will be there, hoping to continue their climb in the player rankings for this region. “The experience that I had over the last year has been incredible,” Dias said. “It was great to know that Jacob and I were the only players selected from Massachusetts never mind being from the same Club Team and Town and only being 14 years old on a U16 team.” http://ojornal.com/portuguese-brazilian-news/2014/08/skylah-dias-and-jacob-castro-from-swansea-were-invited-to-try-out-for-the-u-s-national-team/#axzz39LgulFd2

Skylah Dias - Crusaders fall short in Region 1 Tournament

Teammates: Aidan DaSilva #15 (Westport, MA.), Chukwuma Onyejose #17 (East Greenwich, RI.), Nico Ferrara #10 (Somerset, MA.), Cameron Pattison #13 (Cohasset, MA.), Skylah Dias #11 (Captain – Swansea, MA.), Jacob Castro #1 (Goalie – Swansea, MA.), Andrew Stevens #4 (Captain – Marshfield, MA.), Troy Mattos #41 (Somerset, MA.), Mikey Carey #19 (Plymton, MA.), Chukwudi Onyejose #6 (East Greenwich, RI.),Kendall Pacheco #16 (New Bedford, MA.), Leon Djusberg #3 (Abington, MA.), Henry Kimber White #7 (Norton, MA.), Zach Miller #2 (Norton, MA.), Brandin Osborne #8 (N. Easton, MA.), John Aguiar #5 (Somerset, MA.) and Max Horowitz #14 (Swansea, MA.), Andy Stark (Weymouth, MA.) Preston Kelleher (Somerset, MA.), Spencer Kelleher (Somerset, MA.)and GPS Crusaders Coach Matt Hardiman, Although they were the only Massachusetts boys’ team to advance out of the group stage, the GPS Crusaders Massachusetts Elite U14 team left a bit frustrated after being eliminated in the semi-finals of the Region 1 Soccer Championships, at the campus of the University of Rhode Island (URI). Group play could not have gone any better. The Crusaders opened by crushing the MUSC Revolution Elite from West Virginia, 5-0. It was quite a start, but not surprising to any of the boys as the GPS Crusaders had won both the Massachusetts state championship and the highly competitive New England Premiership League, a run that had prepared them well for this tournament. “We’re not nervous,” goal keeper Jacob Castro said during one of the final practices leading to the tournament. “We played in a couple of national tournaments, so if we continue playing the way we’ve been playing, I think we’ll be OK. If we continue the same way and don’t slack off I think we can make it out of the group stage.” Castro delivered the shutout and the goals came from Max Horowitz (2), Nico Ferrara, Andrew Stevens and Chukwudi Onyejose, while Skylah Dias, Max Horowitz and John Aguiar has the assists. For local fans this was a proud run since 10 of the boys come from four area towns. Nico Ferrara, Troy Mattos, Preston Kelleher, Spencer Kelleher and John Aguiar are from Somerset; captain Skylah Dias, Jacob Castro and Max Horowitz come from neighboring Swansea, stopper Aidan DaSilva hails from Westport and Kendall Pacheco is from New Bedford. Their group stage dominance continued when they edged Global Premier Soccer, from New Hampshire, 1-0, on a goal by Andrews Stevens. But the victory came with a heavy cost as captain Skylah Dias had to be carried off the field in the second half after getting kicked in the outer part of the knee, an injury that brought an end to his season. His presence on the field would naturally be missed but the team responded well in the next game, clinching the group title with a 4-2 victory over Seacoast United Maine SC Premier. Chukwudi Onyejose scored twice, Andrew Stevens and Max Horowitz had the other tallies. That set up a semi-final match against the Arlington SA Eagles Red from Virginia. The Eagles Red had won group B, but struggled, registering two draws and only one victory, but the Crusaders coaching staff was well aware that this was a very strong club, the 7th ranked team in nation. Overall, the side from Virginia, during 2014, had 49 wins, 4 losses, 6 ties, 179 goals scored and only 33 goals allowed, registering an incredible 36 shutouts during those 59 games. They came in with victories in the U14 Club Champions League, the Fall EDP Cup Champions, the CASL Champions title, the Bethesda Thanksgiving Tournament, the Arlington Spring Invitational, the Region 1 Premier League and the Spring EDP Cup. And unfortunately they proved to be just too much to handle for the GPS Crusaders, clinching a spot in the title game with a 3-0 victory. “After winning our three preliminary games, we were in a perfect situation but we did not put on our best performance in the semi-finals,” said coach Matt Hardiman. “I know my team and the ability at which they can perform, and it was not our best performance, but that’s soccer”. “We had a great momentum going into the semi-finals,” said captain Skylah Dias. “We were facing a team ranked 7th in the country but the rankings never take my team out of their game, as I knew we can compete with the best of them. We ended up losing, but what was most impressive about my team was we never give up. My team is incredible, and they make me proud all the time”. “I think the most challenging part of the tournament was adjusting to the field conditions,” added stopper Aidan DaSilva. “We are used to practicing and playing on turf and all the games were played on grass. We are used to playing with the ball on the ground, a lot of give and go, passing and controlling the ball. So the field conditions posed a big challenge for us as we had to adjust our style of play.” The Arlington SA Eagles Red then defeated the Delaware Rush, 2-0, to earn the Region 1 title and clinch a spot in the National finals. That tournament will feature 96 teams in the various age divisions, down from the field of 10,000 that began the season. For the GPS Crusaders the loss in the Region 1 semi-finals will sting for a while, but it is impossible to overlook the incredible improvement shown over the course of the season, as they climbed 147 spots in the National rankings, to finish at number 35, and moved up 55 slots in the Regional Rank, closing the season at number 24. “It has been a long and incredible year with such great athletes and parents,” Hardiman said. “I am proud of them and all that they have accomplished over the last year and to have been the only boys team from Massachusetts to get this far against the best of the best from each of the 15 states, that’s a huge accomplishment.” The boys had similar feelings. “This year has been the most remarkable year that I have ever had,” said captain Skylah Dias. “My team has played in two National Tournaments, one in Florida for Super Y in December, where we placed second in our bracket, and the other second in Kansas in February, the Futsal Nationals, where we lost in final, 4-3 placing is second in the country in Futsal.” “It was frustrating to walk away with not as good of a performance as we would have liked, but we did have some good performances,” Troy Mattos said. “It was a learning experience for myself learning how all of this works, facing all the teams from our region, all the teams that were there representing their state, it was cool”. Coming so close left the boys hungry for a return in 2015. Try-outs are coming up and the coaching staff hopes to add a couple of players to help push a little further. But, their talent also has a cost, as some are being recruited by other clubs. Somerset’s Nico Ferrara will be leaving the GPS Crusaders to join the U14 New England Revolution Academy Team, but he takes with him fond memories of a tremendous season. “It’s a real honor to play with this team and all my close friends and end the season representing Massachusetts in the US Youth Regional Tournament,” Ferrara said. “I have had the opportunity to have met such great players and friends on this team. We have grown so much and learned a great deal over this last year preparing for so many high level games. It made my last games with this team so much more memorable”. Although the season provided memories for a lifetime, the boys are hoping that there will be more to come next year. “Hopefully next year we will do a little better and get to the nationals, it was fun though,” said Troy Mattos. “And it’s something I’d definitely love to be a part of again!” “(Competing in the regionals) showed me how far our team has come, how hard we have all worked to get there and how much our coach, Matt Hardiman, has taught us this year,” said Aidan DaSilva. “In all, it was a great experience to get this far. Even though we didn’t win the Regionals, we came in third which I think is a huge accomplishment”. The strong showing at URI proved that they can compete with anyone in the region so now they will look with curiosity at how well the Arlington SA Eagles will fare in the 2014 US Youth Soccer National Championships, which will be played July 22-27 at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, Maryland. If the Eagles make some noise there, then the nationals will be a goal for 2015. Read more: http://ojornal.com/portuguese-brazilian-news/2014/07/crusaders-fall-short-in-region-1-tournament/#ixzz39Le9RbHw A GateHouse Media, Inc. Site Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial Follow us: @Ojornal1 on Twitter | OjornalNewspaper on Facebook

Skylah Dias - Local boys represent Massachusetts in Region 1 Soccer Championships

Top Left to Right: Aidan DaSilva #15 (Westport, MA.), Chukwuma Onyejose #17 (East Greenwich, RI.), Nico Ferrara #10 (Somerset, MA.), Cameron Pattison #13 (Cohasset, MA.), Skylah Dias #11 (Captain – Swansea, MA.), Jacob Castro #1 (Goalie – Swansea, MA.), Andrew Stevens #4 (Captain – Marshfield, MA.), Troy Mattos #41 (Somerset, MA.), Mikey Carey #19 (Plymton, MA.), Chukwudi Onyejose #6 (East Greenwich, RI.) and GPS Crusaders Coach Matt Hardiman, Bottom Left to Right: Kendall Pacheco #16 (New Bedford, MA.), Leon Djusberg #3 (Abington, MA.), Henry Kimber White #7 (Norton, MA.), Zach Miller #2 (Norton, MA.), Brandin Osborne #8 (N. Easton, MA.), John Aguiar #5 (Somerset, MA.) and Max Horowitz #14 (Swansea, MA.). Not in Photo: Andy Stark (Weymouth, MA.) Preston Kelleher (Somerset, MA.), Spencer Kelleher (Somerset, MA.), A number of players from this area will represent the state of Massachusetts in the Region 1 Soccer Championships to be held this weekend at the campus of the University of Rhode Island (URI) when their GPS Crusaders Massachusetts Elite U14 team takes the field to play in bracket C. This Crusaders team is one of the sides from Global Premier Soccer – Massachusetts (GPS-MA) participating in the tournament, which is open to 15 state champions from the region and will fight to earn a spot in the 2014 US Youth Soccer National Championships to be held from July 22-27 at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, Maryland. As with all premier teams, players on the GPS Crusaders come from various cities and towns, but what impresses most about this unit is the fact that 10 of the boys come from four local towns, as five are from Somerset (Nico Ferrara, Troy Mattos, Preston Kelleher, Spencer Kelleher and John Aguiar), three come from Swansea (captain Skylah Dias, Jacob Castro and Max Horowitz), and then there is one player from Westport (Aidan DaSilva) and another from New Bedford (Kendall Pacheco). The GPS Crusaders earned their trip to URI by winning the Massachusetts State title earlier this month, the culmination of what has been both a thrilling and lengthy season, one that began with a number of question marks. “When we started the season we had a core group of eight, nine players, we added 10 new players,” explained Coach Matt Hardiman. “So the season was just a progression, the boys getting to know each other, getting to know what it’s all about, what we expect. One of the ways we always wanted to play is play out of the back, the ball on the floor, the way it should be played, pass and move. Then as they started seeing a bit of success doing that, they started believing a little bit more. We played well”. It is not easy blending in such a large number of new players and getting them to adjust to the demands of a far more competitive season. Predictably, the campaign did not get off to a great start but, as it turned out, opening the campaign with a loss might have been the wake-up call that turned things around. “We lost our first NEP (New England Premiership League) game and I think that kind of re-started us a little bit,” Hardiman said. “We lost the game against a team that finished near the bottom of our league and that kind of kicked us on. From there we went on a good run, we added the Northeast Regional league, at that level we were very strong. And as we started putting more consistent results together and winning games, it just became more of a natural habit for the boys. We still lost games and we still had games where we weren’t great, but we brought a lot of the good stuff that we wanted to do in the bigger, important games at the end of the Spring season.” The players, both the newcomers and those who remained from last season, have obviously bought into Hardiman’s system and are beaming with confidence heading into URI. “Our team is really good,” said stopper Aidan Da Silva, one of the new players. “It was a big step coming from our town team because we have a lot more practices, a lot more games. In my case, I grew as a player because I learned how to play a new position, stopper, and also because our opponents are really skillful, really good players. It’s very competitive”. “It’s great (being on this team) because coaches have different points of view, they switch coaches every year so you get different points of view from each coach and different perspectives of what they think of the game, so you learn a lot more in terms of experience and skill,” added midfielder Skylah Dias, the team captain. Tomorrow’s opening match, scheduled for 4:20 PM, at Field #19, will be against the Mountaineer United Soccer Club Revolution Elite from West Virginia. On Saturday, at noon, they face the Classics Elite from New Hampshire and close group play on Sunday, at 3 pm, when they square off against Sea Coast United from Maine. The winner of the group will meet the winner of Group B on Monday, at 11:30 and the title game will be played Tuesday, at 10:00 am. “We are playing two teams, a team from New Hampshire and a team from Maine that we have prior knowledge of,” Hardiman pointed out. “Again, we are set to play as we can, we believe in what we do, which is the way we play, so we’ll start out the same way, we’ll be disciplined defensively and take care of the ball. If we take care of the ball and we’re careful with it, then I think we’re good enough to beat the teams down there and hopefully move forward as we go”. “We’re not nervous,” added goal keeper Jacob Castro. “We played in a couple of national tournaments, so if we continue playing the way we’ve been playing, I think we’ll be OK. If we continue the same way and don’t slack off I think we can make it out of the group stage.” “We know what to expect,” said Skylah Dias. “It’s going to be great individual skill but also great teams that have been together for a very long time and we know they have good chemistry”. The trip to the “regionals” is the perfect cap to what has been a superb season. The success started on May 10, when the GPS Crusaders won the Northeast Region 1 Championship at Deerfield Park in Greenville, Rhode Island. The boys had clinched a spot in the final by winning six of the seven regular season games, but things looked very bleak in the title game, as they fell behind, 1-0, and were a mere three seconds away from the final whistle when John Aguiar managed the equalizer that forced the game into over-time. In the extra session, the GPS Crusaders scored two more goals to clinch the trophy with the 3-1 victory. That win improved the team’s rankings at all levels, as they climbed to number 50 in the nation, number 30 in the region and number 3 in the state. In addition to the Region 1 League, the GPS Crusaders boys also registered in the very competitive New England Premiership (NEP), “a new Club-based league for clubs throughout New England focused on player development” The 3-2-2 record was not overly impressive, but the level of competition prepared the boys well for the State Cup, which was held during the last weekend of May and was decided on a couple of nail-biters. On Saturday, in the semi-final, the GPS Crusaders fell behind early to CSU from Plymouth, on a penalty shot, but did not give in. “We played well, stuck to our game plan, which was to be a little defensively solid and then play from there,” Harriman said. “We took our chances and I think that’s what the game is about, when you play in a higher end environment, when you get opportunities, you take them and you need to make less mistakes.” And opportunistic they were as Chukwuma Onyejose, a striker from East Greenwich, RI, scored twice in the closing minutes to clinch a spot in the title game. As it turned out, the championship game was against old nemesis Scorpions SC Boston, the team that had sent the Crusaders packing the year before. Ranked number 1 in Massachusetts, 22nd in Region 1, and 29th in the nation, the Scorpions were the favorites, but the GPS Crusaders did not read the headlines. The Scorpions opened the scoring in the second half, but Max Horowitz forced the over-time when he finished off a superb free kick taken by co-captain Andrew Stevens, from Marshfield. Once again, Chukwudi Onyejose became the hero when he scored late in the game to clinch the state title and send the GPS Crusaders to the Region 1 tournament as the top seeded club in Massachusetts. With nearly 100 college coaches in attendance, the Region 1 tournament provides players with a unique opportunity to grab somebody’s attention. The GPS Crusaders boys, who, like everyone else in this country, have been watching the World Cup games from Brazil and take pride in knowing that U.S. Men’s team defender Geoff Cameron is from Attleboro and played for the Bulldogs program as a teenager, before it became GPS. In addition, midfielder Graham Zusi spent his youth career with GPS affiliates in Orlando, Florida. “It’s usually important (to have a role model like Cameron) because I think you have to have things to aspire to,” Harriman explained. “I always say it’s important for these players to watch the game because that’s how you learn the most. So whether it’s Jeff Cameron or Steven Gerrard of England, as long as it’s someone who you aspire to and say ‘you know what, I want to be there or thereabouts’, then that’s fine. There’s no point in setting targets, and say ‘I’m just happy to be here’. OK, set targets and then when you push yourself to reach them, there’s no reason why you can’t”. That target this weekend will be to advance and, who knows, maybe add a third title to what has already become a magical season for these GPS Crusaders boys team. http://ojornal.com/portuguese-brazilian-news/2014/06/local-boys-represent-massachusetts-in-region-1-soccer-championships/#ixzz35ymz4VvM