Coach Polo Aviles and his CV Rangers BU-13 Red team were crowned champions of the BU-13 Gold Bracket of the 2009 San Diego Presidents Cup this past weekend.  The inauguration took place after the Rangers overwhelmed FC Murrieta BU-13 Blue, 5-1, in the finals on Sunday, Jan. 18.  The Rangers conducted an offensive clinic throughout the tournament, tallying 24 goals and conceding a mere five.  

”I had been anxious to see how the team would react to the pressure of playing in their first full tournament as a combined team in preparation for State Cup,” Aviles said.  “I was delighted by the response and pretty please with the performance.”

Every member of the Rangers team contributed to the successful run at the Cup.  The key to their success was dominating the control of each and every game.  The offense and midfield led by Alex Martinez, Rudy Garcia, Gerardo Pedroza, Cesar Castro, Herman Nunez, Leonel Leyva and Mauricio Rodriguez were composed throughout the tournament.  The defense led by the stellar goalkeeper performance of Ricky Durazo, sweeper Carlos Solis, Gonzalo Jimenez, Alan Beas, Jesus Sanchez and Eduardo Acosta played exceptionally well, conceding only five goals in the five-game stretch.  

After sweeping through the competition in pool play, the Rangers advanced to the finals against FC Murrieta.  The Rangers controlled the play for the majority of the game but despite several scoring opportunities in the first 20 minutes, they couldn’t find the net.  The unlucky streak didn’t last long.  

The Rangers found the momentum to finish and finished off five goals straight in a row.  Beas initiated the scoring off a corner kick to give the Rangers the 1-0 lead.  Star forward Jorge Lopez then took control and tallied three goals for the 4-1 score.  Oscar Hernandez, who also tallied an assist, added a single goal for the five-goal total. Julio Huerta also picked up an assist for the Rangers.

The Rangers SC combined both its AA-A and AAA teams for the Presidents Cup.  The combined team will be participating in the State Cup beginning on January 31st.