CFC Italia boys begin season with a bang

CFC Italia, a boys Under-10 soccer team, opened the 2000 season

with a bang last weekend by winning the gold medal at the Pateadores

Tournament held in Mission Viejo.

Italia toppled a solid West Coast Futbol Club Gold team in Sunday’s

final, winning by a score of 6-3. Brandon Bauman’s goal opened the

scoring for Italia, but it was Ryan Van Denburg’s four goal performance

that highlighted the championship final.

Mike Tedesco came up with the goal of the game when he scored on a

sharp header on a pass off the foot of Joshua Amaral.

Italia also turned in an impressive defensive performance against a

potent West Coast team.

“I was particularly proud of our defense,” Italia Coach Art Tedesco

said. “We shut down the high-powered West Coast offense with superior

performances by Tab Pagter, Giovanny Iturbe, Mike Penland, Jordan Gorman,

all of whom played in front of the stellar goal keeping of Francisco

Martinez.”

Tedesco also cited the midfield play of Nadeem Abdo on the inside, and

Bauman, Amaral, Jeffrey Bumb, and Jose Calderon, who set up several

scoring opportunities for the Italia forwards.

Italia reached the title game by routing Pateadores White, 7-0, in one

semifinal match. They also scored tournament victories of JUSA Select and

Pateadores Blue, both by the score of 3-1.

Van Denburg scored nine goals overall and was named tournament MVP.

Tedesco scored four goals, Bauman and Amaral each scored twice, and Abdo

and Pagter both scored once.