Select an option below to continue reading this premium story.
Already a Honolulu Star-Advertiser subscriber? Log in now to continue reading.
The FC Hawaii 09 Girls soccer team was crowned champions after downing Brandon Futbol Club 3-1 in the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship U14 game on Sunday in Orlando, Fla.
Led by head coach Jose Dydasco and assistant coach Red Briou, FC Hawaii 09 Girls became the fifth team from Hawaii to make it to the U.S. National Championship Final, and just the second Hawaii team to win it all after the HSC Bulls U19 boys won the James P. McGuire Cup in 2004.
FC Hawaii earned a berth in the Championship series by winning Bracket B. FC Hawaii drew its first game in bracket play, then won its next two games by a combined score of 3-0 to claim the top spot with seven points. FC Hawaii took on BC United 09G in the semifinals, dispatching it 4-1 to punch its ticket into Sunday’s final against Brandon Futbol Club.
After conceding the opening goal of the final at the two-minute mark, FC Hawaii turned things around with three consecutive goals to win the game.
FC Hawaii’s equalizer came minutes after Brandon Futbol Club’s opening goal, when Kylie Tang fired a shot from just inside the penalty arc past the keeper at 6:10.
Forty minutes later, FC Hawaii took a 2-1 lead with a near-identical shot at the other end of the pitch. Cara Gouveia’s netted a shot from outside the penalty arc at 48:37 that turned out to be the game-winner.
FC Hawaii didn’t need to wait as long for their third goal. Zahra Briou’s well-placed corner kick in the 57th-minute was headed in by Emi Hugo for an insurance goal and made it a 3-1 lead for FC Hawaii.
The team will be making a stop in San Diego to compete in the Surf Cup before returning home on Aug. 1.