01B Santos Blue Bay Area Cup Champions

[7 May, 2017 by Santos Blue Player Roshan Fernandez]  The MVLA 01B Santos Blue team were crowned champions after winning the MVLA Spring Cup on Sunday, April 30. The team comfortably defeated South Lake Tahoe Strikers by a score of 4-2, and then returned later that evening to play against Davis Alliance Dynamo. Without substitutes due to multiple injuries, game ended 2-2. Although the team was unlucky not to win against Dynamo, they still went home with their heads held high. 

Early the next morning, Santos returned to Hayward for their semifinal against AC United Hurricanes. Creating many chances throughout the match, Santos finally got a breakaway goal with five minutes remaining and secured a 1-0 win. 

Again without substitutes in the final, the team was up against a physically superior Granite Bay Spartans side. Santos opened the scoring with a goal off a corner kick, but Granite Bay quickly equalized through a penalty and the game was tied 1-1 at halftime. The second half was uneventful, along with the two extra time periods. With the champion decided on penalty kicks,  nerves were high and players began to feel the pressure. Santos keeper saved the first penalty, and all five Santos players converted their penalties. The team won 5-4 on penalty kicks, and were crowned champions.