Southland Soccer Teams Bring Home Titles

Five soccer teams from Southern California won titles at the Snickers Cup Far West Regional at Albuquerque.

The Dana Point-based Southern California Blues won the girls’ under-17 and under-16 titles and the Santa Anita Strikers won the girls’ under-13 division.

The Irvine Strikers won titles in the boys’ under-16 and under-15 divisions.

Forced to play a man down because of an ejection, the Woodland Hills-based West Valley Samba lost to the Albuquerque Bandidos, 2-1, in overtime in the under-17 boys’ final.

Albuquerque sent the game into overtime with a goal in injury time in the 93rd minute after the Samba had taken a 1-0 lead.

Champions in the under-14 through under-19 age groups advance to the Snickers U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships July 24-29 at Lawrence, Ind.