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Report from the 2003 Challenge Cup Nationals in Quebec City By Martin Foden
Monday 13 October 2003 Surrey United 2, Manitoba 1 (Consolation Final) Surrey United wins Bronze! Both teams came to play in the Bronze Medal game which often fizzles out and becomes a non-event as Surrey took on last year's gold medal winning team. United again started strongly and after a solid period of pressure deservedly took the lead at the twenty minute mark when Shawn Blakeway headed home Sean Crocker's perfectly flighted corner-kick. Ivan Estrada almost increased the lead two minutes later when after beating two defenders his goal bound effort was brilliantly tipped wide by the Manitoba keeper who produced another great save five minutes later to deny Blakeway. United did manage to get the ball past the keeper just before the half-time whistle but his defender beat out Estrada's shot with his hand which for some inexplicable reason went unseen by both the linesman and the referee. United did receive a penalty in the 75th minute when Shawn Blakeway's quick turn beat the defender who then pulled Blakeway down. Joe Deacon made no mistake from the spot-kick to increase United's lead. However, Manitoba refused to lay down and within a minute reduced the deficit when their talented striker Sanchez fired home his own rebound after United keeper had made a great save on the initial shot. The goal brought an increased sense of urgency to Manitoba's play as they piled forward in search of the equalizer and had the ball in the net again only for the effort to be disallowed for an offside call. United's Gareth Wilkshire and Dave Hleucka came close to adding further goals in a game that produced an exciting finish.
Sunday 12 October 2003 Surrey United 1, Quebec 2 (Semi-Final) United started the semi-final strongly and after dominating the early play deservedly took the lead at the 12th minute mark when Joe Deacon scored from the penalty spot after Cory Janzen had been hacked down in the box by the Quebec keeper who can consider himself fortunate for only receiving a yellow card for the offence. Surrey continued to press which rattled their opponents who were racking up yellow cards as they were unable to handle the pressure. United striker Shawn Blakeway made a great run into the penalty area leaving three defenders in his wake and fired a goalbound shot which somehow the by now prostrate keeper saved with an outstretched foot after initially diving the wrong way on the shot. Blakeway had another effort cleared off the goal-line when his header seemed destined for the back of the net. It was pretty much one way traffic but with five minutes remaining in the half Quebec tied up the game when their striker Cesar hit a wicked free-kick that dipped and swerved viciously into the net. In the second half the same pattern of play continued but somehow the final pass or shot into the box just eluded the United forwards or was somehow scrambled away by the defence. At the 83rd minute Cesar delivered what proved to be the killer blow when he hit another tremendous free-kick from twenty-five yards that surpassed his earlier strike and rocketed into the back of the net in Beckhamesque fashion. United battled back strongly as they piled forward in search of the equaliser and won a succession of corners and free-kicks. The final free-kick proved to be the best chance when Deacon's brilliant cross found 17 year old striker Ivan Estrada wide open but alas the youngster's first time header found the side netting instead of the gaping goal. So Surrey's chance of gold slipped away in a game that they completely dominated and played well enough to win. Apart from the two free-kicks there was one other shot on goal and that represented the total offence that Quebec were able to muster.
Friday 10 October 2003 Surrey United 6, New Brunswick 1 (Round Robin) Similar to yesterday's game United started cautiously before hitting their full stride and took the lead at the 15 minute mark when skipper Joe Deacon calmly chipped the ball over the keeper's head and into the net from eighteen yards. The goal spurred United on as they poured forward in search of further goals but had to wait until the 44th minute when following a dazzling dribbling display, Clayton Dobbin shook off the defenders and fired over a deep cross where Gareth Wilkshire was once again on hand to volley home to give United a 2-0 half-time lead. United struck immediately after the interval when substitute Dave Hleucka with his first of the game was on hand to fire home a loose ball after goalmouth melee. Once again, the quick goals either side of the break proved to be the backbreaker for the Maritime opponents. For the balance of the half Hleucka who had no luck around the net yesterday was now in a rampant mood and full of confidence and added two further goals which were both set-up by midfield maestro Cory Janzen. United piled on the pressure as New Brunswick defended desperately, unable to stem the United tide and Joseph Nakhla and Hleucka were both denied goals by goal-line clearances. Surrey rounded out their scoring in the 80th minute when Shawn Blakeway headed home Sean Crocker's perfect corner-kick. However, United were denied the shut-out on this occasion when the Maritimers were awarded a penalty shot in the dying minutes when Luke Ash was harshly adjudged for a hand ball after a powerful shot was hammered against his left arm. However, the loss of the shut-out could not dampen the spirits of the United team who were well satisfied with another glittering display and whose entertaining style has made them the favourites of the local non-partisan spectators.
Thursday 9 October 2003 Surrey United 4, Newfoundland 0 (Round Robin) United started their first ever National Championships very nervously and the Newfies took control of the early part of the game but Surrey steadily grew in confidence and started to generate some dangerous attacking play with left midfielder Clayton Dobbin particularly prominent. At the eighteen minute mark Dobbin's dangerous left wing cross was flicked on by striker Shawn Blakeway to Gareth Wilkshire who volleyed home in spectacular fashion. This was just the boost United needed and they started to play some attractive eye-catching soccer as they dominated their opponents. Joe Deacon saw his powerful shot hit the cross-bar and rebound to safety when it seemed it was destined for the back of the net. However, at the thirty minute mark United did increase their lead when Cory Janzen beat two defenders and then squared the ball to Blakeway who hammered a low left foot shot into the corner of the net from the edge of the area. One minute before the interval United delivered a killer blow when Shawn Blakeway this time blasted a right foot shot into the net from twenty yards past a screened keeper. If the Newfies had any hope that they could recover this was quickly dispelled when substitute Luke Ash with his first touch of the game volleyed home a Clayton Dobbin corner kick. The quick goals either side of the break proved to be the backbreaker for the Maritime opponents. For the balance of the half United pounded their opponents in search of further goals with substitutes Dave Hleucka and Ivan Estrada both making some great runs to get behind the defence, but alas they couldn't put away the scoring chances they created. Hleucka on another day might have scored three and Estrada hit the bar twice on one play but there was to be no more scoring as United registered their first ever win, a commendable 4-0 opening victory against the number 2 seeded Newfoundland team.
Club lands major sponsor
Info Touch Technologies Corp. is pleased to be sponsoring
Surrey United, the BC champions, in their quest to win the national men's
championship in Quebec. This is a part of our efforts to support local
not-for-profit organizations such as the Surrey United Soccer Club. The
growth and success of the club over the past decade is an indication of
the hard work and dedication of the management and the volunteer base
of the club. We wish them the best of luck in the tournament; we know
they will make all of BC proud.
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