The Los Gatos Metro under-18 team earned a berth in the under-19 age division at the prestigious Dallas Cup. Members of the team include (front row, l-r) Dave Ibarra, Joey Randesi, Kelly Gray, Michael Ching, Danny Herbst, Matt Stolp, Ralph Madrigal, Chris Salvatore and Artin Rodriguez, and (back row, l-r) coach Dave Gold, DC Cohen, Jason Sabet-Payman, Jedd Martin, Jon Starrett, Ryan McTighe, Matt Heisser, Stephen Biondolillo, Brian Rhodes and coach Jeff Rhodes. Not pictured are Brett Dippert and Arturo Juarez.
Metro plays for Dallas Cup
Local soccer team wins its bracket
By Dick Sparrer
Only the best age group soccer teams are invited to participate in the prestigious Dallas Cup--international teams, state teams, Los Gatos. ...
Los Gatos?
That's right, the Los Gatos Metro boys under-19 squad won a berth in the world championship tournament.
"Most of the teams there are international teams connected to pro teams, or state teams," said Los Gatos team representative Debbie Biondolillo. "There were very few teams there representing towns."
But Los Gatos was there. And not only that, the local boys were there winning soccer games.
Los Gatos Metro opened the rugged tournament with three impressive performances to finish first in its bracket.
Gatos crushed OSC Bremerhaven of Germany 6-1 and knocked off Brazil USA from Pennsylvania before fighting the host Texas Comets of Dallas to a 1-1 draw.
Los Gatos, made up mostly of players from local high schools, advanced to the next round, only to meet up with eventual tournament champion Atlas of Guadalajara of Mexico.
The local boys lost a tough 2-0 decision, Atlas scoring early on an indirect kick, then a second goal in the final three minutes.
Atlas went on to beat another team from Guadalajara in the under-19 championship game 3-1.
Los Gatos, really an under-18 team, had to compete in the under-19 division since there is no under-18 classification at the Dallas Cup.
Los Gatos, the only team from Northern California to claim a berth in the Dallas Cup, earned its place in the rugged Texas tourney through an application process, and Cup officials took a number of different factors into consideration when selecting the field. Among the criteria were:
Season record-- Los Gatos has already won six championships this season, including the California Cup in Sacramento (beating the Clovis Rowdies in the finals on penalty kicks); the South San Jose Classic (beating the Orchard Valley Assault 4-1 in the finals); the Orchard Valley Run & Gun Classic (beating the Diablo Valley Soccer Club Renegades 4-0 in the finals); the Ballistic Summer Classic (beating the Newark Argonauts 3-0 in the finals); the Abrozino League for the San Francisco Bay Area (9-0 record); and the District Cup (beating San Jose 3-2 in the finals). Los Gatos was second at the Santa Barbara Summer Classic (losing to Simi Valley Select 4-0 in the finals).
Number of state level Olympic development players-- Los Gatos had 11, including Stephen Biondolillo, Michael Ching, Brett Dippert, Kelly Gray, Matt Heisser, Danny Herbst, Joey Randesi, Brian Rhodes, Artin Rodriguez, Jon Starrett and Matt Stolp.
"All of that is what we had to submit," said Biondolillo. "We had to apply last fall, and we were surprised to get in, to be honest. There's never been an under-18 team from this area to be accepted."
Gray, Biondolillo, Martin and Ibarra have been teammates since they were 10-year-olds playing soccer for Greg Marvin in the Los Gatos program.
"He's very involved in Los Gatos soccer," said Biondolillo of Marvin. "He's the one who has really held this team together."
Marvin coached the squad in the early years, then brought in Paul Bravo as a trainer when the boys were playing under-13 soccer. Gold replaced Bravo a couple of years later, then was joined on the coaching staff by Rhodes last year.
The Los Gatos Metro boys now advance to the State Cup tournament. They opened with a 4-1 win over the Palo Alto Pumas and were to play the Napa Valley Soccer Club on Sunday.
The State Cup "Round of 16" will be held April 17-18 with the quarterfinals April 24 and the finals May 2.
Members of the talented team, coached by Dave Gold and Jeff Rhodes, include:
Stephen Biondolillo (St. Francis), 6-foot, 165 pounds, marking back/sweeper/defensive center-mid; Michael Ching (Bellarmine), 5-foot-9, 150, central midfield; DC Cohen (Bellarmine), 5-foot-11, 170, marking back; Brett Dippert (Leland), 5-foot-7, 145, forward; Kelly Gray (Leigh), 6-foot-1, 155, sweeper, forward, attacking mid; Matt Heisser (Amador Valley), 6-foot-3, 150, goalkeeper; Danny Herbst (Santa Teresa), 5-foot-8, 167, sweeper, defender, stopper; Dave Ibarra (Los Gatos), 5-foot-8, 170, defender, defensive mid; Arturo Jiminez (Pioneer); Ralph Madrigal (The King's Academy), 5-foot-7, 135, midfielder; Jedd Martin (Los Gatos), 5-foot-11, 160, midfielder; Ryan McTighe (Pioneer), midfielder; Jason Sabet-Payman (Leland), 6-foot-1, 165, forward, midfielder; Joey Randesi (Bellarmine), 5-foot-4, 135, forward, midfielder; Brian Rhodes (Bellarmine), 6-foot-1, 175, midfielder, sweeper; Artin Rodriguez, Chris Salvatore (Bellarmine), 5-foot-9, 160, midfielder, forward; Jon Starrett (Los Gatos), 6-foot, 165, goalkeeper; and Matt Stolp (Bellarmine), 5-foot-6, 155, defender.
Los Gatos, California Since 1881
