Two of three U16 boys teams from Downey advanced to the 2014 AYSO upper division playoffs, with one team advancing all the way to the finals. The Downey teams were joined by squads from Montebello, South Gate, Pico Rivera, Lakewood, Long Beach, Huntington Park and Lynwood in postseason play. Coach Jorge’s team entered the playoffs in eighth place and lost in the finals, 3-2, against Pico Rivera in the last minutes of the game. “Everyone was fine with second place,” AYSO officials said. “It was nice to see a team with a couple of players who had never played soccer before make it so far to represent their city. Great job coaches, great job boys. Way to go Downey!”

Top row, from left: Coach Jorge Ramirez, Daniel, Alex, Zackery, Adrian, Eddie, Ivan, Anthony, William and Coach William. Bottom row: Omar, Brayden, Nathan, Valentin, Sergio, Cesar, Gildardo and Adres. Not pictured: Mario.

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Published: Nov. 6, 2014 - Volume 13 - Issue 30