NTX Celtic Fall Challenge 2016 groupings

Don't know about the other divisions, but anybody else think the schedule was possibly made to benefit the Celtics to make it at least the semi's? The O4 Celtic girls seemed to have a pretty easy group to advance in. Maybe just my jealousy in our team not making it. Just wonder about the other age groups.

Don't know about all that......but interesting how different the 07 and 06 teams look from the league teams just a week ago......

jogobonito06 wrote:Don't know about all that......but interesting how different the 07 and 06 teams look from the league teams just a week ago......

Seems to be more than a few hired guns in 07s.

Marshall's 05 Celtic girls could have played some real competition, but I guess they wanted to develop their finishing skills this weekend...

It's embarrassing for Celtic as a club to even let Marshall's team do that. Not sure how you even go home feeling good about yourself with results like that.

Greetings-- manager from Marshall here. I will be happy to chime in here. We have a small roster for tournaments ( 11 healthy kids). We have no guest players. While we would have been happy to play 11v11 we just don't have the roster size currently to do this, our sister teams were all playing. 9v9 doesn't always equal poor competition, its what most of the country is doing at this age. We will be at several travel tournaments that have competitive 9v9 and no 11v11 option for u12 girls. As a parent our kids are getting max touches, playing extended minutes and playing good soccer for their level of play. We do put together our 11v11 roster for LH and managed to do just fine this fall. Thanks for the concern and good luck to all and sorry to those offended.

Very awesome club and coach. Lost two gigantic strikers to fcd red 05 and a warrior to kicks this offseason

FC Sanger wrote:Greetings-- manager from Marshall here. I will be happy to chime in here. We have a small roster for tournaments ( 11 healthy kids). We have no guest players. While we would have been happy to play 11v11 we just don't have the roster size currently to do this, our sister teams were all playing. 9v9 doesn't always equal poor competition, its what most of the country is doing at this age. We will be at several travel tournaments that have competitive 9v9 and no 11v11 option for u12 girls. As a parent our kids are getting max touches, playing extended minutes and playing good soccer for their level of play. We do put together our 11v11 roster for  LH and managed to do just fine this fall. Thanks for the concern and good luck to all and sorry to those offended.

FC Sanger wrote:Greetings-- manager from Marshall here. I will be happy to chime in here. We have a small roster for tournaments ( 11 healthy kids). We have no guest players. While we would have been happy to play 11v11 we just don't have the roster size currently to do this, our sister teams were all playing. 9v9 doesn't always equal poor competition, its what most of the country is doing at this age. We will be at several travel tournaments that have competitive 9v9 and no 11v11 option for u12 girls. As a parent our kids are getting max touches, playing extended minutes and playing good soccer for their level of play. We do put together our 11v11 roster for  LH and managed to do just fine this fall. Thanks for the concern and good luck to all and sorry to those offended.

I have always observed this program as being very classy -- the parents, the coach, and the players.

FC Sanger wrote:Greetings-- manager from Marshall here. I will be happy to chime in here. We have a small roster for tournaments ( 11 healthy kids). We have no guest players. While we would have been happy to play 11v11 we just don't have the roster size currently to do this, our sister teams were all playing. 9v9 doesn't always equal poor competition, its what most of the country is doing at this age. We will be at several travel tournaments that have competitive 9v9 and no 11v11 option for u12 girls. As a parent our kids are getting max touches, playing extended minutes and playing good soccer for their level of play. We do put together our 11v11 roster for  LH and managed to do just fine this fall. Thanks for the concern and good luck to all and sorry to those offended.

I have always observed this program as being very classy -- the parents, the coach, and the players. Gracious in victory and high-road in defeat.

Sorry it seemed to have gotten off track. My concern wasn't necessarily a particular team. Rather how the brackets were set up for this tournament. Just seemed in the 04 Girls the Celtics had the easiest path to the semi's. Just wondering if any of the other brackets seemed that way. Again, maybe just my jealousy peeking through. I know there are (a lot) of teams that stack their team with guest players to win a tournament. Our team doesn't do that. We want to win (or not win) with what we have. But, to each his/her own.

So maybe another way to go about this.
When a club is scheduling a tournament, how do they decide what clubs/teams get put in what bracket?

Hersoccerdad wrote:Sorry it seemed to have gotten off track. My concern wasn't necessarily a particular team. Rather how the brackets were set up for this tournament. Just seemed in the 04 Girls the Celtics had the easiest path to the semi's. Just wondering if any of the other brackets seemed that way. Again, maybe just my jealousy peeking through.    I know there are (a lot) of teams that stack their team with guest players to win a tournament. Our team doesn't do that. We want to win (or not win) with what we have. But, to each his/her own.

So maybe another way to go about this.
When a club is scheduling a tournament, how do they decide what clubs/teams get put in what bracket?

I would expect nothing less and its common practice.....of course there going to schedule the brackets so their club has a better showing or ability to make the playoffs.  (in all ages groups)

There were two pools of 3 teams in U12 Girls (9v9).

I split up the two teams from Oklahoma (no one likes to travel to a tournament in a different state just to play a team from the same club in pool play).

The other teams were FC Premier (PTCL D1), Sting (PTCL D2) and Elite (PTCL D2). Sting had 5 wins in PTCL 2, including a 4-3 victory over Elite. Elite had 1 win in PTCL D2.

NTX Celtic FC 05G Marshall was in a pool with the stronger of the two Oklahoma teams and the stronger of the two PTCL D2 teams.

FC Premier was in a pool with the weaker of the two Oklahoma teams and the weaker of the two PTCL D2 teams.

NTX Celtic FC beat Elite in the Semi's and then FC Premier in the Finals. NTX Celtic played 4 of the 5 other teams in the division.


Please tell me how I should have grouped these 6 teams into pools to ensure better competition.

coachdom23 wrote:There were two pools of 3 teams in U12 Girls (9v9).

I split up the two teams from Oklahoma (no one likes to travel to a tournament in a different state just to play a team from the same club in pool play).

The other teams were FC Premier (PTCL D1), Sting (PTCL D2) and Elite (PTCL D2). Sting had 5 wins in PTCL 2, including a 4-3 victory over Elite. Elite had 1 win in PTCL D2.

NTX Celtic FC 05G Marshall was in a pool with the stronger of the two Oklahoma teams and the stronger of the two PTCL D2 teams.

FC Premier was in a pool with the weaker of the two Oklahoma teams and the weaker of the two PTCL D2 teams.

NTX Celtic then beat FC Premier in the Finals.


Please tell me how I should have grouped these 6 teams into pools to ensure better competition.

My original and follow up questions were referring to the U13 teams not the U12.

Hersoccerdad wrote:

My original and follow up questions were referring to the U13 teams not the U12.

Jogo's comment and Sanger's defense through me off. My apologies.

Hersoccerdad wrote:Don't know about the other divisions, but anybody else think the schedule was possibly made to benefit the Celtics to make it at least the semi's? The O4 Celtic girls seemed to have a pretty easy group to advance in. Maybe just my jealousy in our team not making it. Just wonder about the other age groups.

The goal is to have the four best teams in the Semi-Finals and the best 2 in the Finals. Based on Fall league play, the top 04G seeds were #1 Solar Rundell (LHGCL D2 - 6 wins), #2 FC Premier (LHGCL D2 - 6 wins), #3 NTX Celtic Mayes (Plano Red - 11 wins), #4 Liverpool Barnes (Plano Red - 9 wins). I will get to Dallas Kicks 05G Selecao, later.


Solar Rundell pool play:
- Kicks 05G (U12 LHGCL D1 - 9 wins)
- Centex Storm (WDDOA Flight 2 - 7 wins)
- Frisco Fusion (Plano Red - 2 wins)

FC Premier pool play:
- Liverpool Barnes (Plano Red - 9 wins)
- FC Dallas North Red (Plano White - 2 wins)
- Texas Spurs (Plano White - 3 wins)

NTX Celtic Mayes pool play:
- Texas Spurs (Plano White - 3 wins)
- FC Frisco Storm Black (Plano Red - 2 wins)
- FC Dallas North Red (Plano White - 2 wins)

Liverpool FC Barnes pool play:
- FC Premier (LHGCL D2 - 6 wins)
- FC Frisco Storm Black (Plano Red - 2 wins)
- Texas Spurs (Plano White - 3 wins)


Barnes had a more difficult schedule than Celtic because Barnes was the lower seed based on Fall league record. In pool play, both Celtic and Barnes played FC Frisco Storm Black and Texas Spurs. Celtic beat them both 3-0, Barnes beat them both 2-0.

In my opinion, the issue is not Celtic's schedule. Rather, it is how I seeded Dallas Kicks 05G Selecao in the division. Kicks 05G (U12 LHGCL D1 - 10 wins) lost to the #1 seed 2-1 in pool play, but earned max points against the other two teams in their pool. Then, they beat #2 seed in semi's.

In hindsight, Kicks 05G should have been a higher seed for pool play. (That would likely have given Barnes a game against either Kicks 05G or Solar). Kicks 05G did not complain about having to play the #1 seed in pool play, they went out and handled business.

Kicks 05G played "spoiler" in this division, but when all said and done, the four best teams in this age group made the Semi-Finals and the best 2 made the Finals.

Dom, can you respond to my email since you are responding to questions on the forum? Thanks

Brian Moncrief

Blues Fan wrote:Dom, can you respond to my email since you are responding to questions on the forum? Thanks

Brian Moncrief

Will do

Let me just say that, while I don't think the OP was intending to attack Dom, Dom is an excellent Tournament and League Director. We are fortunate to have him in our community assisting with so many tournaments.

ForReal wrote:Let me just say that, while I don't think the OP was intending to attack Dom, Dom is an excellent Tournament and League Director.  We are fortunate to have him in our community assisting with so many tournaments.

I did not take any of this as an attack, and I am happy explain why I did what I did, even if that means eating humble pie for improperly seeding Kicks 05G.

coachdom23 wrote:

ForReal wrote:Let me just say that, while I don't think the OP was intending to attack Dom, Dom is an excellent Tournament and League Director.  We are fortunate to have him in our community assisting with so many tournaments.

I did not take any of this as an attack, and I am happy explain why I did what I did, even if that means eating humble pie for improperly seeding Kicks 05G.

Dom, Is there any way to avoid playing 3 games in 5 hours and 20 minutes? Seems like a lot in short amount of time. Was there a reason some U10 teams were scheduled like this?

Just a question no complaints, as Dom is certainly superior to RH and his asst.

boilerjoe_96 wrote:

Dom, Is there any way to avoid playing 3 games in 5 hours and 20 minutes?  Seems like a lot in short amount of time.  Was there a reason some U10 teams were scheduled like this?

Just a question no complaints, as Dom is certainly superior to RH and his asst.

3 games in one day is less than ideal. If the division has 6 teams or more, I can avoid three games in one day if the teams are willing to play on Thursday and/or Friday nights. If you want details about your division, send me an email - NorthTexasFC@yahoo.com

Boiler Joe- I think you all should be required to play 5 games in a day before we have to play you!