The Maryland State Cup competition had an early start this year, opening on March 17 with competition in the Under-17 boys division. In that first game, Bethesda Real defeated FC Frederick 2-1 to move on. The first girls' game was played on March 26 between the ASA Vipers and United Premier Azzurri. The Vipers won 4-1, which kept them alive in the U-17 bracket.
The Boys
On the boys side, in the U-18 division, the Bays Blues have made themselves a contender despite being ranked 12th at the beginning stages of the tournament. They defeated Bays United, the fifth seed, 2-1, then beat OLNY FC, the fourth seed, 1-0. Top-ranked POT Cougars are still in the hunt, as are SAC United Premier and BETH Internationals, the second- and third-ranked squads.
In the U-17s, Rush '93 Swoosh and CALV Barza have already managed to clinch their spots in the quarter finals. The rest of the eight-team field is yet to be determined, but top-ranked FSC United is still alive, as are the BETH Gunners, ranked second. The third-seeded CALV Patriots were defeated 3-2 by Barza.
Half of the eight-team quarter final spots have been taken in the U-16 race, with the PACH Green Dragons, the FREE Red Devils, MD Rush Nike and ASA United all moving forward. Rush Nike, ranked 21st, upset the fifth-ranked DCST Blue Titans (one of the Washington, D.C. teams representing the capital city in Maryland State Cup competition) 3-0, and the 15th-seeded Green Dragons defeated the number two seed, FRED FC Frederick, 4-1.
Bays Chelsea, BETH Revolution and CRFT Blast have moved on to the eight-team quarter final in the U-15 bracket, but the top-seeded teams are yet to compete.
Top seeded MSC Magic Green was the first team to clinch a semi-final spot in the U-14 division, but the other three teams are yet to be determined. The FREE Diplomats, ranked 13th, won their first-round game 6-0 against the third-seeded Rush Nike, and face the sixth-ranked TSC Rockets next. Second seed FRED FC Frederick is still in the hunt, and will play SAC United Premier, ranked 10th.
Half of the quarter final field has been decided in the U-13 division, with the ASA Black Hawks, CRFT United, BETH Lions and BSC Premier all moving forward after winning their last round.
The Girls
Only eight teams are competing for the U-18 title, and the top-seeded BETH Dragons defeated LUYAA Intensity 10-0 to put themselves in the semi finals. LAUR Premier United defeated MSC Matrix to take the second spot, and will face FREE United in the semis.
Second-seeded FREE Fury moved on to the quarterfinals after beating the ASA Vipers 1-0. The rest of the quarterfinalists are yet to be determined, but the top-ranked teams are still in the hunt, including first-seeded BAYS U17G.
Eleven teams entered the U-16 State Cup, and the FREE Wolverines have already won their way into the quarterfinals. The top four teams, including top-ranked FREE Elite, are still playing.
All but one of the quarter finalist spots have been claimed in the U-15 division. Top-ranked SAC United Premier will face the FREE Strikers, while the 12th-seeded TSW Strikers upset fifth-ranked SAC United 1 2-1 to move on.
In the U-14 division, top-ranked PSCI Baltimore, MSC Magic, FREE Storm, CALV Angels and the Laurel Wildcats have all clinched quarter final spots. Second-seeded FRED FC Frederick has yet to play.
Finally, in the U-13 division, 17th-seeded BETH 1860 girls defeated the top-ranked SMU Wildcats 1-0. CSC Patuxent Swarm and the Fruitland SC Vipers have also claimed quarter final spots.
