The East Diablo Impact Boys 94 Black team placed third in the recent Dublin Premier Fall Classic. Despite many injuries and the heat, the team finished 2-1-1 in the tournament.

The Impact 94 Black scored seven goals and allowed only five. Of the five goals-against scored, three were off penalty kicks, one from a foul outside of the area, and only one from open-field play.

The Impact 94 Black started with a 2-1 win over Bay Oaks Earthquakes. Next up was the Sunnyvale SC United 94 Red, ranked in the top 50 of Northern California U16 boys’ teams.

Since spring, Sunnyvale has notched two first-place finishes and one second in highly ranked tournaments.

But in the Dublin tournament, Impact 94 Black tied Sunnyvale 1-1 – Sunnyvale’s only goal coming off a penalty kick – earning Impact 94 Black enough tournament points to qualify for the semifinals.

In the semifinals, another team ranked in the top 50 was waiting: Central Valley YSL Dynamo 94 Red, boasting three third-place finishes and one second this year. The Impact lost 3-0.

In the consolation game for third place, Impact 94 Black met a familiar opponent: Livermore Fusion SC 94 Maroon. Livermore, ranked 74th, had beaten Impact in the NorCal Spring Season 2-3. Impact got its revenge, soundly defeating Livermore 5-0.