Texas Cup Age/Bracket Format ???

Who can explain how teams/brackets/schedules were done for the TX Cup (organized by Sting)? My daughter's team is in a bracket with 2 other teams...neither of which we play??? We play games against three other teams from two other/different brackets. It appears most brackets (at least within U13) are configured this way. Have not seen this 'random format' before.

Soccer-Fan wrote:Who can explain how teams/brackets/schedules were done for the TX Cup (organized by Sting)?  My daughter's team is in a bracket with 2 other teams...neither of which we play???  We play games against three other teams from two other/different brackets.  It appears most brackets (at least within U13) are configured this way.  Have not seen this 'random format' before.  

Since some tournmanents have teams come from out of town, it is expected that your DD's team will be playing against teams that they normally do not see. I beleive they probably look at rankings and such and try to put them in like brackets. Is this not the case?

Are you a D1 team playing PPL D3 teams?

Not so much LHGCL D1 vs. PPL D3 -- but an interesting comparison none the less -- seems like there was some "home cook'in" done by the host club. DD's team is a LHGCL D3 team. Below is a comparison of their opponents to a Tourney Host team's opponents (who are a LHGCL D2 team) -- all Teams in the Silver Bracket:

DD's Team (LHGCL D3) Opponents (based on GotSoccer Reg 3 ranks):
OPP 1: #65
OPP 2: #161
OPP 3: #228

Tourney Host (Sting LHGCL D2) Team's Opponents (based on GotSoccer Reg 3 ranks):
OPP 1: #294
OPP 2: #349
OPP 3: #811

It is what it is...and "that's why we play the games" -- but this is some sketchy scheduling.

What did you expect! This club tournament, club making the money, taking care of club teams, who pay money.

Soccer-Fan wrote:Not so much LHGCL D1 vs. PPL D3 -- but an interesting comparison none the less -- seems like there was some "home cook'in" done by the host club.  DD's team is a LHGCL D3 team.  Below is a comparison of their opponents to a Tourney Host team's opponents (who are a LHGCL D2 team) -- all Teams in the Silver Bracket:

DD's Team (LHGCL D3) Opponents (based on GotSoccer Reg 3 ranks):
OPP 1:     #65
OPP 2:     #161
OPP 3:     #228

Tourney Host (Sting LHGCL D2) Team's Opponents (based on GotSoccer Reg 3 ranks):
OPP 1:     #294
OPP 2:     #349
OPP 3:     #811

It is what it is...and "that's why we play the games" -- but this is some sketchy scheduling.  

Could be a number of reasons.

A likely one being host club bracketing to get the host clubs teams through.
Others are:
. your coach requested a tough draw to be able to play against competition your team would not normally get to face
. other teams (particularly out of town teams) wanting to play a tough schedule and specifically Sting teams
. tournament scheduler not placing much stock in GotSoccer rankings at this age

I think it's strange that teams, in the same bracket, are not playing each other. Never seen that before. Good luck this weekend to all the teams playing.

From the looks of it I think the scheduler is preventing NTX playing teams they play in league. In the gold bracket there are 10 teams total and 5 from NTX (2 from host club) & 2 from Austin (same club). The way it's step up all teams will be playing teams then they normally would in league.

It also appears to be the same in the silver bracket. The only exception I see if Sting Parker down in silver. Only thing I can think for this is the rough fall season they have had in league. Plus the odd number it would create in the gold bracket. If your going off Gotsoccer rankings D'Feeters & FCD White are ranked higher then Sting Parker even though Parker is a D2 team. At the end of the day D2/D3 doesn't mean anything. Can a D3 team beat a D2 team? YES!!!

Shameless home cooking. Absolutely a perfect example of everything that is wrong with NTX soccer.

Save all the excuses, you can't shame the shameless, but you can laugh at a joke.