WOW. Just WOW. Chances are that team had 15-18 players on the roster and you know the coach was playing to win. It is PGF nationals! So yeah, you are going to have some kids that get a lot less playing time during bracket play. Everyone on your team should get an opportunity in pool play. But by that point in the season, the coach knows who his best 9 are to put on the field. Parents should have bowed out before nationals if they were that frustrated and saved themselves thousands of dollars on the trip. I mean, it is not like their kid was going to get much playing time anyway, right? I hate it for those kids. What are their parents' teaching them? And now they have that reputation.
Everyone played in pool play games. Those games also gave the coaches a final look at who was playing well and who was struggling.