D.C. United Academy played MLS rivals Philadelphia Union on Sunday, May 5 at Spingarn High School, going 1-1-1 against the Union in three physical matchups.
“The U-14s and U-16s played in very high quality games this weekend,” said D.C. United Director of Youth Development Sonny Silooy. “Ronald Ventura of the U-18s showcased his attacking quality and why he has been called in to the U-20 El Salvador National Team. The U-16s had a lot of movement without the ball, which created very nice goals. They played 80 minutes of high-level soccer against a very aggressive Philadelphia Union squad. Our U-14s started well, but Philly did a good job at capitalizing on our mistakes. Overall, it was a nice day to watch two excellent MLS academy teams play soccer.”
Games against Philadelphia Union
U-18s: 1-1 draw
Goals: Ronald Ventura [65]
Man of the Match: Umarr Bangura
“Despite not getting a deserved goal, Umarr was very active throughout the match, notably in front of the goal,” said D.C. United U-18 Head Coach Nolan Sheldon. “His hold up play brought our midfielders and wingers into the game, which allowed us to maintain a very balanced attack.”
U-16s: 4-1 win
Goals: Milton Juarez [8], DJ Reeves [13, 30] and Owen Marshall [78]
Men of the Match: Tyler Beaudoin and DJ Reeves
“The attacking unit had a great start, but Tyler had several outstanding point blank saves in the first and second half,” said D.C. United U-16 Head Coach Tom Torres. “He really showed some quality leadership throughout the entire match.”
“DJ had an outstanding match and was a force to be reckoned with throughout the whole match,” said Torres. “He was dangerous and had some great finishes, but he was also the first line of defense and put a lot of pressure on the opponent’s back line.”
U-14s: 4-1 loss
Goals: Chris Durkin [2]
Man of the Match: Chris Durkin
“Chris’s intensity and approach to the task at hand was a bright spot,” said D.C. United U-14 Head Coach Jonathan Frias."
D.C. United Academy continues its season on Saturday, May 10 with three away games. The U-18s and U-16s travel to New Jersey to play Players Development Academy (PDA). The U-18s kickoff at 4:00 p.m. EST and the U-16s play next at 6:30 p.m. EST, respectively. The U-14s will travel to Maryland and play Soccer Association of Columbia (SAC) at 2:30 p.m. EST.
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<p class="affiliate">Academy Update presented by <a class="red" href="http://www.theorthocentermd.com/">Orthopaedic Center</a>.</p> |
