Washington, D.C. (April 28, 2015) -- D.C. United Academy Under-13, Under-14, Under-15, Under-16 and Under-18 teams all participated in a double header this past weekend. Their first game on Saturday, April 25, pitted them against Maryland side Bethesda-Olney Soccer Academy. The U-14, U-16 and U-18 matches took place at Evergreen Sportsplex in Leesburg, Va., while the U-13 and U-15 games were played at the RFK Auxiliary Field. Together the teams combined for a 1-2-2 record against their Maryland neighbors.
On Sunday, April 26, the teams all took on the New Jersey Cedar Stars Academy (NJCSA) at the same locations, the Evergreen Sportsplex and RFK Auxiliary field. Overall, D.C. United came away with 2-1-2 record against NJCSA.D.C. United Academy teams will see action next on May 2, with the U-13 and U-15 teams taking on the Soccer Association of Maryland at Covenant Park in Columbia, Md., while the U-14, U-16 and U-18 teams all take on Richmond United at the Evergreen Sportsplex.
The D.C. United Academy Under-12 team also played on Sunday, April 26. They traveled to Warminster, Pa., to take on the VE Green Gunners. The trip was a successful one, with D.C. United securing a 5-1 win. They will look to carry the same form into their next game against the Ukranian Nationals on Sunday, May 3, at RFK Stadium.
U-12: 5-1 Win against VE Green Gunners
Goals: Axel Keppler (2), Foday Bangura, Amir Acree, Luca Smith
“The group did very well in possession and had a good day in front of the goal,” said U-12 Head Coach Dave Sanford. “I was pleased that the boys came out with the right mentality and put together a complete performance.”
U-13: 0-2 Loss against Bethesda-Olney
U-13: 4-1 Win against NJCSA
Goals: Omre Etienne (2), Max Morris, Sulahmana Bah
"Collectively the group kept working hard to improve their performance as the weekend progressed,” said U-13 Head Coach John Bello. “Once we scored our first goal you could see a noticeable increase in the player’s confidence and it was very enjoyable to watch them play. I credit the players for displaying a high level of attitude, concentration and effort throughout the weekend."
U-14: 5-0 Win against Bethesda-Olney
Goals: Kyle Davis (3), Alexis Cerritos, Jonathan Godette
U-14: 1-1 Draw against NJCSA
Goals:Steven Zeballos
"Overall, it was a good weekend of soccer,” said U-14 Head Coach and Academy Director Nolan Sheldon. “The 14s played at a high level in both matches; however, the focus has to be sustained, high-level soccer from each player for the duration of the match."
U-15: 0-2 Loss against Bethesda-Olney
“Despite several scoring opportunities, we were unable to convert early on,” said U-15 Head Coach Tom Torres. “On the other side, we managed their strong attack well for most of the match, but could not protect the space behind the back line a few times and ultimately ended up conceding. It was a good match for the boys, and we will focus our attention on collective defending and finishing those opportunities.”
U-15: 1-2 Loss against NJCSA
Goals: Jason Ferrufino
“After an unlucky first half where NJCSA were able to capitalize off of a PK from a handball and set piece where we lacked focus and concentration, the Black-and-Red showed great character in their second half response,” said U15 Assistant Coach Jeff Carroll. “After getting an early goal back, we created numerous scoring opportunities all through good combination and wing play. Our build up and combination play from the middle third to final third was great. What was lacking was our ability to frame the goal and shape our hips to finish opportunities inside the 18. This upcoming week we will look to focus on our body positioning when in the act of finishing along with getting proper and efficient runs into the box.”
U-16: 3-3 Draw with Bethesda-Olney
Goals: Brandon Williamson, Collin Jouan, Carson Jeffris
U-16: 0-0 Draw against NJCSA
“The boys showed great character and resilience coming back to even the match after being down 3-0,” said U16 Head Coach Jonathan Frias. “There were some great performances and some great goals in a very competitive match. Against NJCSA, the group played well for the majority of the match. There were many scoring opportunities but we couldn't put the ball in the back of the net. The focus this week in training will be to continue to work on destabilizing our opponents in the final third and develop more composure in front of the goal.”
U-18: 2-2 Draw against Bethesda-Olney
Goals: Own Goal, Donovan Pines
U-18: 2-0 Win against NJCSA
Goals: Stephane Kuoame (2)
“Overall, the boys handled the double fixture weekend superbly,” said U18 Head Coach Tom Torres. “They had several obstacles thrown their way with injuries and players unavailable and they were able to put together a solid weekend. With that, both matches showed an excellent understanding of ball security and creation of space in possession. Despite going down early in the first match, we were thrilled with the boy's character to come back and control the tempo. The defensive unit in both matches showed well and they did a great job balancing spaces in front and behind and creating density in key areas. We will look to get the boys on the mend and ready to compete this weekend.”
