News & Features

Across the Academy - Oct. 4

Across the Academy is a weekly summary of news related to the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, highlighting Academy clubs, current and former players, youth national team activity and media coverage of the Academy. Across the Academy will be available for the duration of the 2012-13 season.

Oct. 4, 2012

WHAT’S AHEAD:
Rivalry Week Hits Full Force in Academy Play: The upcoming week features some important fixtures, including key local derbies. Among the noteworthy games during Academy Rivalry Week is a matchup between Sockers FC and the Chicago Fire. Both U-17/18 teams are 3-0-0 to start the season, and ussoccer.com caught up with Sockers FC third-year Academy player Tyler Davis to shed some light on the matchup. (2012-13 Academy schedule)

U-20 MNT Roster Named for Marbella Cup: U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team head coach Tab Ramos named a 19-player roster for the 2012 Marbella Cup in Spain. FC DELCO Academy product Zackary Steffen and former Colorado Rapids Academy midfielder Shane O’Neill earned their first U-20 call-ups. The U-20 MNT faces Canada on Wednesday, Oct. 10, followed by Scotland (Oct. 12) and Azerbaijan (Oct. 16). Ramos also took the time to preview the Marbella Cup with ussoccer.com.

U-17 MNT Faces Mexico in AGS Cup: The U.S. U-17 Men’s National Team won three of its first four games of the 2012 AGS Cup in Spain and enters the weekend with a Saturday match against defending AGS Cup champion Mexico. The USA took second in last year’s event. Earlier in the week, the U-17s came from behind to beat Morocco 2-1 on goals from CSA Wolves product Ahinga Selemani and Rubio Rubin. The U.S. then shut out United Arab Emirates 2-0 on Sept. 30 with penalty kick goals from Minnesota Thunder product Mukwelle Akale and Shaq Moore. On Oct. 2, the U.S. beat Canada 2-1 on two first-half goals.

LAST WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS:
West Conference:

With several Southwest Division teams on a bye week, Real Salt Lake AZ and Chivas USA had an opportunity to take an early lead in the U-17/18 age group last Saturday. Instead, the two teams played to a scoreless draw as they moved to 2-0-1 and a four-way tie in the division with idle Strikers FC and LA Galaxy. It is the only division in the Academy with four squads tied in points.
The San Jose Earthquakes swept their season-opening series against Cal Odyssey last Saturday. Emilio Huerta scored the game’s first two goals as the Earthquakes U-17/18 team rolled to a 5-0 win, while four separate goal scorers paced the U-15/16 team during a 4-0 victory.

Central Conference:

Four different goal scorers helped the Colorado Rapids U-15/16 team pick up its third win of the season and move into a first-place tie in the Frontier Division with Sporting Kansas City following its 4-0 win against the Texas Rush last Saturday. Dakota Peterson’s third-minute goal gave the Rapids an early lead and they never looked back. Defensively, the Rapids have allowed only one goal this season – the second-lowest total in its division.
The two FC Dallas teams opened their 2012-13 season on a winning note as the defending U-17/18 champion squad posted a 5-1 win against Classics Elite and the U-15/16 team garnered a 5-0 victory.

East Conference:

The North Carolina Fusion U-17/18 team’s Donovan Japp scored four goals last weekend and has taken the overall Academy scoring lead with nine goals. The Fusion played Weston FC to a 3-3 draw last Saturday and topped Kendall SC 4-2 on Sunday. Japp scored two goals in each match for the Fusion, which is 2-1-1 and tied for second in the Southeast Division behind CASL Chelsea FC Academy (3-0-0).
D.C. United’s U-15/16 team overcame a first-half deficit with back-to-back goals from Julian Cummings and Steven Gandy to defeat McLean Youth Soccer 2-1 and improve to 4-0-0 on the season.

PEAK PERFORMERS
Week 4 Player of the Week: Sebastian Saucedo, Forward, Real Salt Lake AZ
Sebastian Saucedo scored three goals for Real Salt Lake AZ’s U-15/16 team en route to a 7-2 win against Chivas USA on Saturday, Sept. 29. Saucedo, who is a U-15 national pool player and was recently in camp in March, scored goals in the 24th, 35th and 48th minute and he is tied for the U-15/16 Academy lead with five goals this season. Real Salt Lake AZ is 3-0-0 this season atop the Southwest Division.

Referee of the Week: Joshua Brooks
Joshua Brooks earns Referee of the Week honors for his performance during this past weekend’s match between Crew Soccer Academy and Shattuck-Saint Mary’s Soccer Academy. The Kentucky-based referee has worked in two previous Academy Finals Weeks in 2010 and 2011.

OTHER ACADEMY NEWS AND NOTES:
Academy Awards 175 Scholarships: The Development Academy has awarded scholarships to 175 players through its Academy Scholarship Program for the 2012-13 season. Former Pateadores midfielder Angel Maldonado, who was a scholarship player in 2011-12, spoke with ussoccer.com about the benefit of the program as he now competes for the University of New Hampshire.

ACADEMY IN THE NEWS:

Oakwood SC Building College-Like Fan Base – Top Drawer Soccer
Academy Recap: No Drop-Off for FC Dallas – Top Drawer Soccer
De Anza Force Product Benji Joya Makes First Start for Santos – Soccer America
Chicago U-17/18 Teams All Perfect – Soccer America
McCrary Leads FC Milwaukee Past Chicago Magic PSG – Wisconsin Soccer Central
Colorado Rapids Product O’Neill Adds Another Highlight to Year – coloradorapids.com
D.C. United U-17/18 Team Draws McLean – dcunited.com
D.C. United U-15/16 Comes From Behind to Win, Remain Undefeated – dcunited.com
FC Dallas Academy Teams go Undefeated to Start 2012-13 – fcdallas.com
Portland Timbers Academy Teams Open Home Schedule – portlandtimbers.com