News & Features

Across the Academy - Nov. 8

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.

Nov. 8, 2012

WHAT’S AHEAD:
U-17 MNT To Face Brazil, Turkey and Portugal at 2012 Nike International Friendlies In Conjunction with Development Academy Showcase: The U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team is set to square off against Brazil, Turkey and Portugal in the 10^th annual Nike International Friendlies from Nov. 28-Dec. 3 in Lakewood Ranch, Fla. Along with the National Team competition, the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Winter Showcase will see all 80 Academy teams compete in 240 non-conference matches.

Academy Alum Brandon Allen Helps Lead Georgetown to Postseason: After posting a remarkable haul of goals during four seasons playing in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, former New York Red Bulls U-17/18 forward Brandon Allen has stepped up to lead Georgetown to the brink of a BIG EAST Conference championship.

LAST WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS:
West Conference:

LA Galaxy’s U-17/18 squad remained unbeaten as a bevy of bench players stepped up to earn a 1-0 victory against Nomads SC. With several starters away on official college recruiting visits, Aaron Lombardi registered the game-winning goal, his second goal of the season, for the Galaxy early in the second half. The win keeps LA on top of the Southwest Division with a 5-0-1 record, 2.67 points per game and extends the team’s unbeaten streak to six games.
The Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps met in a clash of Northwest Division rivals in both age groups. Nicholas Nguyen registered a hat trick and Isidro Prado-Huerta added a goal as the Sounders U-17/18 team defeated the Whitecaps 4-2. In the younger age group, the Sounders completed the sweep as four different players scored in a 4-0 shutout win.

Central Conference:

In a meeting of Chicagoland rivals, the Chicago Fire and Chicago Magic PSG tangled in both age groups in a Mid-America Division showdown. The Magic emerged victorious in both games for the weekend sweep, as the U-17/18 side maintained its lead atop the division with a 7-2-0 record and 2.33 points per game. The Magic U-17/18 has conceded just three goals in nine matches and blanked the Fire 2-0 for its seventh clean sheet of the season. Dzenan Nezirevic and Xavier Gomez scored in the win. In the U-15/16 age group, Abuchi Obinwa scored the game-winning goal four minutes from time to lift the Magic to a 1-0 win.
Vardar SC Freiburg U-15/16 remained one of only three unbeaten teams left in the Central Conference with a 2-1 win against Crew Soccer Academy. Nash Popovic scored the game-winning goal in the 79th minute as Vardar (7-0-3) rebounded from an early 1-0 deficit. FC Dallas (6-0-0) and Crew Soccer Academy Wolves (8-0-1) are the other unbeaten teams left in the Conference.

East Conference:

D.C. United U-15/16 extended its season-opening winning streak to eight games with a 3-0 victory against Atlantic Division foe Virginia Rush. Julian Cummings, Jean-Christophe Koffi and Gerson Umaña all scored for United. Umaña’s tally brings his season total to eight, tying him atop the U-15/16 goal-scoring leaderboard with FC DELCO’s Doyle Tuvesson and FC Dallas’s Santiago Agudelo.
Georgia United and Orlando City’s U-15/16 sides went head-to-head in a Southeast Division clash and both teams remained unbeaten in a 1-1 draw. Bryce Overbey put Orlando City on the board early in the fifth minute, but Jad Arslan leveled for Georgia United in the 34th minute.

PEAK PERFORMERS
Week 9 Player of the Week: Stephen Megaloudis, Midfielder, CASL Chelsea FC
Stephen Megaloudis scored both goals in a 2-1 win for CASL Chelsea FC U-15/16 against regional rival Charlotte Soccer Academy, including the game-winning goal on a free kick in the 80^th minute. The midfielder has scored five goals this season for CASL Chelsea FC as the team is currently on a four-game winning streak and is near the top of the Southeast Division standings with a 4-1-0 record, 12 points and 2.40 points per game.

Referee of the Week: Vince Apple-Chiarella
Vince Apple-Chiarella earns Referee of the Week honors for his performance during this past weekend’s U-17/18 match between San Juan Soccer Club and the San Jose Earthquakes. His performance at a handful of 2012 Referee Identification Events reinforced his selection as Referee of the Week. Apple-Chiarella, a Grade 6 referee, works in the Cal-North region and has officiated nearly 20 Development Academy matches. He attended the 2012 Development Academy Spring Showcase and served as a linesman in the USYSA U-19 Boys’ National Cup final between Crew Jrs. and GSA93 in Rock Hill, S.C., last summer.

OTHER ACADEMY NEWS AND NOTES:
Development Academy Webinar Replay: On Tuesday, Nov. 6, U.S. Soccer Director of Youth National Team Scouting Tony Lepore hosted a public webinar regarding the U-13/14 Development Academy program. The audio and graphics are available through ussoccer.com.

ACADEMY IN THE NEWS: