Three of the four Sounders FC Academy squads were in action on the road in Oregon and California last weekend.
Recent Results
U-18
- Sounders FC 4 at Juventus Sport Club 0 | March 4, 2017
- Sounders FC 1 at San Jose Earthquakes 1 | March 5, 2017
U-16
- Sounders FC 3 at Juventus Sport Club 0 | March 4, 2017
- Sounders FC 1 at San Jose Earthquakes 2 | March 5, 2017
U-15
- Sounders FC 3 vs. Portland City United U-16 0 | March 4, 2017
Without a goal from open play in 2017, the U-18s bounced back from narrow losses to Portland Timbers and Sacramento Republic with a resounding 4-0 victory over Juventus Sport Club. Winger Paul Rothrock started the scoring in the 48th minute when he pressed the opposition goalkeeper into a mistake and subsequently slotted home. Captain Sam Rogers ensured that the Rave Green stayed on the front foot by consistently picking apart the Juventus backline with pinpoint, cross-field diagonal passes. The constant pressure told as the Sounders added three more tallies from rebounds.
The next day against San Jose, Rothrock once again handed the Sounders a 1-0 lead through sheer grit and determination. He picked the ball off an Earthquakes midfielder, drove the length of the field, while holding off the center back, and calmly found the back of the net. Despite amassing the lion’s share of possession throughout the match, the young Sounders were unable to respond to the Earthquake’s equalizer in the 68th minute.
Meanwhile, the U-16s also enjoyed a convincing victory over Juventus at the weekend. Goals from Cam Martin and Azriel Gonzalez gave Sounders Academy a 2-0 lead within ten minutes. A clever touch from Dylan Teves to redirect a left-flank cross into the path of Martin made it 1-0 in the 3rd minute, while an inventive pass from Marlon Vargas enabled Gonzalez to double the lead minutes later. Vargas put the tie to bed just before the interval when scored the third and final goal of the afternoon.
Despite a strong start to the weekend, the young Sounders dropped the next result in a 2-1 loss to San Jose. Although they entered the break down two goals, young prospects Vargas and Ray Serrano led a spirited second-half comeback, as the former halved the deficit off a clever pass from the latter.
Finally, the U-15s enjoyed a dominant display in Far West Regional League against the BSC Portland U-16 squad. The dynamic Ethan Dobbelaere (U-14) made his debut with the older team as the No. 8. A promising midfield technician, he set the tempo of match with his clever passing and surging runs from deep.
Upcoming Matches
March 3
- Seattle Sounders FC U-18 vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-18 (1:00 p.m. PT, Starfire Sports)
- Seattle Sounders FC U-16 vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-16 (3:30 p.m. PT, Starfire Sports)
For Club and Country
The Sounders U-16 squad was shorthanded at the weekend as several standouts joined up with various United States Youth National Teams. A trio of prospects brought up from the U-14 side -- Josh Atencio, Danny Robles and Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez, missed both matches while away with the U.S. U-15s. Additionally, Azriel Gonzalez traveled to Bradenton, Fla., for a training camp with the U.S. U-16s after the win over Juventus and did not feature in the game with Earthquakes.
Moving On Up
With the weekend off from competitive matches, a couple of talented prospects from the Sounders Academy U-14s were brought up to play for the U-15 team. Dobbelaere started the match while Sintayehu Clements, Andrew Tran, Ryan Bridge and Sota Kitahara played the final half-hour. Kitahara, 13, turned plenty of heads as the No. 6, and was the best player on the pitch with a rare blend of intelligence and skill.
One to Watch
Striker Marlon Vargas has gone from strength to strength in 2017. Always capable of producing moments of magic, the gifted attacker added some end-product with two goals and an assist at the weekend.
