The youngest members of Sounders Academy are in Oceanside, Calif., for the first-ever edition of the U-15 USSDA playoffs this week. They enter the competition full of confidence after a dominant regular season, during which they posted a 16-0-3 record in league play.
āObviously they did really well in the league, finishing the season unbeaten was a good achievement,ā said U-15 head coach Dan Lock. āWhatās been good about the group is weāve managed to have a successful league season while quite a few of the players were regularly playing up with the U-17s. So, itās been a whole squad effort.ā
Only eight teams in the country qualified for the postseason, so the Soundersā qualification for the tournament is indicative of their growing success in elite player development.
According to Lock, the teamās success this year has been driven by the groupās commitment to humility, work ethic and resilience.
āWe have a nice balance between playing positive soccer on the front foot while also being able to sustain possession and buildout from the back,ā added Lock. āFrom a defensive aspect, their pressing has been pretty good.
āThe playoffs are a platform for the boys to show the hard work from the year. Theyāve prepared well, worked hard and learned a lot. Now itās a chance for them to express themselves and demonstrate their qualities.ā
If the Sounders manage to win their group, which contains the Montreal Impact, Toronto FC and South Florida-based Weston FC, theyāll advance to the national championship match. However, even if they donāt manage to finish atop their group, theyāll still play one more game to determine their ultimate ranking for the 2018-19 season.
Players to watch | Oscar Rincon (ST, 2004), Austin Brummett (ST, 2004), Josh Hardin (LW, 2005) and Reed Baker-Whiting (CM, 2005).
Schedule | Sounders vs. Montreal Impact (6/20, 1:00 p.m. PT), Sounders vs. Toronto FC (6/21, 5:15 p.m. PT), Sounders vs. Weston FC (6/23, 1:00 p.m. PT).
