Sounders Academy U-18s Development Academy Championships Semifinal Preview
The Sounders Academy U-18s travel to Southern California to take on the LA Galaxy in the USSDA playoffs semifinals on Friday, July 14 at Stubhub Center Field #1 (8:00 p.m. PT; Livestream on USSDA Facebook page).
How They Got Here
The U-18s finished up the USSDA regular season in rich form, stringing together a 10-match unbeaten streak to finish in second place in the Northwest Division. They opened up the group stage with a 1-0 win over New York Red Bull before suffering a narrow 3-2 defeat against the reigning champions, FC Dallas. A 3-0 win over Beachside SC booked their place in the quarterfinals, where they defeated Crossfire Premier 3-2 last Friday in the second period of extra time.
Players to Watch
If the U-18s are to advance to the national championship game, they’ll need massive performances from each player up the spine of the team. Center backs Sam Rogers, a starter with S2 this season, and Jackson Ragen, who scored the game-winning goal against Crossfire, have to rely on their ability to read the game against a team that likes to keep the ball on the ground and unbalance opponents.
In midfield, look for Neil Boyal and Jamie Dimitroff to operate as a double pivot, shuttling the ball from the defense to the attack and shielding the back four when LA is in possession. This will free up space for Paul Rothrock, who recorded a goal and an assist in the quarterfinal, to find little pockets of space to pick apart the Galaxy’s defense.
Scouting the Opponent
The Galaxy went on a miraculous run at the end of the regular season, sneaking into the playoffs as the lowest seeded (32) wild card team. The Galaxy drew their opening match against Atlanta United before rattling off back-to-back wins over Sporting Kansas City and FC Boston Bolts. In the quarterfinals, LA traveled to Casa Grande, Ariz., and defeated Real Salt Lake AZ 4-1 in a penalty-kick shootout after the match ended 1-1 after 120 minutes.
14-year-old phenom Efrain Alvarez scored LA’s lone goal from the run of play with a powerful shot from outside the area. The Mexican youth international is a crafty playmaker, capable of creating quality chances from anywhere on the pitch. Forward Ethan Zubak, who scored two goals and assisted on two more in the group stage, provides a versatile option up top for the Galaxy.
Coach’s Take
“We started 2017 in 1st place in the [USSDA Northwest] Division, and then we lost our first game 5-1 against the Galaxy, so it would be nice closure [to win this match]. It would be a nice marker if we could lose so heavily in January, and then go down to LA and get a result to move on to the final. But it can’t be about that, it has to be about us focusing on the team we’re playing and the moment we’re in. When you play in a game like that, where your season is over if you don’t win, there is no yesterday, no tomorrow. It’s just today.” -- U-18 Head Coach Wade Webber.
