The Sounders FC Academy U-18s squad is heading down to Carson, Calif., to take on the LA Galaxy in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy national semifinals on Friday, July 14 at 8 p.m.
With both the U-16s and U-18s winning their playoff groups for the first time, and the U-18s becoming the first Sounders youth team to advance to the semifinals, this postseason run is symbolic of the significant progress the Rave Green youth system has made over the past couple of years.
“It’s a real testament to the players that we’ve made it there,” said Academy Technical Director Marc Nicholls. “The Final Four is a nice milestone, but it’s better to win it so we’re going to go there to take the next step. But it’s another indicator - another box checked - in this process where we reach new milestones, which is good for the club and good for the Academy.”
A big portion of the Academy’s success over the past 18 months, according to U-18 Head Coach Wade Webber, is the holistic support from the organization’s hierarchy.
“Guys like Garth Lagerwey, Adrian Hanauer, Brian Schmetzer, Kurt Schmid, Ezra Hendrickson and all of the staff have been so supportive,” said Webber. “More than anything, this run has a lot to do with that group sort of putting their support behind us, and that’s gratifying because the Academy feels part of the club and not a separate entity.”
The run that the U-18s went on to qualify for the playoffs and advance to the national semifinals has, in many ways, mirrored the First Team’s journey to winning the 2016 MLS Cup.
After finishing the first half of the 2016-17 season in first place in the USSDA Northwest Division, the U-18s were defeated 5-1 by the Galaxy in the first match of 2017. That lopsided loss sparked a dreary run of form in which the young Sounders collected just one point from six matches, falling out of the playoff picture altogether.
With their season seemingly going off the rails, Weber decided to reshuffle the deck by bringing up four players from the U-16s and drafting Neil Boyal and Ethan Lotenero into the starting lineup and the squad subsequently rattled off a 10-match unbeaten streak.
“The thing about this run that we’re on is I don’t think elimination rounds are anything new for us, because we were kind of in that stage in April and May when we had to win almost every game to make the playoffs,” said winger Paul Rothrock, who registered a goal and an assist in the quarterfinals. “So, I think we kind of understand that attitude and will do whatever it takes to win a national championship.”
For center back Sam Rogers, who captained the side all season before earning the starting job with S2, the team’s current run and upcoming tilt with the Galaxy offers a bit of redemption.
“When we played Galaxy in January that was the start of our down period,” said Rogers. “I think we’re a completely different team from then - our playing style is different and our attitude is different - so losing 5-1 to them just means that we have more to prove.”
Rothrock echoed those sentiments, and is eagerly awaiting the match against LA.
“For us, it’s a revenge match - it’s a chance for us to prove ourselves,” added Rothrock. “I think we play best when we have a chip on our shoulder and we have to prove ourselves.”
The U-18s have overcome plenty of adversity to get to this point, just like the First Team last season. Hopefully the young Sounders can follow in their footsteps and bring the club its first USSDA national championship.
