Dallas Cup 2024: Boys U13-U16 Championship Recaps

(Pictured Above: U16 champion FC Dallas ECNL Red 08)

DALLAS, Texas – The 2024 Dallas Cup hosted four boys’ championship matches on Saturday at Toyota Stadium, where champions emerged across the U13-U16 age brackets, with four teams winning the coveted “Boot and Ball” championship trophies.

2024 Dallas Cup U13-U16 Boys Champions
U13: AIFC Toronto (CAN)
U14: Eintracht Frankfurt (GER)
U15: VfB Stuttgart (GER)
U16: FC Dallas ECNL Red B08 (TX)

Championship Recaps: U13 – U16

U13

The first match of the day was the U13 boys final between FC Dallas U13 Academy and Athlete Institute FC Toronto (AIFC). The Canadian side scored the first goal of the morning in the 17th minute, as captain Yaseen Aboulaghed connected on a lovely free-kick, dipping off the crossbar and across the goal line to put AIFC ahead, 1-0. In the second half, his teammates Mason Fuller and Ethan Gil added goals in the 38th and 41st minute, respectively, to make the score, 3-0.

(RECAP: Dallas Cup concludes 45th anniversary event with title matches at Toyota Stadium)

Despite a three-goal deficit, FC Dallas did not throw in the towel. In the 47th minute, Benjamin Flowers clawed a goal back for the local side. Just a few minutes later, Lenon Luccin scored from the penalty spot to make the match, 3-2. As the match neared full-time, Flowers scored his second goal of the game, and more importantly, the equalizer, as the match was sent to penalty kicks to determine the champion. Both sides traded blows from the penalty spot, but it was AIFC keeper, Axel Battilana, who denied an attempt in the end, as AIFC Toronto was crowned the 2024 Dallas Cup U13 champion.

U14

The U14 final kicked off shortly after 11:00am between Germany’s Eintracht Frankfurt and Solar SC Academy 10. Eintracht Frankfurt’s Luca Seitz scored the opening goal of the match in the 19th minute to put the German side on top, 1-0. Two minutes later, Blendion Krasniqi headed home a second goal off a corner, as Eintracht Frankfurt held firm control of the match and a 2-0 lead at halftime. In the 64th minute, Luca Seitz secured his brace, which put the game on ice, as the final whistle blew with the score at 3-0 in favor of Eintracht Frankfurt.

The 2024 Dallas Cup marked the 20th anniversary of participation for the Bundesliga side and they will be proud to return home to Frankfurt with the club’s seventh “Boot & Ball” trophy.

U15

At 1:00pm, the U15 final kicked off with another Bundesliga side, VfB Stuttgart, facing off against Solar SC Academy 09. Already up 1-0 thanks to an own goal committed by Solar, Tom Brenner scored in the 24th minute to put VfB Stuttgart ahead 2-0. A few minutes after the Brenner goal, his teammate Vadim Lenz also entered the score sheet as the German side went ahead 3-0 in the match.

However, Solar was not going to go down without a fight. Off a corner kick, Solar’s Aimo Roessler headed home the first goal for the local academy to make the match 3-1. Early in the second half, Trey Glosson scored a goal of his own to bring Solar within one.

But with seconds left in regulation, Stuttgart’s Luca Berreth scored a wondergoal from outside the box to put the game on ice. The 2024 edition of the tournament marked the Dallas Cup debut for VfB Stuttgart and they certainly announced their arrival in style as they hoisted the U15 championship trophy.

U16

Saturday’s last final of the day was a North Texas clash between FC Dallas ECNL Red 08 and BVB ECNL 08 to determine the U16 champion. In the 8th minute, FC Dallas’ Akram Kader scored the opening goal of the match, stepping just inside the edge of the box and hammering the ball inside the far post to put his team ahead 1-0. About midway through the second half, FC Dallas’ Gabriel Rojas added a second goal as he got through on goal and chipped the BVB keeper to make the match 2-0.

Two goals was all it would take, as the ref sounded the final whistle and FC Dallas ECNL Red 08 was crowned the 2024 Dallas Cup U16 champion.