2012 US Youth Soccer ODP Boys Winter Interregional wraps up in Florida
The annual US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program (US Youth Soccer ODP) Boys Winter Interregional concluded Sunday at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. The three-day event featured boys from the 1997 age group.
Youth from US Youth Soccer ODP trained and competed in front of national staff and collegiate coaches throughout the weekend. The 2012 US Youth Soccer ODP Boys Winter Interregional included players primarily in the 2014-2016 graduation classes.
Highlights from Sunday’s matches:
1997 Boys: Region I v. Region II
Following a scoreless first half, Region I broke through when Eryk Williamson scored in the 55th minute. Williamson’s goal proved to be the game winner, as Region I held off Region II to win, 1-0. With the victory, Region I finished the event with a 3-0 record.
1997 Boys: Region III v. Region IV
Region III got on the board early when Michael Swift found the back of the net in the 4th minute. That goal held up for more than a half hour until Region IV’s Nicholas Porter evened the score just before halftime in the 40th minute. Neither team could find a winner in the second half, as the game ended in a 1-1 tie.
Highlights from Saturday’s matches:
1997 Boys: Region IV v. Region I
After a tight first half, Region I broke the game open in the final 40 minutes to defeat Region IV, 4-1. Erik Reiss opened the scoring for Region I in the 7th minute, and Benjamin Orr added a pair of goals in the 45th and 63rd minutes to push the advantage to 3-0. Region IV’s Noa Harrisson gave his team some life with a 67th-minute strike, but Reiss scored his second goal of the game in the 70th minute to put the game away.
1997 Boys: Region III v. Region II
Neither team could break through for much of the contest until Jose Cerra gave Region III the lead with a 68th-minute goal. Jacob Van Der Luit doubled the lead with a 79th-minute tally to give Region III a 2-0 win over Region II.
Highlights from Friday’s matches:
1997 Boys: Region I v. Region III
The opening game for these two squads was a tightly-contested defensive contest. Following a scoreless first half, Region I’s Abreham Kittel scored in the 45th minute to give his team the lead. That proved to be the lone goal of the game, as Region I defeated Region III, 1-0.
1997 Boys: Region II v. Region IV
It looked like this game would end in a tie until Region IV recorded a late winner to come away with a 2-1 win over Region II. Cody Kuehl gave Region II the early lead with a 23rd-minute goal, but Region IV’s David Guidichesci equalized three minutes later to make it 1-1. The score stayed that way until Nicholas Porter scored for Region IV in the 79th minute, helping his team to victory just before the final whistle.
