Development Academy: FC Dallas U-16s cruise to national championship win
(Match facts via U.S. Soccer) FC Dallas’ academy added to their sterling track record with the capture of a national championship in the U-15/16 division of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy over the weekend, as coach Luchi Gonzalez’s side capped an impressive season with a 4-0 thumping of a very strong New York Red Bulls side in the DA’s grand finale at StubHub Center in rainy Carson, California.
Despite heading into the championship match with a 13-game winning streak and a regular-season record of 23-1-2, RBNY struggled to cope with the Texas side’s attack.
Weston McKennie began the scoring for FC Dallas in the 11th minute with a header following a cross from Giovanni Montesdeoca into the middle of the box. McKennie saw the ball coming his way from the right flank and outjumped his defenders to head it into the upper left corner of the net.
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Montesdeoca, one of three FC Dallas players to net more than 18 goals this season, added to the scoreline with a tally of his own in the 31st minute with a powerful shot from eight yards out to put his team up 2-0 at halftime.
Less than a minute into the second half, DA Central Conference Player of the Year Devin Vega – a former San Antonio Scorpions standout and Bradenton Residency member – found himself alone in the box and made it 3-0 for FCD.
Juan Ramirez added a goal in stoppage time as Dallas finished the season on an unblemished 8-0 run in which they outscored opponents 26-0.
Philadelphia Union U-15/16s claimed third place, defeating a very strong Georgia United side that dominated the majority of the first half in both possession and tempo. But Tiger Graham snuck a goal in before halftime to give the Union a one-goal advantage, and Anthony Fontana added a second some 40 minutes later to end the game 2-0.
