Development Academy: Real Colorado has a four-for-four weekend
By Jimmy LaRoue
In an 11-goal outburst, Real Colorado outscored Classics Elite 7-4 Saturday in U-18 Development Academy action, getting a hat trick from Sawyer Edwards.
Classics Elite took the early lead on Gerardo Hernandez’s 19th minute goal, but Graham Smith tied the match in the 31st minute, and Edwards got the first of his three goals two minutes later. Edwards tacked on another four minutes before halftime to put Real Colorado up 3-1.
Edwards then completed his hat trick in the 56th minute.
Maximillano Rodriguez then cut the Real lead to 4-2 on a 63rd minute goal, but a minute later David Boldt pushed Real’s lead back to 5-2. Ashanafe Geberkidane extended the lead to a seemingly safe 6-2 in the 76th minute.
But Classics were not done.
Rodriguez picked up his second goal in the 78th minute, and then Fabian Ancinez cut the lead to 6-4 in the 85th minute before Real’s Luan Silva tacked on his 90th minute goal to provide for the final margin.
Real Colorado went on to have a four-for-four weekend in the win department, as its U-18s and U-16s swept both Classics Elite and Lonestar Academy. The U-18s followed up its win over Classics with a 4-0 win over Lonestar Academy, getting a brace from Nick DePuy (21st minute, 47th minute). Edwards and Michael Thilenius tacked on goals three minutes apart to seal the win. Edwards leads the team with four goals in just three matches.
Real Colorado’s U-16s also beat Classics and Lonestar by 5-1 and
Classics took the early lead on Clayton Parker’s 9th minute goal before the first of two goals from Marco Toscano in the 16th minute put Real on the path to victory. Goals from Brandon Saucedo and Scott DeVoss two minutes apart later in the first half extended the lead to 3-1.
In the second half, Toscano got his second, and Nathan Braaten added another for Real.
In Sunday’s win for Real’s U-16s, Braaten and Toscano again had goals, as well as Caesar Jones, all three coming in the first half. Real’s U-16s had scored just one goal in three matches prior to this past weekend’s outburst.
Real’s U-18s (3-1-1) are now in fourth place in the Frontier Division, while the U-16s (2-1-2) hold down sixth place. Classics’ academy clubs meanwhile, have each gotten off to an 0-6-0 start, while Lonestar’s U-18s are 2-2-1, and the club’s U-16s are 1-3-1.
On Sunday, Orlando City and Charlotte Soccer Academy’s U-16s nearly matched the Real-Classics U-18 goal outburst, as Orlando City rallied from 3-1 and 4-2 deficits to pull out a 6-4 win, led by second half braces from Dennis Zapata and Gorka Aperribay. Orlando City started each half strong, getting a 4th minute goal from Michael Melvin and a 46th minute goal from Richard Prestridge.
Charlotte (2-2-1) was led by a first half brace from Aidan Peterson, both goals coming within the first 20 minutes, with Khalil Abderahman adding a third goal for Charlotte to give it a 3-1 lead going into halftime. Prestridge’s goal for Orlando City cut the Charlotte lead to one before Peter Teis’s goal gave CSA a two-goal lead before the brace-fest later in the second half allowed Orlando City (2-0-0) to rally for the win.
D.C. United’s U-16s moved to 5-0-0 on the season after its own seven goal outburst in defeating the Richmond Kickers 7-2. The game was deceptive in that the Kickers took the early lead, and the match was still close at halftime, with United up 2-1 before the five-goal outburst in the second half.
“We were happy that the attacking group showed some quality combination play in the second half,” said Tom Torres, head coach of D.C. United’s U-16 Academy team, stated on the club’s website. “While our defensive group was not tested for long spurts, there were some concerns that we will need to address as we move into some competitive local games against Baltimore and Potomac. Overall, through the first five matches, we are happy with the potential of this group.”
New York Red Bulls’ U-16s, last season’s national champions, have started strong to the season, moving to 4-0-0 with a 6-2 win over Albertson SC. The Red Bulls, though giving up their first two goals of the season, have outscored opponents 13-2 and got two-goal performances from Derrick Etienne and Harrison Steadman, as well as goals from Matthew McCarthy and Alexander Tejera in the win.
The Red Bulls family suffered a tragic loss over the weekend, as Red Bulls Youth Training Programs coach Michael Jones was killed early Sunday morning in New York City.
“We are aware of this tragedy and on behalf of the entire organization, want to send our most heartfelt condolences to Michael’s family, friends and loved ones,” a Red Bulls statement read. “He was a tremendous individual, a fantastic coach who loved soccer and a terrific friend for many of us. This is truly a sad day for our soccer community and we will do our utmost to help authorities in their investigation of this case. Our thoughts and prayers are with Michael’s family at this time.”
