Though idle, Va. Rush U-16s could fall out of first in Dev. Academy’s Atlantic Division this weekend
By Jimmy LaRoue
Without playing, Virginia Rush’s Under-16s could finally lose their first-place spot in the Development Academy’s Atlantic Division standings this weekend.
The two teams directly behind Virginia Rush in the U-16 Atlantic Division standings, Charlotte Soccer Academy and CASL Chelsea FC Academy face off Sunday.
Second place Charlotte (7-2-1, 8-7-4 overall) is just one point behind Rush in the standings, while CASL (6-0-1, 11-2-5 overall) is four points back in third.
D.C. United’s and Baltimore Bays Chelsea’s academy teams host FC Delco and PA Classics, alternating opponents this weekend. Potomac hosts NJSA 04 and Match Fit Chelsea this weekend.
FC Delco’s U-18s (2-0-1, 10-3-5 overall), early on, is in first place in the Mid-Atlantic Division, with Baltimore Bays Chelsea right behind, at 2-0-0 in the division and 12-4-1 overall. United is 1-2-0 in the division and 9-6-3 overall. Potomac is 0-1-0 in division play and 1-10-5 overall.
FC Delco’s U-16s (2-0-1, 8-4-6 overall) are also in first place in the early going, with Pa. Classics (1-0-2, 7-6-5 overall) and D.C. United (1-0-2, 10-5-3 overall) tied for second. Baltimore Bays Chelsea is in fifth at 0-0-2 in the division and 8-6-3 overall, and Potomac is in sixth at 0-1-0 in the division and 4-9-3 overall.
In other academy news, U.S. Soccer has released the Development Academy’s schedule for the 2012-2013 season, the first in which all teams will play a full, 10-month schedule.
The regular season opens Saturday, Sept. 8 and concludes June 8, 2013.
Players on Development Academy teams will not be permitted to compete on high school teams.
The current regular season still has more than month to go, not concluding until June 17.
U.S. Soccer just announced that this season’s finals week will take place July 16-23 in Houston, with the U-16 and U-18 championship matches taking place at the new BBVA Compass Stadium, the home for MLS’s Houston Dynamo.
Finals week will have eight teams from each age group, with 32 games over eight days, with all but the finals being held in the evenings at the Houston Amateur Sports Park.
But to get there, teams will have to finish out the season strong, and there’s a full slate of games across the academy on Mother’s Day weekend, in which teams across the academy landscape will be fighting hard for playoff positioning.
There are 48 academy games Saturday, and another 42 Sunday.
[ +Development Academy schedule/results ]
[ +U-16 Standings ]
[ +U-18 Standings ]
