The Seattle Sounders U-17s have advanced to the finals of the Generation adidas Cup Premier Division, defeating fellow MLS side Montreal Impact 2-1 in the tournament semifinals.
“It’s important to find a way to get through,” said Marc Nicholls. “We’ve been overwhelmed by the support we’ve received from the Sounders fans and the front office. We know that Sounders fans are special, and we know that they love to see their own play and compete. It’s given the sense that we’re a true club.”
S2 midfielder Ray Serrano handed Seattle the lead in the 4th minute, setting the tone for the match. After an intricate interchange between Marlon Vargas and Danny Robles, left back Connor Drought found himself in an advanced position. The young defender skipped past a pair of challenges and slipped a pass to the feet of Vargas, who burst through three defenders in the box and rifled a shot to the near post. Though the goalkeeper pulled off a save, Serrano pounced on the rebound and calmly finished into an empty net.
Despite being reduced to 10 men in the 42nd minute, the Impact secured the equalizer just 10 minutes later. But Vargas played a central role in the attack once again, finishing from a clever assist by Azriel Gonzalez in the 56th minute to secure Seattle’s spot in the tournament final.
The Sounders will play the New York Red Bulls in the GA Cup Premier Division final at Toyota Park on Saturday (3:30 p.m. PT, live stream).
THREE TAKEAWAYS
Veteran Experience
A key aspect of the Academy’s developmental philosophy, which aims to produce players for the First Team, is to prepare young prospects for the professional game by immersing them in adverse situations. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that the young Sounders advanced past Montreal, as eight of the 11 starters had previously played in tournament finals. And of the 14 players that saw the field in the GA Cup semifinal, eight have been in camp with U.S. youth national teams throughout the past year.
Formidable Attacking Core
In three group-stage games, the young Sounders tallied an eye-popping nine goals. Their potent attack was on display once again in the GA Cup semifinal, with the attacking quartet of Gonzalez, Serrano, Vargas and Danny Robles, who pulled the strings as the No. 10, combining to devastating effect all afternoon. Sitting just behind the front four, the double-pivot of Peter Kingston and Josh Atencio set the tempo of the match with their defensive pressure and precise passing. Atencio, in particular, put in a dominant performance, winning back possession and driving the team forward.
Two-way Defending
In the final group-stage match against Columbus Crew SC, the Sounders struggled to dictate the rhythm of the match as Crew SC’s sustained possession pinned Seattle’s fullbacks. But against the Impact, Drought and Enrique Montana provided plenty of width, which created space in the middle for the likes of Robles and Gonzalez, by consistently making overlapping runs. The two center backs, Leo Burney and Blake Malone, provided lock-down defending while also helping Seattle build attacks from the back.
