The Seattle Sounders Academy U-17 team has advanced to the USSDA quarterfinals after finishing atop Group C with nine points from three matches. With a spot in the national semifinal on the line, the young Sounders will square off against Columbus Crew SC, who they defeated on penalties to advance to the Generation adidas Cup semifinals back in March, on Tuesday, June 25.
Entering the postseason as the second-ranked team in the USSDA, the U-17s fulfilled their potential in the group stage as they ran riot against some of the top sides in the United States.
How They Got Here
From just three matches, the Rave Green scored an eye-popping 15 goals, with three players recording hat-tricks throughout the week. Winger Marlon Vargas, who signed a contract with S2 in May, scored three wonderful goals against Concorde Fire as Seattle won the opening match 4-1.
It was a similar offensive outpouring in the second match against Sporting Kansas City. The young Sounders had played the MLS side twice in the 2017-18 season, with both matches ending in a stalemate. Striker Alec Diaz, who scored 25 goals from 27 appearances for the U-17s and U-19s during the regular season, bagged three goals in 12 minutes en route to a 6-1 win.
With Group C all but secured ahead of the final match, Seattle refused to take its foot off the gas as it dismantled Pateadores 5-1. A first-choice striker for the U.S. U-17 national team, Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez led the line brilliantly, finding the back of the net four times against the Los Angeles side.
Leo Burney, Ray Serrano and Bryson Hankins rounded out the scoring during the group stage.
Goal of the Group Stage
In Seattle’s commanding win over Sporting KC, the young Sounders scored a textbook transition goal to seal the three points. After skirting past a challenge at midfield, Vargas drove into the final third before slipping a pass to Danny Leyva, who squared the ball for Ocampo-Chavez to hammer home.
Scouting the Opposition
Crew SC, who qualified for the postseason from the Wild Card pool, progressed out of a difficult Group F, which included FC Dallas and the LA Galaxy. Striker Samuel Sarver led the team in scoring with three goals from three matches. Midfielder Tyler Wolff, the son of Crew SC assistant coach and former USMNT mainstay Josh Wolff, is a dynamic player who can dictate the tempo for a match. The squad also features Sebastian Berhalter, the son of Crew SC Head Coach Gregg Berhalter.
Operating a top-down structure throughout the club, the Crew SC U-17s will employ a similar playing philosophy to that of their MLS side.
Pass of the Week
With plenty of options to choose from, the honors go to 17-year-old center back Blake Malone for an inch-perfect pass to set up Diaz’s first goal against SKC.
Strength in Depth
While the U-17s possess several professional players, the squad is filled to the brim with top-end talent. All 18 players on the roster played meaningful minutes throughout the group stage, a clear indication of the quality that permeates throughout the squad.
In the first two matches, Head Coach Chris Little brought three USYNT players — Sota Kitahara, Leyva and Ocampo-Chavez — off the bench, further illustrating the squad’s astounding depth.
Coach’s Take
“The players navigated the group well,” said U-17 Head Coach Chris Little. “What’s good about this group is they have tournament experience. They’ve been to Manchester City Cup and won the Youdan Trophy and Generation adidas Cup, so they’ve been in these situations before and they have the confidence to handle these situations. We played Columbus in a similar situation at GA Cup, and I think it was a really good game, so it’ll be a tough matchup for us.”
