The youngest members of the Sounders youth system went unbeaten in Los Angeles over the weekend. Competing in a U.S. Soccer showcase, the Sounders Discovery Program U-13 squad, as well as the U-14s, each played three matches against elite opposition.
The SDP is a vital aspect of the club’s youth programming, and it enables them to train elite youth players in the state on a weekly basis, exposing them to the methodology and philosophy of the Sounders in an effort to reduce the learning curve for players joining the U-14 Academy side in the future.
“The weekend was very valuable for us,” said U-14 head coach Sean Henderson. “We played well against three very good teams. We were able to see where we are at in our development, both individually and as a team.”
Last time out against Ablion SC, the SDP squad lost 2-0 in a difficult match. Thanks in large part to the defensive efforts of center back Rogelio Briceno and left back Takashi Sasaki, the rematch ended in a 0-0 draw.
Briceno put in another impressive performance in the draw with Juventus Sport Club, often intercepting opposition attacks and quickly restarting play with forward passes. The SDP squad took the lead in the 10th minute when striker Mark Dormoh capitalized on a half-clearance following a corner kick and slotted one home.
The Rave Green wrapped up the weekend with a 1-0 victory over Sacramento Republic. Dormoh once again got his name on the score sheet after a well-timed run beat Sacramento’s offside trap and he subsequently put the ball in the back of the net.
Meanwhile, the U-14s posted big wins over both the Earthquakes and Real Salt Lake’s residential academy, despite missing three top players to U.S. National Team duty.
Against RSL, young holding midfielder Sota Kitahara bossed the midfield despite playing up a year. His impressive performance came on the back of his first international call-up with the U.S. U-14s. His ability to win the ball back and maintain possession allowed the Rave Green to control the match for long spells. A brace from striker Clements Sintayehu and an opportunistic goal from Ray Serrano handed the young Sounders a victory.
It was a similar story in the next match against San Jose, as Sintayehu and Serrano overwhelmed the Earthquakes backline. Operating as No. 9, Sintayehu pitched in with a goal and two assists, while Serrano contributed three goals and an assist. One noteworthy tactical adjustment from the match was center back Elias Katsaros slotting in as the holding midfielder and shutting down the Earthquakes’ best attacking player.
In the final match against Sacramento Republic, a goal from Sintayehu and a brace from Serrano ensured that the Rave Green left L.A. undefeated.
“As a team, we all understand that this is a work in progress,” said Henderson. “The players are not afraid of making mistakes and understand and how important it is for us to keep learning and keep getting better.”
Based on some of the individual and collective performances, this weekend was certainly an important step in the right direction
Results
SDP U-13
- Sounders FC 0 vs. Albion SC 0 | November 4, 2016
- Sounders FC 1 vs. Juventus Sport Club 1 | November 4, 2016
- Sounders FC 1 vs. Sacramento Republic 0 | November 5, 2016
U-14
- Sounders FC 3 vs. Real Salt Lake AZ 2 | November 5, 2016
- Sounders FC 5 vs. San Jose Earthquakes 2 | November 6, 2016
- Sounders FC 3 vs. Sacramento Republic 3 | November 6, 2016
