D.C. United’s Under-16 Academy teams beat Potomac at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, Md., this week by a 3-1 score.

The U-16s went up 2-0 in the first half after Luis Cartagena tallied in the 22nd minute (assisted by Dallas Aminzadeh) and Omar Kabba doubled the lead in the 32nd (assisted by Sam Bradley). Potomac got a goal back in the 68th minute, but Nick Smirniotopoulos iced the game with a goal in the 80th.

“Our U-166s progressed this weekend with a comprehensive 3-1 win over much-improved local rivals Potomac Academy,” said U-16 Head Coach Richie Burke. “More importantly, we produced a very satisfying performance, dominating possession and creating many good chances. We were glad of the tremendous form of our two young strikers, Marcus Selandy-Dufour and Luis Cartagena, both of whom are young enough to have another two seasons with us at U-16 level. Each was involved in most of our offensive work with Luis scoring his second Academy goal in as many starts. We received strong performances once again from team leaders Nicky Yin, Steve Mashinski and Sam Bradley – all were very significant to our team’s high level of play. We will go into the winter break with confidence high and will look to the re-start of our matches in February with renewed anticipation.”

U-18s settle for tie
The U-18s were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw after going up 2-0 in the game’s first 22 minutes. United’s William ‘Junior’ Bioh talled in the 20th minute (assisted by Chris Hegngi) and Shane Cooke struck just two minutes later (assisted by Travis Pittman) to give D.C. the early lead, but Potomac struck in the 34th minute and were awarded a penalty in the 70th, which was converted and proved to be the final goal of the match.

“It can be frustrating to lose a 2-0 lead., but we have to remember it is very early in season,” said U-18 Head Coach Judah Cooks. “We will see this style of play in many games throughout the year and the challenge for our boys and staff is to continue to play attractive soccer while breaking down teams that play a more defensive, counter-attack style. It was a game that we will learn and get better from.”

Next Up
The Academy teams will now turn its focus to the Disney Showcase in Orlando December 26-30 where it will play Chelsea in its first match. In preparation for the tournament, the team will play friendly matches versus local club Arlington and affiliate club Freestate.

D.C. United’s Academy teams kicked off the 2008-2009 US Soccer Development Academy season with a strong showing at the Academy Winter Showcase in Lancaster, Calif. In an event that was being called the biggest youth soccer event in US Soccer history, United’s youth looked impressive. The U-18 team dominated in all three of their games, winning by wide margins. The U-16′s also put on a good performance, tying in their first game and winning the final two.

“We were very pleased overall with our performances at the Winter Showcase,” said United’s Director of Youth Development John Maessner. “Both groups played well and impressed with their style of play and skill. It’s a great start to this 2008/2009 Academy year and we look forward to improving our teams and moving our players along in their development.”

The U-16 squad began their season with a 1-1 draw against Cal Odyssey. After going down a goal early in the game, Yam Amankwa found the equalizer in the 30th minute. The U-18 team dominated in their match, defeating Cal Odyssey 3-0 thanks to goals by Uwem Etuk, Jr Bioh and Eliseo Fraga. Goalkeeper Bill Hamid made a spectacular save in the 34th minute that kept the score even and preserved the shutout.

Sunday the teams faced Metro United. The U-16′s went down in the first half but eventually evened the score in the 78th minute, thanks to a goal by Steven Mashinski. In the game’s final minute, Myles McGinley scored the game winner to give the D.C. United youth a 2-1 victory. The U-18′s continued their excellent showing as they defeated Metro United 5-1. Fraga and Bioh each scored two while Chris Hegngi added a penalty kick.

The final games for United’s youth teams came on Monday, when they faced the Virginia Rush. The U-16′s won by a score of 3-1, thanks to a penalty kick by Sam Bradley and goals from Luiz Cartagena and Dallas Aminzadeh. The U-18′s capped off their dominating performance with a 3-0 win over the Rush. Sean Murnane found the back of the net for United while Hegngi added two more.

“It was a great first weekend the season for our young team, with three very strong performances from all players,” said U-16 head coach Richie Burke. “We were disappointed not to win all three games, but happy with the level of play in all of the contests, even in the match we tied. There were some nerves, understandably, in the first match, but we improved enormously over the weekend and our level of play was at its best in our final match.”

U18 Head Coach Judah Cooks also said it was a good way to start the season. “Our boys conducted themselves professionally on and off the field, while meeting our goal of nine points that was set before the trip,” Cooks said. “We are pleased with the group for the commitment that they showed and look forward to our next game.”

The Academy Winter Showcase was the biggest youth soccer event in US Soccer history, with 148 teams representing 74 clubs playing more than 250 games over the extended weekend. In addition, this year also featured the U17 Men’s National Team playing international friendlies against Brazil and Australia. Professional and college scouts were in attendance to the event, as well as US Soccer Youth National team coaches who looked at the top prospects in the Under 15/16 and Under 17/18 age groups. For more information and results, click here.

The D.C. United Academy teams will now face local rival Potomac on Sunday, December 14 at the Maryland SoccerPlex Field #19. The U-16′s will play at 1 p.m. followed by the U-18′s at 3 p.m.

The D.C. United Academy youth teams will be able to count on several returning players for next season. The Under 16 squad will see Yaw Amankwa, Dallas Aminzadeh, Sam Bradley, Lester Dewee, Emile Doak, Tobi Iguade, Steve Mashinski, Myles McGinley, Mauricio Navarrete, Kennedy O’Shea, Eric Valladares and Dominick Yin all returning, while three players from the Under 15 Developmental Training Program – Nick Njuki, Phillip Nwosu and Joe Wilkins – were selected to join the team.

Returning to play with the Under 18 team are Stefan Berkeley, Junior Bioh, Michael Burgos, Ricky Burke, Stefone Coburn, Shane Cooke, Peabo Doue, Marcus Douglas, Michael Funes, Chris Hegngi, Kevin McBride, Sean Murnane, Daniel Rice, Ryan Runion, Paul Torres and Ethan White.

The D.C. United Academy pre-season will begin mid to late September with the official Academy match schedule slated to start on November 15. D.C. United will participate in the US Soccer Development Academy season while also competing in several showcases and tournaments throughout the year. This year the youth program will be fully funded and players who make the U16 and U18 Academy rosters will not have any fees associated with the Academy.

Got any videos or further information on these players? If so please post by comment below.

D.C. United’s U-16 squad experienced a loss at the hands of PA Classics on Saturday, 3-2. Marcus Douglas scored for DCU, and the second goal was PAC own goal. Sunday did not bring any much-needed luck to the 16s, in a 1-0 loss to FC Delco on Sunday.

Saturday, the U-18s let out a scoring explosion on the PA Classics, in the 7-1 win. Matt Oduaran netted two goals in the win, while Prince Lapnet, Michael Burgos, Ryan Gracia, Chris Hegngi and Yaw Amankwa also acquired tallys. Prince Lapnet was the only other DCU player to score over the weekend, in the 18s 1-0 win versus FC Delco on Sunday.

“Our 16′s played well but didn’t do enough to come out on top on either day,” said D.C. United’s Director of Youth Development, John Maessner. “We played decent soccer but just could not find a way to finish our chances. We lost 2-3 against PA Classics on Saturday and 0-1 against FC Delco on Sunday. Our 18′s had a great time finding the net on Saturday with a 7-1 victory against PA Classics and then won a hard fought battle to win 1-0 against a very physical FC Delco team.”

D.C. United’s youth Academy teams will enjoy home field advantage when they host Match Fit Academy on April 26.

Super Y-League Teams
U-20 boys tryouts: D.C. United’s SYL Youth Teams currently compete in United Soccer League’s Super Y-League, one of the most competitive leagues in the country. For the 2008 season we will have one team at the U-20 level. This team will be made up with the areas top players born on or after January 1, 1988. Tryout dates are set for April 25th, May 2nd and May 9th, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the RFK Auxillary Turf field. All players must fill out the youth team’s waiver and registration form before they can try out.

D.C. United Academy summer program
D.C. United’s Academy summer camp will be limited to approximately 80 boys from ages 14-18 (invitation only), who will receive intensive instruction from the area’s top coaches. D.C. United has designed a curriculum that emphasizes the same coaching methods of United professional and Academy teams. They have designed specialized training sessions that focus on technical development, small-sided games that encourage creativity and match awareness, full-sided matches that give players an opportunity to apply what they have learned in real game situations and classroom discussions on game-related topics. In addition to top-class professional instruction, participants will receive a free ticket to any 2008 regular season home game, a D.C. United replica jersey and an Adidas soccer ball.

D.C. United’s U-16 and U-18 Development Academy teams enjoyed home advantage last weekend, as they took on FC Delco and PA Classics. The teams continue to mirror each other in play and record, both logging a tie and a win over the weekend. Near-perfect weather at Maryland SoccerPlex on Saturday did not seem to give the U-16 and U-18 teams the edge they needed to pull out a win against FC Delco. Peabo Doue scored the only goal in the 1-1 draw for the 16s, and Prince Lapnet leveled the result at 1-1 for the 18s.

D.C. United’s U-16 squad unraveled a scoring frenzy on the PA Classics on Sunday, but was almost matched in the 4-3 victory. Hegngi scored a pair of goals, while Kevin McBride and Paul Torres rounded out the win.

“Both teams should have done better on Saturday, as we had most of the ball in both matches and played good enough soccer to win both games,” said the Director of Youth Development John Maessner. “Sunday’s performances were better, as we were able to create plenty of opportunities in front of the goal in both games, keep the ball for most of the match and finish enough of our chances to come out on top. There were lots of positives to take away from the games over the weekend and still many things that we will continue to work on to keep moving our program forward.”

US Soccer National Team Scout, Tony Lapore was on the sideline for all four of D.C. United’s matches this weekend and was impressed with what he saw.

“D.C. United’s teams are very talented and try to play good soccer,” Lapore said. “It is great to see that the players are being provided a professional environment where they are challenged and can grow week to week. This is exactly the environment that our players need and why the US Soccer Development Academy was formed.”

Both teams have a 5-2-3 record on the season and will travel to face PA Classics on Saturday and FC Delco on Sunday.