The Orlando City U.S. Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) teams had another successful weekend, competing on the road against Jacksonville FC, the Carolina Rapids and Charlotte Soccer Academy.
U-14s:
The U-14s continued their strong offensive output as of late, defeating Jacksonville FC 6-0 at Patton Park. Austin Amer and Mario Licor each notched a brace, while Jordan Bender and Andrew Lizyness added one goal apiece. The U-14s have scored an astonishing 11 goals in their past two matches, continuing their excellent form in 2014.
Commenting on his team’s success, U-14s Head Coach Mark Lowry stated, “The boys put in a very assured performance this week in Jacksonville. I was particularly pleased with how secure and organized we looked defensively as a team, as it was something we spoke about and worked on throughout the week. It was pleasing to keep a clean sheet and also play some good attacking soccer.”
U-16s:
The U-16s went undefeated in both of their matches this past weekend. The Lions opened with a convincing 5-1 win over the Carolina Rapids at Bailey Park. Nathaniel Adamolekun propelled City to a strong start, scoring in the 11th and 16th minutes.
Asyed Sanchez and Landen Haig added the final two goals of the half, guiding Orlando to a 4-0 lead at the break. Less than twenty minutes into the second half, Sanchez secured his brace, finding the back of the net in the 63rd minute of play.
On Sunday, the U-16s faced Charlotte Soccer Academy in a much tighter contest at CPI Securities Field. Juan Carmona led the way for Orlando, scoring twice in the final 15 minutes of the first half.
“The boys represented our Club in a very professional manner this weekend,” said U-16s Head Coach Jeff Negalha. “Both games posed different challenges, but our performance in the system we want to play was very well executed. We were very efficient in our ball possession, penetration and pressing. The boys also played with a great amount of passion, so overall it was a very rewarding weekend both on and off the field.”
U-18s:
The U-18s had a difficult weekend on the road, dropping three points in their matches against the Carolina Rapids and Charlotte Soccer Academy. On Saturday, Carolina scored in the 12th minute and 13th minute, creating an up-hill battle for the Lions.
Benji Michel restored faith for City with a finish in the 77th minute, putting the game within reach for Orlando. However, an own goal in the 90th minute resulted in a 3-1 final score. On Sunday morning, Charlotte’s lone goal in the 33rd minute proved to be the only finish of the match, as City suffered a 1-0 defeat.
“This was a difficult weekend for the boys, overall,” said U-18s Head Coach Paul Shaw. “We put both sides under a lot of pressure but were unable to get the crucial goals that we needed.”
