RSL YOUTH DEVELOPMENT UPDATE: SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2011
RSL-Arizona Under-16 Team Set for USSDA’s National Championship “Finals Week” in Milwaukee;
RSL-Arizona Academy’s Mike Muñoz, Maikon Orrellana & Julio Alarcon Earn Year-End Honors from U.S. Soccer Development Academy
RSL-Arizona Under-16 Team Set for USSDA’s National Championship “Finals Week” in Milwaukee
The RSL-Arizona Academy Under-16 Team is just hours away from beginning play in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy’s “Finals Week” national championships, taking place at three sites in Milwaukee, Wis., through Saturday, July 16. The RSL-AZ U-16s (16-8-4 in regular season; 11-6-1, 2nd in SoCal Division) qualified for Finals Week after going 2-0-1 in the opening playoff round two weeks ago at Pizza Hut Park, including a thorough 7-0 win over FC Westchester in their decisive group match to clinch one of the eight spots available at this week’s championships.
The RSL-Arizona Academy, the 18th of 32 seeds in the playoffs, has been placed in Group 2 alongside #15 CASL Chelsea FC Academy (Raleigh, N.C.), #7 North Carolina Fusion (Greensboro, N.C.) and #11 PA Classics (East Petersburg, Penn.). A pair of fellow MLS youth sides – Seattle Sounders FC and the LA Galaxy – are on the opposite side of the bracket in Group 1 along with Dallas Texans and Real SoCal. The RSL-AZ Academy kicks off playthis afternoon with a 4:30 p.m. MT affair with North Carolina Fusion, followed by Tuesday’s afternoon encounter with PA Classics (1:00 p.m.) and Thursday’s group finale against CASL Chelsea FC Academy (5:00 p.m.). The four placement games will be held on Saturday, including the championship match at 7:00 p.m. MT at Marquette University’s Valley Fields.
Click here to follow the RSL-Arizona Academy’s progress throughout the tournament at Grande Sports Academy Facebook Fan Page
Click here for USsoccer.com’s primer on the eight participants in the U-15/16 “Finals Week” bracket
Click here for USsoccer.com’s 2011 Development Academy “Finals Week” home page
U.S. Soccer Development Academy “Finals Week” – U-15/16 Schedule
Time (MT) Match
Sunday, July 10
1:00 p.m. Seattle Sounders FC vs. Dallas Texans
2:00 p.m. LA Galaxy vs. Real So Cal
4:30 p.m. North Carolina Fusion vs. RSL-AZ Academy
7:00 p.m. PA Classics vs. CASL Chelsea FC Academy
Tuesday, July 12
1:00 p.m. RSL-AZ Academy vs. PA Classics
2:00 p.m. CASL Chelsea FC Academy vs. North Carolina Fusion
4:30 p.m. Dallas Texans vs. LA Galaxy
7:00 p.m. Real So Cal vs. Seattle Sounders FC
Thursday, July 14
2:00 p.m. Seattle Sounders FC vs. LA Galaxy
2:00 p.m. Dallas Texans vs. Real So Cal
5:00 p.m. North Carolina Fusion vs. PA Classics
5:00 p.m. RSL-AZ Academy vs. CASL Chelsea FC Academy
Saturday, July 16
12:00 p.m. Seventh place match
2:00 p.m. Fifth place match
5:00 p.m. Third place match
7:00 p.m. Championship Match – Valley Fields, Marquette University
RSL-Arizona Academy’s Trio Earns Year-End Honors from U.S. Soccer Development Academy
Real Salt Lakewould like to congratulate RSL-Arizona Academy head coachMike Muñoz, who was named the U.S. Soccer Development Academy’s U-15/16 Coach of the Year. Muñoz took over the first-year Academy club part way through the season and led them to an automatic playoff spot by finishing second in the SoCal Division. The team’s 16-8-4 overall record led to a No. 18 seed in the Academy Playoffs, where the side earned a place at the upcoming Finals Week.
In addition, a pair of Muñoz’s players, RSL-AZ U-18 FW Maikon Orrellana and U-16 DF Julio Alcaron, also earned season-ending plaudits by making the USSDA’s national “Starting XI” sides:
U-15/16 Development Academy Starting XI
GOALKEEPER: Alex Bono (Empire United)
DEFENDERS: Jose Ocampo (Crossfire Premier), Julio Alarcon (RSL-Arizona Academy), Oscar Sorto (Pateadores), Jalen Robinson (D.C. United)
MIDFIELDERS: Holden Fender (Concorde Fire), Collin Martin (D.C. United), Raul Mendiola (Arsenal FC)
FORWARDS: Diego Fagundez (New England Revolution), Kekuta Manneh (Texas Rush AJ Auxerre), Roberto Escudero (Pateadores)
Player of the Year: Raul Mendiola (Arsenal FC)
Coach of the Year: Mike Muñoz (RSL-Arizona Academy)
U-17/18 Development Academy Starting XI
GOALKEEPER: Jesus Guzman (San Jose Earthquakes)
DEFENDERS: Javan Torre (Pateadores), Jack Coleman (FC Dallas), Bryan Gallego (New York Red Bulls), Moises Hernandez (FC Dallas)
MIDFIELDERS: Marvin Iraheta (Cosmos Academy West), Wil Trapp (Crew Soccer Academy), Christian Hernandez (PDA)
FORWARDS: Villyan Bijev (Cal Odyssey), Maikon Orrellana (RSL-Arizona Academy), Xavi Silva (Weston FC)
Player of the Year: Christian Hernandez (Player Development Academy)
Coach of the Year: Marcelo Neveleff (Weston FC)
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