SANDY, Utah - The Real Salt Lake-Arizona Academy U-16's won their U.S. Soccer Developmental Academy Playoffs Group on Friday to advance to U.S. Soccer's Finals Week in Houston from July 14-20.
The U-16's beat FC Dallas 6-3 on Friday morning at FC Dallas Park to take the top spot in Group 6. RSL-AZ won its first game of the playoffs against Philadelphia-area club FC DELCO and drew its second match against Chicago Sockers FC. The U-16's needed a win against FC Dallas on Friday to advance to Finals Week and got it in emphatic fashion, getting two goals each from Brooks Lennon and Bofo Saucedo and a goal a piece from Josh Doughty and Diego Silva to advance to Houston.
One of the best parts about the victory? The tremendous support that the RSL-AZ U-18s' - which did not advance to Finals Week - showed their younger teammates. Click here to see them singing "Believe" during the first half of the match.
Finals Week will be held from July 14-20 in Houston. Eight teams from each of the U-16 and U-18 levels qualify for the Finals, which crown the U.S. Soccer Developmental Academy champion.
This is the second time that the RSL-AZ U-16's have advanced to Finals Week; the squad took third-place in 2011 Finals Week.
