Ahead of their final home matches, D.C. United’s Youth Development Academy U16 and U18 teams are gearing up for a tough weekend against New Jersey club Players Development Academy (PDA).
The two teams met earlier in the season when the Black-and-Red traveled north for a late November match. PDA beat United’s U18s 1-0, with the lone goal coming early in the second half. United, currently the 11th seed in USSDA and 3rd in the Atlantic Division, come into their last home match looking to grab three points from Atlantic Division and USSDA leader PDA and make a statement against a team they might see again during a playoff run this summer.
“We are all extremely excited to get an opportunity to play against another playoff opponent a month in advance of Dallas,” said D.C. Untied Academy U16s Head Coach Tom Torres.
United’s U16s also faced the talented PDA side last November, playing them to a positive result. The Academy left New Jersey with three points, beating PDA 1-0 courtesy of a Julian Cummings goal in the 34th minute.
United’s U16s are hoping to repeat and put another “W” in the win column against a PDA team that sits atop the Atlantic Division. Currently ranked 11th in USSDA and 3rd in the Atlantic Division, the Academy is ready to take on the competition on its home turf.
“Not only will it be a challenge to play against one of the Development Academy’s top clubs,” said Torres, “it will also be a solid test to see how our players have progressed throughout the spring and what needs to be accomplished before the playoffs in June.”
Both matches will take place on Saturday, May 11th at Prince George’s Community College. The U18s kick off at 11 a.m. followed by the U16s at 1:30 p.m.
