Academy Update: USSDA Winter Showcase

D.C. United’s Youth Academy resumed U.S. Soccer Development Academy action this past weekend, as the U-18’s and U-16’s faced Sporting Kansas City and Sockers FC. The Academy sides then faced Vardar SC Freiburg on Tuesday.

In the weekend’s first match, United’s U-18’s fell 1-0 against Sporting Kansas City on Saturday, December 3. The Black-and-Red improved their play on Sunday, earning a 2-2 draw against Sockers FC. Marcus Salandy-Defour opened the scoring in the 25th minute, while Collin Martin tallied United’s second goal in the 31st minute. Salandy-Defour and Martin followed up with another goal-scoring performance on Tuesday, December 6, giving United a 2-1 victory over Vardar SC Freiburg. After trailing by one goal, Salandy-Defour tallied in the 51st minute, while Martin sealed the final result in the 71st minute.

“We are pleased with the improvements individual players have made and are excited about the team’s progress,” said United U-18 Head Coach Nolan Sheldon. “We are challenging the players to play the game at a very high level, both technically and tactically. The team will continue to train and prepare for the full Academy season in March.”

United’s U-16 side kicked-off weekend action with a resounding 4-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City. Robert Palmer scored a brace for the Black-and-Red, while Nigel Robinson and Rafael Fagundo completed the scoring. The U-16’s followed Saturday’s impressive performance with another victory, defeating Sockers FC 2-0. Rafael Fagundo scored both goals for United, with assists from Nigel Robinson and James Moreno.

“The kids played very hard, the chemistry of the team was very good and the mood was positive,” said U-16 Head Coach Roberto Da Silva. “I am very happy with them, despite not having the best game.”

The U-16’s extended their unbeaten streak on Tuesday, battling fatigue to overcome a two-goal deficit by earning a 2-2 draw against Vardar SC Freiburg. Tobias Kastan tallied United’s first goal in the 53rd minute with an assist from Nigel Robinson, who tied the match unassisted in the 70th minute.

“The match was hard not only because Vardar is a good team, but also because it was clear that fatigue was a major factor in the game,” said Da Silva. “We struggled defensively, and our back four had trouble communicating with the midfield. On the positive side, we did show that we can get back in the game after being down by two goals.”