The U-14 Orlando City U.S. Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) team was the only squad in action this past weekend. City’s U-16 and U-18 USSDA teams were scheduled to play against Weston FC, but their matches were cancelled due to the weather.
The U-14s ventured to Winston Salem, N.C. for the USSDA Showcase, competing against fellow Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs Philadelphia Union, New England Revolution and D.C. United.
City’s matches against the Union and Revolution on Saturday featured a 40 minute format. However, Sunday’s fixture against D.C. United was a full 80 minute game.
The Lions’ opening match against Philadelphia was a highly defensive contest. The U-14s defended well as a team and were comfortable with the ball on the break, creating several quality chances. However, the Union managed to preserve a clean-sheet, resulting in a 0-0 final score.
On Saturday, City faced New England in a difficult match. The Revolution found the back of the net early in the game, scoring in the fourth minute of play. Orlando produced multiple opportunities throughout the course of the match, however New England’s second goal in the 36th minute put the game out of reach for the Lions.
City’s final showcase game of the weekend featured a thrilling contest against D.C. United. The Lions produced a significant amount of attacking and creative plays throughout the game, leading to a five-goal performance.
Michael Lynch led the charge for Orlando City, finding the back of the net twice in a 20 minute span. Stephon Davis, Mario Licor and Alejandro Pereira added the final goals for the Lions, resulting in a 5-4 victory.
Commenting on the positive showcase weekend, U-14 Head Coach Darren Powell said, “This past weekend was a very good learning experience for our young Pro Academy players. All three games were very competitive and presented our players with different challenges.”
