Academy Recap: Barça Academy split points at Real So Cal

May 31, 2018

May 30, 2018

RECAP

The Barça Academy USSDA teams traveled to Oak Park, California to take on Real So Cal Soccer Academy. The two teams split the results right down the middle, with one win, one loss and one draw a piece. The U-15s opened the day with a loss, falling 2-0 after conceding two second-half goals. The U-17s played next and put four goals past Real So Cal in a 4-2 win, behind a first-half hat-trick from Matthew Hoppe. In the final match of the day, the U-19s battled to a 3-3 draw.

USSDA

Barça Academy U-15 vs. Real So Cal

The U-15’s kicked off the action on Saturday in Oak Park in a tight and scrappy match with Real So Cal. Barça Academy controlled proceedings in the early goings and created opportunities but could not find a goal.

The teams entered the interval evenly matched at 0-0.

The match maintained even until the 59^th minute when Real So Cal opened scoring on a counterattack.

“We had some great opportunities in both halves to take the lead but we weren’t clinical enough in front of goal,” said Barça Academy coach Ged Quinn. “Real So Cal punished us for this and when they got their first goal.”

Seven minutes late, in the 66^th minute, Real So Cal scored their second goal off an individual error by a Barça Academy player.

Down 2-0, Barça Academy continued to push to get back into the game but Real So Cal made it difficult as they sat in and made it hard for Barça Academy to create. Barça Academy eventually fell to Real So Cal 2-0.

Barça Academy U-17 vs. Real So Cal

Next to take the field were the U-17s, who were looking to continue their 6 game win streak.

The U-17s got off to an uncharacteristically frantic start but quickly settled into the game in the in the 5^th minute after Matthew Hoppe scored his first goal.

Two minutes late, Barça Academy doubled their advantage. Barça Academy high pressed Real So Cal, recovered the ball and Jake LaCava assisted Hoppe for his second goal of the game with a great through ball.

Hoppe completed his first-half hat-trick in the 35^th minute with an ambition strike from distance that caught the GK off his line.

Barça Academy entered the half with a comfortable 3-0 lead.

The second half didn’t see much action until the final 16 minutes of the match. Barça Academy conceded a goal in the 74^th minute and Cameron Fisher answered with a goal of his own just a minute later.

The final goal came in the 85^th minute by Real So Cal but Barça Academy held on and came away with a 4-2 win.

“The second half was disappointing for the most part,” said coach Sean McCafferty. “But ultimately we did enough to come away with a 4-2 win.”

Barça Academy U-19 vs. Real So Cal

The U-19s were last to take the field and were also looking to continue their 6 game win streak in pursuit of making the USSDA playoffs.

Barça Academy started the game poorly as they conceded a goal within 3 minutes of the match. They managed to equalize in the 5^th minute with a PK by Austin Amer.

Barça Academy continued to struggle in the early parts of the first half and conceded a second goal in the 20^th minute.

Down 2-1, Daniel Corona equalized at the stroke of halftime, leveling the score to 2-2 at the interval.

Just five minutes into the second half, Corona would grab a second goal. Corona pressed the goalkeeper, forced him to make a mistake and put the ball into the back of the net.

Barça Academy would lead 3-2 for just seven minutes as Real So Cal equalized in the 57^th minute.

Both teams would continue to create goal scoring opportunities but the score remained 3-3 at the final whistle.

”Overall, I am proud of the way the guys continued to battle through the game,” said coach Daniel Antunez. “Now we need to shift our focus to this upcoming weekend, knowing that we need 6 points in order to keep our playoff hopes alive.”