Academy Recap: Barça Academy’s Busiest Weekend of 2018
March 19, 2018
RECAP
Barça Academy had its busiest home weekend of 2018, as all five teams were in action. The three US Soccer Development Academy sides played host to Pateadores on Saturday. The U-15s kicked off the day at Grande Sports World with a thrilling game in which they came from behind twice but fell to defeat. The U-17s were next to the field and played a tightly fought contest which took a penalty kick to separate the two sides but also ended in defeat. The U-19s rounded out the Development Academy action with a resounding 4-0 win. The U-16s also played on Saturday, clinching the title in the Arizona State League by hammering Sereno SC 7-1. The U-18s also won big, cruising to a 5-0 win over FC Bravo on Sunday morning.
Barça Academy U-15
The Development Academy action kicked off Saturday morning as the U-15s hosted Pateadores in a Southwest region matchup. Barça Academy missed a chance from a corner kick in the opening moments of the game which they would regret just a few minutes later, when Pateadores opened the scoring in the 6th minute.
Barça Academy would work to get themselves back in the game, and in the 23rd minute Ronan Kratt would get a chance after good work from Caden Clark, but Kratt lifted his volley over the crossbar.
The equalizing goal would come four minutes before halftime, when Andres Zavaleta connected sweetly with a volley that beat the fully extended keeper as the ball came off the post, hit the keeper in the back and trickled into the goal.
The two sides would go into halftime level, but the U-15s conceded almost straight from the second half kickoff and again found themselves down a goal.
Barça Academy would again bring the scores level, this time through Kratt who snapped up a loose ball in the box and fired powerfully into the back of the net.
The lead would last just one minute and Pateadores would score from a cross and finish to take the lead which they would preserve through the full-time whistle.
“It was disappointing for our guys,” said coach Ged Quinn. “I think we’ve shot ourselves in the foot with the timing of the goals. I think conceding so early in the second half was disappointing. I don’t think we defended well today and I think our distribution from the back was not what it needs to be.”
Barça Academy U-17
Up next were the U-17s, who faced a Pateadores side that were top of the Southwest conference table. The first half was a largely tactical battle with both sides pressing well. The standout chance came in the 10th minute, when slick combination play through the midfield freed up Jake LaCava to run at his defender down the left touchline. LaCava beat a pair of defenders and drew a good save from a well-struck shot.
Goalkeeper Nathan Schnur was busy as well, with a couple important saves including a diving stop in the 42nd minute when he intervened to prevent a deflection from Jose Olmos from ending up in the back of the net.
The match reached the halftime interval tied at 0-0 and the second half began as tightly matched as the first.
In the 53rd minute, the deadlock was broken after Barça Academy concede a penalty kick. Schnur saved the initial effort but was helpless to deal with the rebound which was tapped in, giving Pateadores a 1-0 lead.
Barça Academy would get their best chance to equalize eight minutes later, when Matthew Hoppe was played clean through on goal. He wasn’t able to compose himself enough to finish though, the goalkeeper closed him down and made a good save to deny Barça Academy a tying goal.
“I thought it was an excellent game between two good teams,” said head coach Sean McCafferty. “I thought our guys work ethic was fantastic, the commitment was excellent, but it comes down to a couple of moments in the game. We missed a 1-on-1, their keeper has made an excellent save and unfortunately we’ve been punished for our mistake.”
Barça Academy U-19
The U-19s rounded out the day at Grande Sports World in some style, beating top of the table Pateadores in resounding fashion.
Barça Academy got off to a quick start and grabbed the lead ten minutes into the match through Kyle Frudakis.
The wide midfielder would grab his second goal of the match 15 minutes later. Enrique Zamora showed off quick feet to get out of a tight spot and drove down the left touchline, eventually receiving a cross in the box and laying it off for a wide open Frudakis to finish past a scrambling goalkeeper to double the U-19’s lead.
Barça Academy got to halftime with a 2-0 lead and worked to expand upon it in the second half.
They forced Pateadores into playing at an uncomfortable speed through good pressing and were rewarded with a third goal in the 72nd minute. Daniel Corona latched onto a flighted through ball, shielded off the defender with his body and finished calmly with a powerful volley to bring the score to 3-0.
Barça Academy would add one more goal for good measure four minutes from full time, when good interchange around the box gave Arturo Ernand the opportunity to drive through the defense and finish with a low shot to the far post to bring the final score to 4-0.
“I think the boys did well to battle through the game,” said head coach Daniel Antunez. “We knew today was going to be a difficult game, but I think we executed our plan and what we’ve been working on all week.”
Barça Academy U-16
Meanwhile, Barça Academy’s U-16 side wrapped up the Arizona State League on Saturday with a dominating 7-1 win over Sereno SC. Luka Polic scored a hattrick in the first half, and Logan Camacho, Caleb Suh, Booth and Garrett Oachs added goals in the second ensure Barça Academy were crowned champions of the league.
Barça Academy U-18
The U-18s resumed Arizona Premier League play on Sunday with a dominating performance over FC Bravo. Tyler Hutchinson and Fidel Rangel would score in the opening half. Bernardo Padilla would add two in the second half, and Rangel would also get a second as Barça Academy cruised to a 5-0 win.
“We really controlled the game with possession of the ball,” said head coach Brady Taylor. “We were brilliant on the day, especially in the second half and the scoreline really showed how dangerous we were.”
RESULTS
March 17
U-15: Barça Academy 3 vs. Pateadores 2
U-17: Barça Academy 0 vs. Pateadores 1
U-19: Barça Academy 4 vs. Pateadores 0
U-16: Barça Academy 7 vs. Sereno 1
March 18
U-18: Barça Academy 5 vs. FC Bravo 0
UPCOMING MATCHES
March 24
U-15: Barça Academy vs. Nomads SC | 3:30 PM | University of California – San Diego; Field #1
U-17: Barça Academy vs. Nomads SC | 5:30 PM | University of California – San Diego; Field #1
U-19: Barça Academy vs. Nomads SC | 8:00 PM | University of California – San Diego; Field #1
March 26 – Dallas Cup
U-18: Barça Academy vs. Satellite City Football Club | 2:00 PM | MoneyGram Park; Field #1
U-16: Barça Academy vs. FC Dallas Youth Premier | 8:00 PM | MoneyGram Park; Field #5
March 27 – Dallas Cup
U-16: Barça Academy vs. Placer United Gold| 10:00 AM | Richland College; Field #8
U-18: Barça Academy vs. Cedar Stars Academy Newark | 12:00 PM | Richland College; Field #4
March 28- Dallas Cup
U-16: Barça Academy vs. Queretaro Gallo Blancos| 10:00 AM | MoneyGram Park; Field #2
U-18: Barça Academy vs. McAllen Dynamo Stx Academy | 4:00 PM | Richland College; Field #8
LOOKING AHEAD
April 7
U-15: Barça Academy vs. La Galaxy | 9:00 AM | Grande Sports World; Field #7
U-17: Barça Academy vs. La Galaxy | 11:00 AM | Grande Sports World; Field #7
U-19: Barça Academy vs. La Galaxy | 1:30 PM | Grande Sports World; Field #7
Want to be a part of Barça Academy? Register for camps at:
https://grandesportsacademy.regfox.com/new-gsa-soccer-tryouts-summer-camps
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