Category: Youth Soccer Reporter

The Alpharetta Ambush SC Red opened with an impressive 5-0 win in the U-16 Showcase. The biggest winner in the U-16 age group was the Gainesville Soccer Alliance Rampage, which earned a 6-0 victory in the Copa division. For all the results and schedules in the Showcase, Predator and Copa divisions …

The Dallas Texans Academy and fellow Texas club Lonestar Red recorded convincing wins on Day 1 of the under-17 Showcase. For all the results and schedules in the Showcase, Predator and Copa divisions …

Big winners on the first day of play in the under-19 boys divisions included Minnesota boarding school Shattuck St. Mary’s and Miami Strike Force Cagliari, a winner in last fall’s qualifying tournament, in the Showcase division. For all the results and schedules in the Showcase, Predator and Copa divisions …

The 2008 NSCAA/adidas Youth All-Americans include five boys honorees who have made verbal commitments to attend Akron. On the girls side, four players have made verbal commitments to play for national champion North Carolina. For all the boys and girls selections and their college plans …

Phoenix New Times reporter John Dickerson provides a long expose on the state of youth soccer in Arizona. The warm weather provides year-round opportunities for youth soccer, and the state’s recent growth has fueled a cottage industry that feeds off the youth soccer boom. At the heart of the problem are over-the-top coaches and an obsession with college scholarships, particularly on the girls side. For Dickerson’s report and what organizers, parents, coaches and players have to say …

Mike Matkovic, recently hired as U.S. under-18 men’s national team coach, will hold a 72-player mega-camp beginning Sunday at The Home Depot Center. The players were all born 1991, making them eligible for the 2009 and 2011 Under-20 World Cups. They range rang from high school sophomores to college freshmen, including Zac MacMath, the starting goalie for NCAA Division I champion Maryland. Two foreign-based players — Patrick Otte of English club Middlesbrough’s youth academy and Andrew Lubahn of Belgian club Club Brugge — were also invited. For the complete roster …

The annual Disney’s Soccer Showcase kicks off Saturday at the Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., with boys action in four age groups as well as the U.S. Youth Soccer ODP Super Group featuring regional teams in the 1992 and 1993 age groups.

The Youth Soccer Reporter will be providing daily coverage of the Disney’s Soccer Showcase presented by Chelsea Football Club, beginning with coverage of boys play on Dec. 28 and continuing through to Jan. 4 with coverage of the girls competition.

Those players and fans attending the 2008 Disney’s Soccer Showcase should connect by joining the “I’m spending the holidays at Disney’s Soccer Showcase” on Facebook.

NSCAA/adidas Youth Boys regional awards have been handed out to many of the country’s top prospects. Here are the players, divided by graduating class, and the college verbal commitments or pro plans reported for those players in the Class of 2009 …

Regional rosters for boys 1992 and 1993 teams have been announced for the U.S. Youth Soccer ODP Super Group that will take place Dec. 27-30 at Disney’s Soccer Showcase presented by the Chelsea Football Club in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. For the complete rosters of players and their club affiliations …

Playing in their first year in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, the FC Dallas Juniors U-16 team has been so successful that it has already qualified for the 32-Academy Playoffs next June, having guaranteed to finish in the top three of the Texas Division. The U-16s are undefeated through the first 14 games, posting a record of 11-0-3. The U-18 team is riding an 11-game undefeated streak of its own, with an overall record of 6-2-6.

The Dallas Texans-Houston Division were the dominant team in the U.S. Youth National League, which held its first four games last weekend in the under-15 to under-17 boys divisions in Dallas. The Texans, playing in the under-17 division, were the only team to win all four games. They also did not to allow a goal. National League play for the boys resumes Feb. 27-March 1 in Atlanta. For all the results, goal scorers and standings …

The 2008 NSCAA/adidas Boys High School All-America Team included six repeat selections, all from fall programs: Brian Forgue (Downington West, Pa.), Andrew Wenger (Warwick, Pa.), Kevin Bick (St. Xavier High, Ky.), Jordan Cyrus (Norfolk Academy, Va.), Rafael Diaz (Morris Hills, N.J.) and Ben Newnam (East Forsyth, N.C.). The girls selections included Laura Heyboer, who earned her third high school All-American award for her play last spring at Unity Christian High School in Hudsonville, Mich., and was also selected to the NSCAA/adidas NCAA Division I All-America team for her standout season as a freshman at Michigan State. For all the boys and girls selections …

Sixteen teams were perfect in their three games at U.S. Soccer’s Development Academy Winter Showcase in Lancaster, Calif.: U-17/18 teams Andromeda, Colorado Rush AS Monaco, D.C. United, FC Delco, Derby County Wolves, Greensboro Youth Soccer, Lonestar, Met Oval, Miami FC Kendall, Real Colorado, Richmond Strikers and U-15/16 teams CASL, Crossfire Premier, Empire United, Irvine Strikers, Los Angeles Galaxy. For all the results …

The Dallas Texans Red, the defending national champions, won all four games in the under-17 girls division, making them the only team to win all four games in the U.S. Youth Soccer National League’s  opening weekend of girls play in North Carolina.

The U.S. Youth Soccer National League kicks off its 2008-09 boys season with under-15, under-16 and (for the first time) under-17 play beginning Thursday at the Ross Stewart Soccer Complex in Dallas. Games are being held in conjunction with the Men’s College Cup in Frisco to provide greater exposure of these teams to collegiate and national team coaches. For the complete schedule …

Frank Hall, a member of the Washington State Youth Soccer Association’s Hall of Fame, died recently at the age of 73 after a battle with cancer.

England’s Manchester United is teaming up with the Dallas Texans, the most successful club in U.S. Youth Soccer history and ranked the No. 1 boys club by Soccer America in 2008, to develop training programs for top Texans players.

Fox Soccer Channel will air the the U.S. under-17 boys national team’s Red squad in action against Brazil’s U-17s at 2:30 p.m. ET (11:30 a.m. PT) on the first day of the 2008 Nike International Friendlies, which are being held in conjunction with the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Winter Showcase at the Lancaster (Calif.) National Soccer Center.

Parity reigned at the U.S. Youth Soccer ODP Boys Thanksgiving Interregional held at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena, Vista, Fla. All 10 teams competing at the annual event won at least one game. For all the results and goal scorers …