23' > GOALLLLL! Ferreira finds Pomykal at the top of the box and he puts the 18s up 1-0! #DC38 pic.twitter.com/FWf7udnIXv— FC Dallas Youth (@FCDallasYouth) April 16, 2017
89' > ARTURO RODRIGUEZ GOLAZOOOOOO!!!!! 2-1 lead!!! #DC38 pic.twitter.com/YfApe6L2hT— FC Dallas Youth (@FCDallasYouth) April 17, 2017
https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/soccer/soccer/2017/04/16/fc-dallas-secures-first-dallas-cup The FC Dallas U-18’s defeated Monterrey 2-1 Sunday night to secure their first ever Dallas Cup Super Group title and becoming the first MLS academy to win the prestigious tournament. https://www.socceramerica.com/artic...-us-team-to-win-dallas-cup.html?edition=17089 In 2006, the Dallas Texans Red, which included current U.S. national team defender Omar Gonzalez, became the first U.S. Super Group winner. FC Dallas teams reached two other Dallas Cup finals this year, winning the U-16 crown and finishing runner-up in the U-14 division.
What an accomplishment for the boys! This has been the academy's "big white whale" for quite a long time. Time to make the goals even more ambitious! Here's a look at the first goal, and a better view of the 2nd goal. And of course, celebrations. Dan Hunt, Oscar Pareja, and Fernando Clavijo were all on the field celebrating with the players. 853760571962949635 is not a valid tweet id Here's another angle. Golazo! #SCTop10 @FCDallasYouth @CarterBaum pic.twitter.com/v93kiSnzXS— Aldo Quevedo 🇲🇽 (@aqwack) April 17, 2017 853778658238107648 is not a valid tweet id Tell me this doesn't mean something to the Homegrowns. These are their brothers and they wanted to help win this more than anything. #DTID pic.twitter.com/hRYhb9XTsy— Carter Baum (@CarterBaum) April 17, 2017
The significance of this achievement cannot be overstated. Many of Dallas' players are 1-3 years below the actual age group of U19. Look at the teams in the group. Look who they bested and HOW they won those games. This is a team that isn't just the best in this country, but can stand toe2toe with ANY U19 team on the planet. That is not an exaggeration. I've been going to Dallas Cup games for 20+ years and I think I have a pretty good handle on when an American club in the tournament is legit. While the '06 Texans were very good, this FCD team is truly next level stuff. While I want to believe Pax is an actual world class player, and he might be, it is the combo of him and Ferreira that powers each. They are extensions of each other and the winning goal from the semis is the best evidence of that. What a historic night.
I'll echo Hitman here. I've also gone off and on for years and this wasn't a case of parking the bus and getting lucky. This team was the better team in every game I watched and could have scored more to win easily like the did against Everton. The other teams were often the ones playing defensively and hoping for counters. Against Coritiba Paxton looked like the Brazilian playmaker while Coritiba was woefully short of those type of players. Ferriera, Cannon and Pax were the real deal and some of those supporting players may make some noise too.
Got to watch the final on TV last night and I must say I'm very impressed. Besides a little bit of sloppiness in the beginning of the 2nd half, FCD youth ran riot over Monterrey. How they didn't score more than 2 is just unfortunate. When Monterrey equalized, it felt very cruel (a very ugly goal) but the boys never quit. They kept playing their game and deservedly won in regulation time. Very excited for this team and especially excited about seeing Paxton and Jesus on the 1st team sooner or later.
Oh how far we have come. I was with some of the top local teams in this tournament in the 1990's, and we often watched super group games from the stands because we just were not there. Now the local academy has taken local soccer to another level. This is kind of a breakthrough moment for me. These kids are 15, 16, 17-year olds...their winning this tournament is quite impressive. There's a lot to be proud of here. Congrats, kids! Keep pushing. Keep going further and further.
I'm adding Brandon Servania, Arturo Rodriguez, and Brandon Terwege to my list of solid players that we have developed.
I believe Arturo Rodriguez has only been with the academy for two months............................... What's amazing about this U19 group is that we've had 3 players who would have been eligible for this tournament sign elsewhere (McKennie for Schalke, Montalvo for Tigres, and Devin Vega with San Antonio). Alex Zendejas, who we sold to Chivas of course, is 19 and would also have been eligible to play for the squad. So while we say that this particular group of players won a U16DA title, a U18DA title, and then a U19 Dallas Cup.............................its actually been a rotating cast of characters.
What's interesting is whether the four that left would have been starters and who would they have replaced. Could the team have been even better or was the chemistry of the remaining players more important?
http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/04/18/baer-breaking-down-top-five-players-ga-cup Brayan Padilla, FC Dallas The 17-year-old was one of the oldest MLS players playing in the tournament, even older than two FC Dallas Homegrown signees (Jesus Ferreira, Bryan Reynolds), but it’s clear that his potential is high. The left winger’s strength and speed gave him an advantage over all of his opponents. He also displayed his finishing ability when he scored against Real Madrid and added two more against the LA Galaxy.
Wonder how high his potential is. FCD could use a left mid at the moment but I don't really see a kid coming in and outplaying Lamah. I would love for these kids to start slowly taking minutes and becoming starters so FCD only has to fill in spots no homegrown has matriculated by the draft and purchase.
If we had a USLPro team this would be an easier discussion......................... Padilla hasn't played the much (if at all) with our U18s. That seems like the next step. Pareja is going to have a hard time finding playing time for Craft, Pomykol, and Ferreira as it is..................... He's already loaned out Craft for that playing time.
Yes, it can. Obviously. The fact and the tragedy is that some of these "can't miss" players will. Most players hit a wall about this age, and they do not progress beyond. This is the best they will ever be. We know the success stories, or course. Who could ever believe that a little fellow named Messi would ever become, arguably, the best player ever? Conversely, who could believe that Freddy Adu could fail? Which is why I find a youth star going to finish his soccer education abroad. There is a better record of success there. After all, there is a fellow at BVB making some noise. We should allow ourselves a moment of hope. Perhaps a few of these boys will make it, will become stars at the top level. FCD has done it before. So many will burn brightly before flaming out. So only a moment of hope. This most difficult of games has a way of dashing our dreams against the rocks. Dead but dreaming, Scipio Diabolus, vox fatum. Contra. It was Nottingham Forest who drove me to drink, and I never had the courtesy to thank them.
What I have learned over the years is that the flashy youth players that make it also play tenacious defensively. Watch Pulisic and you'll see him track back all over the field. In the FCD-Coritiba game Pomykal saved a goal by running all the way into the box to steal a ball of their players foot with the outside of his. That would have put Coritiba up 1-0 at that point and the result could have been very different. With FCD using a similar style at all levels it seems this two way play is being ingrained and makes the players fit into the next levels better.
No where in my post did I suggest any of these guys, collectively or individually, are the "Next Messi" - I'm simply highlighting their achievements over the last year and in this Cup specifically. You read far too much into it.
https://www.soccerwire.com/news/clu...s-real-oviedo-to-compete-in-dallas-cup-xxxix/ DALLAS, Texas (Via Dallas Cup) – The Dr. Pepper Dallas Cup has announced that Mexico’s CF Monterrey and Spain’s Real Oviedo will compete in the Gordon Jago Super Group at Dallas Cup XXXIX.
https://www.soccerwire.com/news/clu...ces-final-two-additions-for-2018-super-group/ DALLAS, Texas (Via Dallas Cup) – The Dr Pepper Dallas Cup has announced the final two additions to the 2018 Gordon Jago Super Group. Two-time Super Group champion EC Vitoria from Brazil and Japan’s Higashi Fukuoka will compete in the top bracket at Dr Pepper Dallas Cup XXXIX.
https://www.soccerwire.com/news/clu...-year-broadcast-deal-with-univision-deportes/ The Dr Pepper Dallas Cup, the oldest and most prestigious international youth soccer tournament in the United States, has reached a five-year broadcast agreement with Univision Deportes, the multimedia sports division of Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) that also includes UDN (Univision Deportes Network), the No. 1 Spanish-language sports network. The new partnership marks the tournament’s first multi-year agreement with a national media company. Univision Deportes will broadcast select Gordon Jago Super Group matches, including the semi-finals and final of the elite bracket on UDN (Univision Deportes Network), the No. 1 Spanish-language cable sports network in America.