Since as the non-cracked out Whitney used to sing, "I believe that children are our future...." I am wondering how this went. To that end does anyone know how the United U-17s are doing in Spain at the moment, their tourney begins today and their match against Feyenoord is the other big United result I'm waiting for. It will be nice is the DC United "Win Everything" year rolls on with the U-17s D.C. United U-17's travel to Spain, take on world’s best U-17s to face Feyenoord, Boca Juniors and Real Madrid D.C. United News Release August 22, 2006 Washington, D.C. - D.C. United’s Under-17 youth team is in Ciudad Real, Spain this week in preparation for the Mundialito de Clubes U-17 tournament. The tournament features 16 of the world’s top clubs from 12 different countries and will take D.C. United through several Spanish cities. Boca Juniors, who United will meet in group play, won last year’s event. “We are pleased with the invitation to participate in such a prestigious tournament,” said United Technical Director Dave Kasper. “We look forward to competing with some of the top clubs in the world.” The U-17s open play against Dutch side Feyenoord in Ciudad Real on August 25, then travel to Miguelturra for the next day’s match-up with Argentina’s Boca Juniors, before finishing their opening-round play on August 28 in Puertollan against Spain’s Real Madrid. Should the team advance out of group play, quarterfinal play begins on August 30 with the semifinals set for September 1. The tournament concludes on September 3 with the finals in Albacete. The first MLS team to have youth teams competing in United Soccer League’s Super-Y League, United U-17s are currently 6-1-1. The U-17s staff includes head coach Gene Mishalow, assistant coach Matt Pilkington, team manager Greg Steininger and athletic trainer Randy Rocha. The following is the D.C. United U-17 roster: Goalkeepers: Justin Epperson (Herndon, VA), Christopher Fenner (Manassas, VA) Defenders: Harry Beddo (Oak Hill, VA), Michael Foss (South Riding, VA), James Lofton (Harrisonbug, VA), Michael Purdy (Woodbridge, VA), Steven Duran (Chantilly, VA), Alec McLean (Silver Spring, MD), James Ramadan (McLean, VA) Midfielders: Miguel Campos (Lorton, VA), Matthew Castillo (Lanham, MD), Joe Crowley (Chadds Ford, PA), Benjamin Fuentes (Fairfax, VA), Derek Markheim (Woodbridge, VA), Eber Martinez (Woodbridge, VA), Jonathan Werth (University Park, MD) Forwards: Joseph Barnd (Fairfax, VA), Jose Colchao-Arnillas (Burke, VA), Kjell Crooke (Vienna, VA), Uchenna Onyeador (Potomac Falls, VA).
Here is the original site for the u17 world club championship http://www.mundialitosub17.es oh and DC United tied 1-1 agianst Feyernood. Pumas OWNED Benfica 4-0
Thanks. Drawing with Feyernood at any level is a good result. I hope the United boys get to watch and review the Pumas U17s playing cause there may be a chance the two will meet in the Interliga in a couple of years.
Wow, this is a great chance to show that the Youth of the US can go at it with the rest of the world. I'm guessing we tied Boca 0-0, but that could be wrong.
Looks like they are doing well . I guess I will need a translator to make my way around that website. Thanks for the scores guys. Keep us posted! I take it that none of this will be televised?
Not anything new really... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/26/AR2006082600942.html Link to Goff's DC/LA match report. Scroll down to the "United Report". Confirms the 1-1 and 3-1 scores and the Real Madrid game. Perhaps they'll have another report tomorrow.
For all you Barra members who know Ben (the drunken idiot who came to games with me), this: is his younger brother. Luckily he didn't get Ben's temper or the propensity to drink massive quantities of beer and the gut to go along with it.
Forget the Barra - your description doesn't narrow it down for any of us! Seriously, good luck to his bro.
It doesn't sound too bad at all. It actually sounds like they are right at the level. It could have been better, but not bad. That doesn't knock them out of the competition does it?
Actually, unless everyone advances to the knockout stage(which I think only the Group winner does), it does knock them out. But still...just being invited is good IMO.
Ahhh, I hope that they didn't get knocked out, but if they did that means that on of my favorite guys may be on his way back home , and they should be proud of themselves for doing as well as they did.
DC's Eber Martinez was tied for 2nd place in goal scoring with 2 goals for the round. MLS should sign him now before another Euro club snatches up a young yank.
Since only 8 teams go to the quarter-finals, and since there were four groups, only the top two from each group advance. That would be Boca and Real from our group.
I agree, just getting invited for them and the whole DC United Organization is a good thing. Drawing with the Feyenoord U-177s is nothing to discount either.
From what I understand this was the first American team to go to this tournament. Not surprising since there haven't been a lot of American youth development teams associated with proffessional teams in the past. Apparently the tournament organizers were really happy to have them there and treated them very well. Not to mention there were coaches and scouts there from some very big name teams. So this did a lot to get the DC name out there, but more importantly it got these kids some experience playing in Europe against world class youth teams and, like I said, there were some scouts and coaches there watching.