The Sporting Kansas City Academy U-18s continue their impressive run in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Playoffs tonight, visiting FC Dallas in the quarterfinals at Toyota Soccer Center in Frisco, Texas.
The all-important clash will kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT and the winner will advance to the USSDA Championships on July 14 and 16 at the U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Carson, California. Fans can follow @SKCAcademy on Twitter for live updates as two teams from the USSDA Frontier Division square off for the third time this season.
The Sporting KC U-18s progressed to the quarterfinals in the most remarkable way imaginable. Two unlikely results during the final match day of the USSDA Playoffs on June 26 saw Sporting KC beat the San Jose Earthquakes 6-1 and top-ranked Blau Weiss Gottschee (New York) suffer an upset to the Capital Area RailHawks (North Carolina). The outcome put Sporting KC level on points with Gottschee and vaulted Jon Parry's side atop the group by virtue of greater goal difference.
Finishing fourth in the Frontier Division with a 14-8-4 record, Sporting KC is the lone quarterfinalist to have qualified for the USSDA Playoffs as a wildcard team. The U-18 roster includes five members of the Swope Park Rangers, including forward Nansel Selbol, goalkeeper Steve Tekesky, midfielder Will Little and defenders Jaylin Lindsey and Ezra Armstrong. Selbol netted 10 goals in 10 games for the U-18s before signing a professional contract with the Rangers ahead of the 2016 USL season.
FC Dallas stormed to first place in the Frontier Division during the 2015-16 regular season, posting an 18-4-3 record. The Texas outfit earned a No. 2 overall seed at the USSDA Playoffs, where they cruised to three straight wins while outscoring opponents 12-2. Giovanni Montesdeoca led the team with 14 regular season goals, Weston McKennie netted 12 and Toshiki Yasuda added nine for a club that topped the Frontier Division table from September through June.
Sporting KC and FC Dallas have met twice over the last nine months, splitting the series with one win apiece. Sporting KC handed FC Dallas its first loss of the 2015-16 campaign on Oct. 24, earning a 3-1 victory in Claremore, Oklahoma, behind a brace from Selbol and a goal from Little. FC Dallas bounced back in the most recent encounter on May 21, storming to a 6-0 triumph in Frisco.
The U-18s are making their first-ever USSDA quarterfinal appearance on Thursday. Tonight's four quarterfinal winners will advance to the semifinals on July 14, with the championship and third-place game slated for July 16 in Carson.
2015-16 USSDA Quarterfinals: July 7, 2016
4 p.m. CT -- Players Development Academy at Philadelphia Union
5 p.m. CT -- Sacramento Republic at Vancouver Whitecaps FC
7:30 p.m. CT -- Sporting KC at FC Dallas
10 p.m. CT -- Nomads SC at Real Salt Lake AZ
2015-16 USSDA Quarterfinal Field
<strong>Team</strong> |
<strong>Reg. season record</strong> |
<strong>Division</strong> |
FC Dallas |
18-4-3 (2.28 ppg) |
Frontier |
Vancouver Whitecaps FC |
19-1-11 (2.19 ppg) |
Northwest |
Philadelphia Union |
17-3-6 (2.19 ppg) |
Atlantic |
Real Salt Lake AZ |
22-6-8 (2.06 ppg) |
Southwest |
Players Development Academy |
16-5-5 (2.04 ppg) |
Atlantic |
Sacramento Republic FC |
17-8-7 (1.81 ppg) |
Northwest |
Nomads SC |
18-7-11 (1.81 ppg) |
Southwest |
Sporting KC |
14-8-4 (1.77 ppg) |
Frontier |
