The Academy teams of two MLS rivals went head-to-head this weekend at Swope Soccer Village as the Sporting KC U-16s and U-18s hosted the Houston Dynamo for back-to-back games on Saturday and Sunday.
Braces from Roman Knox and Camilo Benitez sparked a resounding performance on Saturday as the U-16s defeated Houston 6-2. Knox opened the scoring with a pair of penalty kicks in the first half, but Houston would level the match through Luis Garza shortly after the break. That set the stage for a late surge from Sporting KC, as Colin Innes set up Jacob Hall and Kyle Reese in quick succession to restore a two-goal cushion. Benitez added gloss to the victory with late strikes, the first a clever chip over Houston's goalkeeper and the second a routine finish off a feed from Hall.
The U-16s nearly secured a weekend sweep the next day. Johnny Hansen notched a goal in the 60th minute following an incisive attack orchestrated by Innes and Cameron Duke. However, the Dynamo snatched a 1-1 draw with a stoppage-time penalty kick from Johnathon Diaz.
The four-point haul over the weekend keeps Jon Parry's side in third place in the Frontier Division of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy's Central Conference. The top three teams will receive an automatic bid to the USSDA Playoffs in June.
The U-18s started brightly on Saturday as Max Rugova's excellent volley put his team ahead 1-0 in the 39th minute. The Dynamo, who sit comfortably atop the Frontier Division with a 13-1-4 record, responded with three goals in a 10-minute span as Lucio Martinez bagged a brace and Mason Schuster scored a third. Sporting KC pulled one back in the 79th minute when a strong individual run from Fernando Borges resulted in Johnny Leisman's goal, but the U-18s couldn't muster an equalizer and fell 3-2.
Istvan Urbanyi's side bounced back with a 0-0 result on Sunday -- with the shutout coming from Swope Park Rangers signee Steve Tekesky -- to remain in fourth place in the Frontier Division, five points behind Texas Rush for an automatic playoff spot.
Both Academy sides return to U.S. Soccer Development Academy action on Saturday, April 2, when the Real Colorado U-16s and U-18s visit Swope Soccer Village. For updates, follow @SKCAcademy on Twitter and Instagram.
