Four Sporting Kansas City Academy teams posted victories on Saturday at sunny Swope Soccer Village, continuing an excellent run of form during the month of March.
The Sporting KC U-19s, U-17s and U-15s swept Lonestar SC in a U.S. Soccer Development Academy tripleheader and have combined to go a perfect 12-0-0 since the league campaign resumed on March 2 following a lengthy winter break. The Sporting KC U-14s also entered the win column as they kicked off the 2019 Heartland spring season.
The Sporting KC U-19s (12-2-3, 39 points) used a 5-1 victory over Lonestar SC to take first place in the Central Conference’s Frontier Division. Mason Leeth kickstarted the comprehensive performance with a fifth-minute goal before Jahon Rad doubled the lead 15 minutes later.
The hosts remained in control after the break and claimed a third goal in the 67th minute when Clarence Weah—the cousin of U.S. international forward Timothy Weah—opened his Sporting KC Academy scoring account. Swope Park Rangers Academy signing Sean Karani made it 4-0 in the 75th minute, and although Lonestar grabbed a goal back through Aidan O’Toole, Leeth bagged his second of the day to restore the four-goal cushion just before the full-time whistle.
The Sporting KC U-17s (10-6-1, 31 points) continued their climb up the Frontier Division table, settling into fourth place with a shutout win that saw Mitchell Ferguson notch the first goal after 29 minutes. Francisco Lopez struck four minutes later to give the side a 2-0 halftime lead, and Ferguson tallied his second shortly after the hour-mark. Zion Long rounded out the scoring in the 70th minute as goalkeeper Tommy Williams recorded the clean sheet.
Not to be outdone by their elders, the Sporting KC U-15s (11-2-2, 35 points) secured a win of their own to solidify second place in the Frontier Division. The game remained scoreless through halftime, but Rokus Pukstas provided the breakthrough in the 48th minute. Zamere Issaka and Osvaldo Cisneros would also find the back of the net during an excellent second-half showing, rendering a late Lonestar goal inconsequential.
U-14s defeat FC Wichita
In the first game of the 2019 Heartland spring campaign, the U-14s defeated FC Wichita by a 3-0 scoreline. Manuel Romero landed the first punch in the 14th minute, and Sporting were able to stay in front thanks to strong goalkeeping from Charlie Duske. A late scoring surge saw Romero grab his second before Gianluca Armellino added icing to the cake.
Up Next: Tripleheader at FC Dallas next Saturday
The Sporting KC U-19s, U-17s and U-15s will put their respective winning streaks on the line against one of the country’s best academies next Saturday. A high-profile tripleheader against FC Dallas will take place at Toyota Soccer Center in Frisco, Texas, with the U-15s kicking off at noon CT followed by the U-17s at 2 p.m. and the U-19s at 4 p.m. Follow @SKCAcademy on Twitter for live updates on Saturday and throughout the season.
