MLS FC Dallas

FC Dallas Academy Teams Prepare for U.S. Soccer Development Academy National Playoffs

Published on June 24, 2011 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
FC Dallas News Release


FRISCO, Texas (June 24, 2011) - FC Dallas' U16 and U18 teams qualified for the U.S. Soccer Development Academy National Playoffs being hosted by FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas June 24-28.

FC Dallas U18s qualified for the playoffs after finishing on top of the Texas Division standings with an overall record of 10-1-5. The team lost its only game of the season on Sunday, Sept. 26, 2-1 to Texas Rush before reeling off a string of 14 games in which they were unbeaten. The team enters the 32-team tournament as the number two seed.

"This is a great opportunity for our boys to showcase their talents in front of their families and friends," FC Dallas U18 head coach Oscar Pareja said. "We hope to make the most of this opportunity and take the team all the way to the final. That is our goal, but more importantly, we want to be a good representative of the FC Dallas Academy and the club."

FC Dallas U18s open the Development Academy playoffs against Cosmos Academy West (6-4-8) tonight at Pizza Hut Park Field Nine. The game is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT.

FC Dallas U16s finished fifth in the Texas Division with a record of 9-6-1. The team qualified for the playoffs by earning the ninth of 12 spots open to wild card teams that have the best overall points per game average across the full season. FC Dallas U16s started the season off 0-2-0 before putting together a 10-game unbeaten streak. Ranked 20th out of 32 teams, FC Dallas U16s finished the season on a four-game winning streak in which they outscored their opponents 11-0.

"When you first form a new team, it takes about six months for them to come together and learn how to play with each other," said FC Dallas U16 head coach Jose Maria Bazan. "We struggled initially in league play, but we made a lot of improvements and got our confidence back. The team is peaking at the right time, having taken the full 12 points from our final four matches."

FC Dallas U16s open the Development Academy playoffs against CASL Chelsea FC Academy (8-4-2) on Saturday, June 25 at Pizza Hut Park Field 13. The game is scheduled to kick off at 11 a.m. CT.

The 32 teams in each age group were placed into four pots based on overall seeding and were then randomly drawn into eight groups of four. The top finisher in each group will move on to the fourth annual Development Academy Finals Week, which will be held July 9-16 at three venues in Milwaukee, Wis.

In 2011, a Showcase was added to the Development Academy playoffs that includes the remaining 46 teams in each age group. Those teams make up the additional 92 teams that will be playing in Frisco through June 28.

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