November 11, 2011 – Kendall SC’s U13B White and 96 Pre-Academy (U16) teams finished atop their respective age groups at the conclusion of the SFUYSA Early Season, finishing the championship with only one loss apiece. Close on their heels were the 97 Pre-Academy (U15), U17 White and U18 White, which all finished among the top four teams in the Premier brackets of their age groups, earning them automatic entry into the Late Season Playoffs in the Spring.
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SFUYSA established Early Season play in Division 1 for the U13 age group for the first time ever and the U13B White, coming of an appearance in last season’s Region A Cup finals, showed they have not skipped a beat. Marcos Colman’s team reeled off nine straight victories before bowing out with a loss in the last game of the season, by which time their first place finish was well assured.
Kendall SC’s commanding performance put them 10 points clear of the second place finisher. The run to the top was marked by a stalwart defensive performance in which they recorded five shutouts and allowed less than one goal per game. But the attacking players did not just rely on the strong play of the back line and keepers, netting 2.7 goals per game - almost one goal per game more than their closest rival.
“If they continue playing at this level against the very strong competition we have in South Florida, I believe the boys are capable making a deep run in the FYSA State Cup,” said Mr. Colman. “They have made a seamless transition to the big field and are taking advantage of their skill on the ball and size in several key positions.”
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| Kendall SC’s U13B White, winners of the SFUYSA U13 Early Season |
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The newly formed 96 Pre-Academy team, took a few games to adjust to their new surroundings, but once they hit the accelerator they went undefeated in their last eight games to edge out crosstown rival Kendall Hammocks for first place, in no small part due to an emotional 4-2 win over the Lighting to give them bragging rights west of the Florida Turnpike.
“It is great to see the boys perform at the top even if our primary goal is to prepare them for next year when the core of this team will have the opportunity to earn a spot on the US Soccer Development Academy U16 team,” said coach Chris Rich, who doubles as an assistant coach for FIU’s Men’s Soccer Team. “I hope that we get a chance later in the year to see how they match up with the three South Florida teams that were playing in the Region III Premier League, in particular against Weston’s 96 Pre-Academy team.”
Like Kendall SC’s Pre-Academy team, Weston’s team plays in the U16 age group even though they feature a significant number of true U15
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Kendall SC’s U16B White, Winners SFUYSA U16 Premier Early Season
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players and no players born in 1995 who would be eligible to play in this age group.Both clubs have made the commitment to adjusting to the Development Academy’s calendar age grouping to better prepare the top players for their transition to the Academy system.
The 96 Pre-Academy team finished first in the Premier group in the Early Season with an overall record of 7-1-2. It was a season-long dominating performance as they outscored opponents 26 to 6. The goals came from all directions as 11 different players put the ball in the back of the net. The players that stood out offensively were Deivin Osavas with 5 goals, and both Juan Diaz and Eli Medder with 4 goals apiece. The biggest factor in the team’s success was its stingy defense. The defense, led by center back Casey Quintero and goalkeepers Tomas Espinal and Bryan Alvarez, had an impressive 5 clean sheets and a goals allowed average of .6.
The 96 Pre-Academy boys enjoyed their early season success, but will now switch their focus over to tournament play as they will be competing in the prestigious CASL Shootout in Raleigh, NC.
Joining the U13B White and 96 Pre-Academy teams in the Late Season Playoffs will also be the 97 Pre-Academy team, which played in the U15 Premier group, and the U17B White and U18B White teams, which also played in their respective Premier groups.
The 97 Pre-Academy finished third in a very competitive U15 Premier age group with a 4-3-3 record and was only one of two teams to post a positive goal differential for the season. The U17B White also finished third with a 4-3-2 mark and the U18B White wrapped up the season with a 2-1-5 record in fourth place.
