FRISCO - For the FC Dallas Academy, wins are nice, but it’s all about developing players for Oscar Pareja’s first team. However, for a few weeks in the middle of each summer, the focus turns to results as the teenagers travel to the US Soccer Development Academy playoffs.
This year’s playoff journey, held in Indianapolis, begins for both the U-18s and the U-16s on Tuesday as FC Dallas looks to advance to the quarterfinals. In the current format, eight groups of four teams play round-robin games with the winner of each group advancing to a quarterfinal match hosted at the higher seed. The four winners of those matches advance to national semifinals and finals.
For an FCD Academy that has advanced at least one age group to the national finals in five out of the last six seasons, the goals are certainly extremely high.
“Every game that we play, people confront us as playoff games, so our boys are used to the pressure,” said U-18 head coach Francisco Molina. “It’s a little bit tougher to prepare for three games in four days, but our boys will be ready.”
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Molina’s U-18s have been handed a tough group headlined by national rival Real Salt Lake who they will meet on Wednesday evening in a match that will be streamed live on USSoccer.com. FCD will also face Chicago Magic PSG and Concorde Fire.
“It’s going to be a challenge and I know we’re ready,” said U-18 captain Martin Salas. “Coach Molina has prepared us well for this and I know we’re ready.”
For the U-16s, who won their Frontier Division by ten points while losing just three out of 27 games, nothing less than a quarterfinal appearance is the goal.
“[Head coach] Luchi’s been talking to us lately about meaning of the word family,” said U-16 midfielder Weston McKinnie. “So I believe that when we get to playoffs we have to go on the field as a family and fight for each other and leave it all on the field.”
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With the disappointment of falling to Germans Eintracht Frankfurt in penalty kicks at the 2015 Generation adidas Cup semifinals fresh on their minds, the U-16s are looking to go one step better in a playoffs where they are certainly one of the favorites to go all the way.
“These games are going to all be tough and we’re ready for them,” said U-16 winger Devin Vega. “We know what we have to do, work as a team and just keep fighting.”
The U-16s face South Carolina United on Tuesday and St. Louis Scott Gallagher Missouri on Wednesday before a Friday showdown against the LA Galaxy that could determine who advances.
For some, it will be the first taste of the high-pressure playoffs while for others like defender Eric Davies, it’s the final go with their FCD brothers before heading off to college.
“It’ll be something I remember forever,” said Davies. “These guys are great. They’re my family and my brothers and to finish out the season with them, I couldn’t ask for anything else.”
The FC Dallas U-14s are also in Indianapolis playing in the U-14 showcase as their division does not have playoffs. In the first two games, they have a win and a draw.
