FC Dallas’ U-16 academy team continued its dominance with a 1-0 win over Houston Dynamo while the U-18s dropped a hard-fought match 3-2 to the Dynamo on Monday at the Toyota Soccer Center.
U-18s drop heartbreaker 3-2 in final minutes
FC Dallas’ U-18s opened the game with complete possession, controlling the pace of the match against the first place Dynamo squad.
FCD struck first when the team was rewarded a penalty kick in the opening 10 minutes of the match. Oscar Romero slammed the penalty to the bottom right side of the goal for his ninth of the season.
Seven minutes later the Dynamo attack evened the score with a buildup in the box that led to a Houston header for a goal. The Dynamo then took the lead 20 minutes into the second half when a Houston forward finished a rebound from a remarkable Matthew Karasinski diving save inside the penalty area.
Dallas was minutes away from walking away with a point when Juanito Ramirez buried a pass inside the box, but Houston regained the lead just minutes later to take the 3-2 win.
The U-18s finish the season 15-6-6 in the Central Conference, clinching third place and a spot in the upcoming Development Academy playoffs.
Montesdeoca scores game-winner for U-16s
Giovanni Montesdeoca was able to claim glory for the U-16s in an even, back-and-forth match when he finished a cross from teammate rightback Benjamin Granillo to score the game’s lone goal.
Montesdeoca tackled a Dynamo attacker in the defensive-third and dribbled into midfield. He split two Dynamo defenders to find Granillo’s streaking run down the right flank as Granillo then crossed it back inside the box. Montesdeoca struck it, smacking the right post and going in for his team-leading 16th goal of the season.
The goal clinched the win for the U-16s who finish the season first in the Central Conference with a 20-2-5 record.
