The FC Dallas U-18 Academy team fell one win shy of winning the national championship on Friday when they lost to California club Pateadores 2-1 in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy 2011 Under-17/18 championship game. Home Grown midfielder Bryan Leyva scored Dallas’ lone goal in the loss.
The game started out with Pateadores applying the early pressure, and the Californians were awarded with a free kick from about 25 yards out in the ninth minute. Forward Jose Villareal stepped up to take the kick and bent his shot around the FC Dallas wall and just inside the left post to gain the early lead.
Both sides struggled to manage quality shots on goal for the remainder of the half except for one opportunity by FCD midfielder Daniel Garcia that forced goalkeeper Juan Cervantes into a diving save.
FC Dallas turned up the pressure to start the second half, but their hopes of finding an equalizer dwindled in the 58th minute when Garcia was shown his second yellow card of the match to reduce the Dallas side to 10.
Despite going down a man, FCD was able to find the game-tying goal in the 62nd minute. Second half substitute Michael Ambrose lofted a cross into the box that found Leyva at the far post. From the right side of the box, Leyva settled the ball with his first touch before firing a shot to the right of Cervantes to tie the match 1-1.
Dallas had a chance to take the lead in the 80th minute when forward Victor Pinal found himself in one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Coming in from the right side, Pinal fired a shot that the charging Cervantes was just able to get a leg to, denying the opportunity.
The save would prove to be a turning point for Pateadores, as the very next minute Villareal received a ball at the top of the FCD box that he turned and fired to regain the lead for his club.
The late goal proved to be the dagger, as Dallas failed to find a second equalizer and Pateadores were crowned the U.S. Soccer Development Academy 2011 Under-17/18 champions.
Scoring Summary:
PAT – Villareal 9’
FCD – Leyva 62’
PAT – Villareal 81’
Misconduct Summary:
FCD – Garcia (caution) 15’
PAT – Sorto (caution) 32’
FCD – Garcia (sent off; second caution) 58’
FC Dallas Starting Lineup
Cortes, Acosta, Okwuonu, Coleman, Hernandez (Ambrose 46’), Perez (Robledo 66’), Ulloa, Guzman, Garcia, Leyva, Top (Pinal 75’)
Pateadores Starting Lineup
Cervantes, Calderon, Torre, Lugo, Sorto, Bautista, Payeres, Rivera, McCracken, Villareal, Parra-Annya
