U-17s Fall in GA Cup Quarterfinals
By Garrett Melcer
FRISCO - FC Dallas’ U-17 team fell 3-1 to Dinamo Zagreb at the quarterfinal stage of this year’s GA Cup due to a slow start which saw them concede three goals within the first 25 minutes.
Many of the same problems that plagued the FC Dallas U-17s in their 2-1 loss to West Ham on Monday came to the fore again in the first half against Zagreb. Although FCD had most of the possession, they struggled to carve out clear-cut chances and were vulnerable on the break. Zagreb took advantage of that weakness and opened the scoring in the 4th minute with a well-worked counterattack. Dallas were unable to rebound from the early goal and quickly conceded two more from similar positions. North Texas SC's David Rodriguez scored a well-taken first-time volley in the 27th minute to give FCD a glimmer of hope heading into halftime.
“We started slow, mentally we made some mistakes early in the game,” head coach Matias Asorey said after the game. “I thought we did a good job to rebound but it wasn’t enough to get us back in it. Dinamo was very organized, tough to break down, we had enough chances to get back in it but the ball just didn’t go in.”
Although FC Dallas was noticeably more dangerous in possession and handled Zagreb’s counterattacks better in the second half, they were unable to undo the damage done in the opening 25 minutes.
“The early goal like that can sometimes affect the group, and I think it did,” Asorey said. “We knew they had a good counter, and they had good players on the outside and they took advantage of it.”
U-13's Play Through Resistance, Win 4-0
By Hailey Huddock
DALLAS - The U-13's look to advance after winning their second game 4-0 over FC Dinastia. They had a dominant first half scoring 3 of their four goals and possessing the ball for the majority of the time. In the second half despite some less ideal conditions, FC Dallas held on to their lead and kept their defense until the final whistle blew. Alejandro Urzua shined in the second half as he stayed persistent in his efforts until finding the goal in the 55th minute even though their lead was strong before the half.
"I thought the first half was very complete, we had some great ideas, scored some great goals." Head coach John Gall said after the match. He also noted, "the challenge this time of the year is wind, especially for younger guys. Playing with the wind some people think it's an advantage but for me, and what we try and do with playing futbol it's a little more difficult." He acknowledged that heading in to the upcoming games, "we need to be a little more composed with the wind but against the wind we did very well."
The U-13's have their final group stage match tomorrow against the Michigan Jaguars before preparing for the potential quarterfinals.
U-15s Struggle to Find Rhythm, Adjustments Lead to Draw
By Hailey Huddock
DALLAS- The U-15s appeared to have found their match when the game began this evening. The team was facing Kent Schools FA who came out with a lot of pressure, and a very competitive mindset. The U-15s initially struggled to find some rhythm within their lineup and consistently played defensively throughout the first half. In the second half the team seemed to have found their spark as they started to build up some momentum. "The first half was challenging because of the opponents style and the amount of time it took us to adapt to their style. The wind was also a factor that benefitted their style." said head coach Alex Aldaz. "The boys responded and they believed in our philosophy and our style."
The adjustments made at the half lead the U-15s to see more success in the second half even though they fell just short of a win. "They showed great resiliency and character to rebound from being down twice, and to be honest in the end there was an opportunity to win." Aldaz commended the boys efforts and believes, "there is still a lot to play for." The U-15's will play at 8pm tomorrow to fight for their spot in the quarterfinals.
Full Scores - Tuesday, April 16
| FCD Team | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| U-19 Academy | -- | -- |
| U-17 Academy | Dinamo Zagreb | L, 3-1 |
| U-15 Academy | Kent Schools FA | D, 3-3 |
| U-14 Academy | SVSA DA | W, 4-0 |
| U-13 Academy | FC Dinastia | W, 4-0 |
| U-12N Academy | --- | -- |
| U-12S Academy | --- | -- |
| FCDY 00B Premier | United Services Portsmouth FC | D, 3-3 |
| FCDY 00 Boys | Prepa Tec MTY | L, 0-1 |
| FCDY 01B Premier | Tiro Sports 2001 | W, 6-1 |
| FCDY 01B Central | Liverpool Football College | W, 3-1 |
| FCDY 02B Premier | Club Menedy | W, 6-1 |
| FCDY 03B Premier | Toronto FC Academy | D, 1-1 |
| FCDY 04B Premier | Eintracht Frankfurt | L, 0-3 |
| FCDY 05B Premier | Raven Wood School | W, 4-0 |
| FCDY 05B North Blue | Prepa Tec MTY | D, 2-2 |
| FCDY 06B Premier | Menedy Futbol | D, 0-0 |
| FCDY 06B Central Red | Atlante FC | D, 1-1 |
| FCDY 07B Premier | --- | -- |
| FCD Mexico 03 | FC Premier | L, 0-1 |
| FCD El Paso Del Norte 03 | Futbol Consultants Edson Soto | W, 3-0 |
| FCD Mexico 07 | --- | -- |