BEAVERTON, OR -
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency remain unbeaten in the 2014-15 United States Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) season after both the U-18s and U-16s earned wins over their counterparts from Portland Timbers Academy.
U-18
Whitecaps FC U-18 Residency (5W-0L-0D) were excellent from start to finish, jumping out to a lead early before ending up with a 3-0 shutout over Portland Timbers U-16 (0W-2L-1D) on Sunday morning.
Skipper
Marco Bustos
had another brace, while the other ‘Caps marker came off the foot of
Dario Zanatta
. In net, goalkeeper
Marco Carducci
picked up his third clean sheet in four appearances this season.
The ‘Caps got out to a fast start, completely dictating the flow of play in the first 15 minutes. At the 10-minute mark,
Hayden Simmonds-O’Grady
did well to earn a penalty kick as he fought for position on a cross in the Portland box before getting barreled through by a Timbers defender.
Bustos stepped up to the spot and delivered, drawing first blood for the ‘Caps.
The rest of the half was a physical battle, as both sides pressed for the next goal. Ultimately, neither side could break through, and the two clubs went into the half at the same 1-0 score.
Finally, at the 73-minute mark, Bustos struck again, scoring his ninth goal in just five USSDA games this season.
This time, the crafty midfielder showed exactly why Whitecaps FC made him one of their most recent first-team signings, as he took control of the ball at midfield and fired from distance, beating the Portland keeper with a brilliantly placed shot.
Zanatta closed out the scoring for the Blue and White in the 78th minute. Off of a corner, the Victoria native timed his jump perfectly and got his head on the ball at the near post, directing it behind the Portland keeper.
“They’re an MLS club, and it’s always big for both sides when you’re playing an MLS rival,” said assistant coach
Steve Meadley
. “With that said, it was a tight, well-fought affair, and once we got going, I thought we performed really well.”
Scoring Summary
10’ – VAN – Marco Bustos (penalty kick)
73’ – VAN – Marco Bustos
78’ – VAN – Dario Zanatta
Vancouver Whitetcaps FC U-18
1.Marco Carducci; 17.Jeevin Kang (39.Josh Cuthbert 80’), 5.Vaggeli Boucas, 2.Andre Baires, 11. Jordan Haynes; 15.Drake Rendle (24.Vana Markarian 60’), 19.Kianz Froese; 7.Hayden Simmonds-O'Grady (12.William Grayson 60’), 10.Marco Bustos, 8.Ali Musse (20.Kyle Jones 46’); 9.Dario Zanatta (16.Manraj Bains 80’)
U-16
Whitecaps FC U-16 Residency (4W-0L-1D) showed terrific resiliency in the day’s second match, erasing a two-goal deficit to pull out a 3-2 win over Portland Timbers U-16 (0W-2L-1D).
Winger
Terran Campbell
notched a brace for the Blue and White, including the game-winner with less than 10 minutes to play, and ‘Caps skipper
David Norman
added one of his own on a penalty kick.
Portland was full value in the first half, and their direct, aggressive style of play earned them two goals off of corner kicks. On the defensive end, Timbers were relentless and positionally sound, making it difficult for the ‘Caps to break them down and create quality chances. The 'Caps went into halftime down 2-0 to the Timbers.
The second half was a different story. The Blue and White came out flying, dominating possession early on. The ‘Caps were rewarded in the 57th minute, as
Cole Morokhovich
relayed a ball from defender
Kadin Chung
to Campbell, who found himself one-on-one with the Portland keeper. Campbell made no mistake, getting the ‘Caps on the board.
Vancouver didn’t wait long to get another, as just six minutes later,
Daniel Sagno
made a hard run into the Portland area and was taken down. On the ensuing penalty, Norman struck the ball beautifully, evening up the score at 2-2.
Then, in the 81st minute,
Nicolas Apostol
drove down the right flank and delivered a great cross to the near post. Campbell met the ball and smashed it behind the Portland keeper, putting the ‘Caps up 3-2.
Though the start wasn’t ideal, head coach
Rich Fagan
was very impressed with the amount of fight shown by his club.
"The first half was difficult, but to the boys’ credit, they rose to the occasion, and stepped up their game in the second half,” said Fagan. “The character and fortitude the players showed was outstanding."
Scoring Summary
POR -
POR -
57’ – VAN – Terran Campbell (Cole Morokhovich)
63’ – VAN David Norman (penalty kick)
81’ – VAN – Terran Campbell (Nick Apostol)
Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-16
42.Luciano Trasolini; 32.Kadin Chung, 40.Brendan Skinner, 4.Matthew Baldisimo, 33.Michael Baldisimo; 13.David Norman, 45.Munir Saleh (47.Jonas Hakkinen 65’), 14.Terran Campbell; 44.Nathan Graziano (27.Daniel Sagno 43’), 36.Cole Morokhovich (37.Nick Apostol 57’); 41.Duwayne Ewart
