FCD Juniors Kick Off Inaugural Season on Saturday
The U.S. Soccer Development Academy is beginning its second year with the continued mission of providing players with a superior environment to improve their development and achieve their potential as elite soccer players. All 62 clubs who participated in the first year will be returning, while 12 new clubs have been added in the 2008-09 season, including FC Dallas and seven other new clubs in Texas. With 74 clubs, the conferences have been realigned into four conferences with nine divisions to provide a schedule that will necessitate fewer flights for each team to help reduce costs.
The FC Dallas Juniors, coached by Oscar Pareja, Chris Hayden, and Francisco Molina, will play in the Central Conference's Texas Division. The other seven teams in the Texas Division are: local clubs Dallas Texans, Andromeda SC, and Solar SC; Houston-based clubs Texas SC and Texas Rush AHFC; Lonestar from Austin; and Classics Elite from San Antonio.
Each team will play all other teams in the Division once at home and once on the road. In addition, Texas Division teams will also play matches against teams from the other two Central Conference Divisions, the Great Lakes Division and Frontier Division. In almost all cases, the U-16's will play first, followed by the U-18's. The complete schedule is listed below.
The 10-month season will build into a playoff weekend in June. The top three teams in each division, along with the top five fourth-place teams, will qualify for the 32-team Academy Playoffs at Bryan Park in Greensboro, N.C. The top eight teams from each age group will then qualify to compete at the Academy Finals Week in July. In 2008, Finals Week was broadcast live from The Home Depot Center on ESPNU.
During the 2008-09 Academy season, more than 2,000 games are scheduled across the country, including two Showcase weekends in December and May. The Winter Showcase will be held at the Lancaster National Soccer Center in Lancaster, Calif., from December 5-8, and the Spring Showcase will take place on Memorial Day Weekend, May 22-26, at the Sarasota Polo Grounds in Clearwater, Fla.
U.S. Soccer's vast network of scouts have utilized the scouting opportunities presented by the Academy, with every team scouted by a National Staff coach at least 10 times. With specific evaluation criteria including technical ability, tactical knowledge and athleticism, 105 players were invited to National Team camps at the Under-17, Under-18 and Under-20 levels during the first eight months of the Academy program. Academy players also make up nearly half of the current 40-player Under-17 Residency Program. Beyond the National Team, international and domestic professional team scouts and college coaches have made their presence felt throughout the season.
More information on the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, including schedules, standings, and overviews can be found here.
The rosters for the FC Dallas Juniors can be found by clicking here.
FC DALLAS JUNIORS 2008-2009 U.S. SOCCER DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY SCHEDULE:
(Schedule subject to change; all times Local; U-16 times listed)
September 2008:
Sat. Sept. 20 at Andromeda (1:30 pm, Andromeda Training Facility - Showcase Field)
October 2008:
Sat. Oct. 11 at Classics Elite (5:00 pm, Trinity University)
Sun. Oct. 12 at Lonestar (9:00 am, Town & Country Optimist Club - Field 26)
Sat. Oct. 18, at Dallas Texans (2:00 pm, University of Texas at Dallas - Stadium Field)
Sat. Oct. 25 at Solar SC (TBD)
November 2008:
Sat. Nov. 8 at Texas SC (6:00 pm, Elizabeth Meyer Park - Field 4)
Sun. Nov. 9 at Texas Rush AHFC (1:00 pm, Bear Branch Soccer Complex - Field 7)
Sat. Nov. 15 vs Dallas Texans (2:00 pm, Pizza Hut Park - Field 4)
Sat. Nov. 22 vs Andromeda (2:00 pm, Pizza Hut Park - Field 4)
December 2008:
December 5-8 - Winter Showcase at the Lancaster National Soccer Center in Lancaster, Calif.
Sat. Dec. 13 vs Texas SC (2:00 pm, Pizza Hut Park - Field 4)
Sun. Dec. 14 vs Texas Rush AHFC (10:00 am, Pizza Hut Park - Field 4)
March 2009:
Sun. Mar. 22 vs Real Colorado (TBD, Pizza Hut Park)
Mon. Mar. 23 vs Colorado Rapids (TBD, at Pizza Hut Park)
April 2009:
Sun. Apr. 19 at Sockers FC (TBD, in Chicago, Illinois)
Mon. Apr. 20 at FC Milwaukee (TBD, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Sun. Apr. 26 at CASA (TBD, in Cleveland, Ohio)
Mon. Apr. 27 at Internationals (TBD, in Cleveland, Ohio)
May 2009:
Sun. May. 3 vs Solar SC (TBD, at Pizza Hut Park)
Sun. May. 10 vs Empire United (from Rochester, NY; TBD, at Pizza Hut Park)
Sun. May. 10 vs Carmel United Soccer Club (from Carmel, Indiana, TBD, at Pizza Hut Park)
Sat. May. 16 vs Classics Elite (TBD, at Pizza Hut Park)
Mon. May. 18 vs Lonestar (TBD, at Pizza Hut Park)
May 22-26 - Spring Showcase at the Sarasota Polo Grounds in Clearwater, Fla.
June 2008:
June 26-29 - Academy Playoffs at Bryan Park in Greensboro, N.C. - Top three teams from each of the nine divisions.
July 2008:
July 11-18 - Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. - The top eight teams from each age group will qualify to compete at the Academy Finals Week.
