Vancouver Whitecaps U18s are back in the Texas heat this week for the United States Soccer Development Academy’s (USSDA) 'Finals Week', which gets underway today.
The Caps are one of eight teams in Houston at their age level competing for a spot in next Sunday’s Championship final and the glory of being named the best Under 18 side in North America.
Whatever the outcome, the team have done themselves, the fans and the Club proud this season.
The young Caps fully deserve their place in the final eight after a fantastic season which saw them win the Northwest Division of the USSDA Western Conference and top their playoff group in Houston last month.
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Craig Dalrymple’s side fought back from losing their first group game, and battled crazy temperatures, to go through to the Finals on goal difference (you can read a full recap of the U18 and U16 playoffs week <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?3406-Residency-Week-Whitecaps-U18s-clinch-USSDA-Finals-Week-berth-but-U16s-lose-out-on-goal-difference" target="_blank">HERE</a>).
They’re not going to find it any easier down in Houston, either in opposition or temperature, although we're looking at maximums of around 31 degrees and not the high 30's and hotter.
This time though Head Coach Dalrymple at least knows that his young side are ready for what they will face off the field.
Just how bad was it playing in 40 degree plus temperatures in Dallas?
<i>"Tell you what, it took some adjusting for sure.
I mean most of the teams, even the teams from southern California and some of the hot, hot states, they struggled with it.
All of our games in the Finals are at 8 o'clock or later. We have two at 8 and one at 9, so it will be better.
This past week has helped with being hot, so it helps us adjust to it a little bit better.</i>
On the field, the Caps have a tough draw, but there was never going to be anything else at this stage in the competition.
Drawn in Group 1, Vancouver will play three round robin matches against Colorado Rapids, De Anza Force and North Carolina Fusion for the chance to advance into Sunday’s final at the Dynamo’s newly built BBVA Compass Stadium.
If they get there they will face the winners of Group 2, which comprises of Chivas USA, FC Dallas and Solar Chelsea.
It would certainly be an occasion to remember for all the young Caps and one which they have a great shot of achieving if they play the way we know they are capable of.
Their first test is today against North Carolina Fusion, in a game kicking off at 6pm Pacific Time.
The Fusion compete in the Atlantic Division of the Southern Conference. They reached the playoffs as one of the top wildcards, but they made the most of their opportunity in getting there by drawing with FC Delco and then beating Shattuck-Saint Mary’s Soccer Academy and Washington Crossfire Premier to top their group.
They will be a tough opening game for the Caps, as they are now unbeaten in their last eight matches and scored the most goals in their Division during the regular season, despite finishing fourth.
The games are nicely spread out this time, with a day’s break inbetween matches this time, and the Caps will play an old foe on Wednesday – divisional rivals De Anza Force.
The Caps edged out the Force for the top spot in the West during the regular season, so the Californian side will be out for a little revenge. The teams also played out two very closely fought encounters, with the Caps running out narrow 3-2 winners in both.
De Anza won their playoff group with wins over the LA Galaxy and Vardar SC Freiburg, and an opening day draw against CASL Chelsea.
The game kicks off at 7pm PT and could be the match that decides the Whitecaps’ fate. The Force have a history of scoring late into games, so the young Caps need to better at holding on to their leads than their MLS counterparts.
The academy team of a MLS side are the final group opposition on Friday, as the Caps face off against Colorado Rapids at 6pm PT.
The Rapids made the playoffs by finishing in second spot in the Frontier Division of the Central Conference, but were the highest scorers in the Division.
They head into ‘Finals Week’ unbeaten in seven games, having won their playoff group with a win over South Carolina United Battery and a draw against Empire United, before a 90th minute winner in their last group match against Dallas Texans gave them a 2-1 victory and top spot.
Vancouver’s big advantage is their goalscoring threat. Compare their 88 regular season goals to North Carolina’s 61, De Anza’s 54 and Colorado’s 47. Huge game changer there. Caleb Clarke and Yassin Essa had 42 goals between them.
The Caps chances are bolstered by the inclusion on the trip of MLS squad members Bryce Alderson and Caleb Clarke, who have played with the U18s all season.
With Yassin Essa, Ben Fisk, Callum Irving, Ben McKendry and Daniel Stanese having just returned from a Canadian U20 team training camp in Mexico, along with Alderson, a lot of the team have already had a chance to adjust to the heat and humidity they will face in Houston.
Clarke, meanwhile, returned from a two week trial in Germany with Rot-Weiss Essen with a slight knock, but Dalrymple says he should be good to go for this week.
The Whitecaps are allowed to add some of the U16 guys into the mix and Sam Adekugbe, Jackson Farmer, Carlos Patino, Sadi Jalali and goalkeeper Marco Carducci will be making the trip down to Houston with their older team-mates.
Jalali was already bumped up to the U18 side for the playoffs with Clarke missing, and scored the deciding goal in their last group win to send them to the Finals.
It’s going to be a tough week, but when we spoke with Head Coach Craig Dalrymple on Wednesday (after the last PDL game of the season), he told us that the guys are ready and looking forward to the challenge:
<i>"We're excited. We've had a good week of training and the squad's come together.
Caleb's come back from Germany and Bryce has come back from the Under 20s with a few other players and they came together today for the first time this week.
We've two more days of training and I think we're ready and prime."</i>
Great to hear.
AFTN will be bringing you coverage from Houston over the week.
It’s going to be a week that all the players will long remember and if they can lift some silverware at the end of it, it’s going to be even more special.
Good luck guys and make sure you enjoy the whole experience to the full.
We already know you’re the best U18 team in North America. Let’s just make it official.
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