FRISCO, Texas -- The Dr Pepper Dallas Cup XXXIV tournament kicked off yesterday, and nine of the 13 FC Dallas teams participating in this year's competition started their respective campaigns. In all, FC Dallas teams went a collective 6-2-1 on Sunday.
The 95 Boys Premier team took a loss in their first match in Bracket C of the U-19 age group. They faced England's Knowsley Youth and dropped a narrow 1-0 result.
But FC Dallas was perfect in the U-17 age group through two matches. In Bracket A, the 96 Boys Premier team topped Tigres of Mexico, 2-1. Erik Chapa scored FCD's first goal in that match, and Morgan Dizney tucked home the game-winner with five minutes left in regulation. The U-16 Academy team also picked up a win in Bracket E, shutting out the Mississauga Falcons from Canada, 1-0. The lone goal came courtesy of a late first half penalty kick earned by Antonio Aguilar and converted by Aaron Meyer.
Three of FCD's four representatives in the U-16 age group played yesterday. In Bracket F, the U-15 Pre Academy team played Canada's NSSC Elite to a 1-1 draw. The Canadian side took an early lead in the match, but with 10 minutes to go, second half sub Benji Granillo tied the game on a free kick from outside the box.
The 97 Boys Central team earned a 4-2 win over German side Fussballschule Millerntor in Bracket E. Despite a straight red card putting FC Dallas down to 10 men in the fifth minute, goals from Phillip Lee, Leonardo Luvizetto and a pair by Oscar Romero (including an "Olimpico" goal off a well-placed corner kick) gave the Dallas team an impressive win.
In Bracket G, the 97 Boys Blue team also picked up a 4-2 win as they topped Waitakere City Football Club from New Zealand. Goals from Sergio Lara, Juan Gonzalez, Reese Schattle and Cisco Collins gave FCD the victory.
In the U-15 age group, two of FC Dallas' three participants played yesterday. Despite goals from Ricardo Acosta, Owen Chavez and Juan Galindo, FC Dallas El Paso fell to Germany's Eintracht Frankfurt, 6-3 in Bracket A. But in Bracket E, the U-14 Pre Academy team managed to shut out the West Toronto Cobras, 3-0 in Bracket E. Duncan James scored a brace in that match with a goal on either side of halftime, and Eddie Munjoma scored the third goal on a 25-yard direct free kick.
And in the only other FC Dallas match from Sunday, the 00 Boys East team beat Costa Rican club Deportivo Saprissa, 4-2 in Bracket B. FC Dallas came back from behind twice in that match as Kent Malloy bagged a brace, Abelardo Escalante scored the game-winner and Miguel Rosales chipped in the insurance goal in the 4-2 win.
All 13 FC Dallas teams participating in Dallas Cup will be in action on Monday, as the remaining four teams kick off the tournament and the nine that started on Sunday will play their second of three group stage games.
