FRISCO, Texas - FC Dallas Academy's U-15 team earned the first win of its GA Cup campaign with a 1-0 triumph over Club Tijuana courtesy of Brice Miller's second-half penalty Sunday evening at Toyota Soccer Center.
“The result was extremely positive because we needed to win, we needed three points," U-15s head coach Alex Aldaz said after the game. "The wind made it really difficult to play the way we wanted to play. At the end of the day, we knew it was going to be about a lot of duels and winning those moments and having concentration. The boys did that and as I told them afterwards, sometimes the football doesn’t look the way we want it to but it’s important to know how to get a result in different ways, and in this case it was winning ugly.”
Tijuana controlled much of the first half and fashioned the an early chance when their forward ran behind FCD’s backline and put the ball in the net only to be called offside. Dallas slowly worked their way into the game and midfielder Brice Miller attempted his side's first shot 17 minutes in when he let fly from 25 yards out but it sailed just over the crossbar.
FC Dallas improved offensively after the interval and defender Judah McCloud created a dangerous chance with a cross from the left but Tijuana’s goalkeeper was able to gather. FCD made the breakthrough with 10 minutes remaining when Brice Miller was fouled by the on-rushing Tijuana 'keeper before beating him again from the penalty spot to give his team the lead.
"Brice has played almost every minute of every game and he found a second wind in a critical moment," Aldaz said. "Brice rose to the challenge and we needed him to. He scored yesterday and today, so he’s carrying us in terms of attacking production so we’re happy for that."
The U-15s fell 3-1 to Real Salt Lake in their opening game but today's win means FCD can clinch a spot in the knockout rounds with a victory in its final group stage game against FC Cincinnati on Monday, April 11 at 9PM at Toyota Soccer Center.
