After winning a couple of national titles in the past month, the FC Dallas Academy sent a U-17 team and a U-15 team to Seattle last week for the annual Generation adidas Cup in search of more hardware. Although the teams didn't bring any trophies back to Texas, they did earn some positive results with a combined record of 6-4-0 for the week.
U-17 results
The U-17s started the tournament with a 3-2 win over D.C. United last Friday. Recently signed Homegrown midfielder Kellyn Acosta got the scoring started with a 25 yard blast from the right corner of the box in the 20th minute. United tied the match in the 32nd minute on a penalty kick, and the tie carried into halftime.
D.C. United took the lead after scoring just one minute into the second half. Four minutes later Acosta scored again to tie the match on a direct free kick from just outside the area. The game-winning goal came in the 73rd minute when Diego de la Tejera dribbled into the box and put away a shot to win the game for FCD.
The next day Dallas faced Toronto FC in their second match of the tournament. The Canadian side scored on a breakaway in the 18th minute to gain the 1-0 lead. Toronto doubled their advantage in the 63rd minute to put FCD down 2-0. Dallas pulled one back in the 78th minute when de la Tejera scored is second goal in as many games on a corner kick, but the side failed to find the equalizer in a 2-1 loss.
After a day off, FCD faced the L.A. Galaxy on Monday. FC Dallas got goals from Acosta and Vernon Bailey as well as an own goal to tie the Galaxy 3-3 after regulation, sending the match to penaly kicks. Dallas won the game in PKs but finished third in their group, sending the side to consolation games rather than the semifinals.
The next day FC Dallas fell 2-0 in their first consolation game, with the Chicago Fire scoring a goal in each half to win the match. The week would end on a high note for the U-17s though, as they finished the tournament with a 4-1 win over hosts Seattle Sounders FC on Thursday.
FC Dallas went down 1-0 early after allowing a goal in the 12th minute, but the side battled back to dominate the game. Aaron Meyer scored in the 32nd minute and Zach Dunbar scored in the 34th to give the U-17s the 2-1 lead at halftime. Meyer scored again in the 47th minute and striker Yannick Koffi capped off the scoring in the 60th off a cross from Kristoffer Reaves for the 4-1 win.
U-15 results
The U-15s started their campaign with a narrow win over Toronto FC. Toronto scored on a penalty kick in the first half to take the 1-0 lead, but Alex Lim scored directly on a corner kick in the 60th minute to tie the match. After ending in a tie the game went into penalty kicks per tournament rules with FCD ultimately getting the win.
The next day the U-15s were shutout 2-0 by the San Jose Earthquakes, but earned another close win in their next match against Seattle. FC Dallas took a second half 1-0 lead over the Sounders on a goal by Richard Tapia, but allowed a late equalizer to once again go to PKs. FCD won in penalties, but like their U-17 counterparts, the U-15s finished third in their group and had to settle for consolation games.
FC Dallas lost to the Philadelphia Union in their first consolation game 2-0. On the final day of the tournament, the U-15s faced another Seattle Sounders FC side as the host team had two U-15 squads participating in the competition. After giving up an early second half goal, FC Dallas tied the game in stoppage time on a goal by Duncan James. For the third time at the tournament, the FC Dallas U-15s finished a match tied 1-1 and went on to win in penalty kick on the 13th kicker.
