The U-15s, ranked 14th in the country, have spent the last several weeks exclusively training, while the U-17s will play their first league match since their victorious run at the Generation Adidas Cup.
“We’re excited, we haven’t played a game in a while so we’re excited to get back out there,” said Sounders Academy U-15 Head Coach Sean Henderson. “Albion is a good team, they’ve done well this year. The kids can’t wait to get out and play a league game again.”
A key component of the Sounders Academy’s developmental philosophy is the periodization of the training curriculum, starting with principles of possession and building toward more complex elements like unbalancing opponents and defensive pressing schemes. With so much time off between league games, the U-15s have been able to pivot towards solidifying the team’s defensive shape.
“We’ve been able to train really hard and have some competitive sessions, which we think will really help this group,” said Henderson. “We always focus on the attacking aspect, but with this group we’ve spent the last two or three weeks really focusing on the defensive side and being more solid and sound defensively. Hopefully, we get to see it come out in the game.”
Riding high after securing another international title, the U-17s hope to translate their stellar showings at GA Cup to a dominant performance against Albion. GA Cup Premier Division Player of the Tournament Marlon Vargas will look to add to his 20 goals and 25 assists from 30 appearances across all competitions.
Another highlight of the weekend is the Academy’s match against L.A. United Football Academy, with the U-15s set to go toe-to-toe with the Southern California club.
April 7
- Sounders FC U-15 vs. Albion SC U-15 | 10:00 a.m. PT, Starfire Sports Field 11
- Sounders FC U-17 vs. Albion SC U-17 | 12:30 p.m. PT, Starfire Sports Field 11
April 8
- Sounders FC U-15 vs. LAFC U-15 | 10:00 a.m. PT, Starfire Sports Field 11
