After low-scoring games on Monday, the U18 and U16 teams exploded with nine goals between them in wins to close out the Winter Showcase.
The Sounders FC Academy finished off the 2010 year with a bang. After struggling through the second game in the USSDA Winter Showcase on Monday against Virginia Rush Auxerre, the Sounders FC U18 and U16 teams exploded to wins of 4-2 and 5-1, respectively to close out the four-day event in Phoenix, Arizona.
Playing against the Austin, Texas, based Lonestar Academy, the Sounders U18s got a physical battle.
Lonestar put the pressure to Ryan Herman and the Seattle goalkeeper made huge saves in the 6th minute and again in the 24th minute, but Lonestar was able to slip one by in the 16th minute for the early 1-0 lead.
Seattle responded with a goal in the 23rd minute, Glenn Paden scoring off an assist from Travis Strawn. Paden scored again just before halftime to take the 2-1 lead, this time getting the assist from Aaron Kovar.
However Lonestar evened it up in the 46th minute and the second half took on a different tenor.
The two teams were both held off the scoreboard until Jamael Cox regained the lead with a shot from 20 yards out in the 82nd minute. Darwin Jones sealed the win in the 90th minute with a goal and the Sounders finished with a 4-2 win.
“This was a very physical game and the boys responded well. The difference between the first and second half was tremendous,” Darren Sawatzky.
The U16s had a much easier time with Lonestar, Jumping out to an early 2-0 lead, then pouncing with three second-half goals for a 5-1 victory to close out the Showcase.
Prince Gunderson got Seattle out to the 1-0 lead in the 6th minute on an assist from Jesse Klug and Ian Lange made it 2-0 in the 8th minute, heading home a corner kick from Austin Sweeney.
Goalkeeper Keenan Townsend held that lead with a big save in the 20th minute to keep the Sounders on top 2-0 going into halftime.
But Lonestar pulled one back early in the second half and Seattle responded with three goals over 21 minutes to get the victory.
Jeffrey Collings scored from long range in the 50th minute. Klug made it 4-1 on an assist from Michael Steele in the 62nd minute and in the 71st minute Jordan Schweitzer set up Steele for the game’s final goal.
