WESTFIELD, Indiana - There are 16 teams left in the hunt for a National Championship. Friday’s finale of the Development Academy Playoffs was full of the theatrics. There was a penalty kick shootout in the U18 age group after PDA and Colorado Rush were even on points and all tiebreakers after three games of group play. Defending champions PDA won the shootout to claim the bid for a spot in the quarterfinals. 

The U16 age group had a storm take out the majority of games in the second half. However, eight teams had to sit through the storm delay and return to the fields to play the final 20 minutes or so of four games. 

The dramatic conclusion paves the way for the quarterfinal round, which comes July 7-8 across the map with the higher seed teams hosting. The winners from those games will advance to the semifinals in Los Angeles.

Below is a recap of the games that TopDrawerSoccer caught on Friday. 

Chicago Fire U18 2-2 New York Red Bulls

U.S. Youth National Team player Cam Lindley had a goal and assist to propel Chicago Fire to a draw and a spot in the quarterfinals. Lindley, playing only a few miles from his hometown, had plenty of support on hand for the game. 

New York Red Bulls needed a win from the game to move onto the next round after the Red Bulls were upset by Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday. Understandably, New York came out on the front foot hoping to find that early goal. 

It did not come. 

Fire’s defense held firm and goalkeeper Sawyer Jackman was hardly tested. New York’s best chance in the opening phase of the game was a combination between Derrick Etienne and Juan Sebastian Sanchez at the top of the box, but Peter Schropp cut it out. 

Wesley Wade also had a chance in the 31st minute, but his effort went wide of the goal. 

Lindley opened the scoring right before half. It was a solo effort that was capped off with a well-placed finish. 

The game took a turn shortly into the second half when Fire midfielder Joseph Lee was issued his second yellow card of the game and shown a red card. 

Despite being shorthanded, it did not change Fire’s approach much. The Mid-America Division champions were content with trying to hit Red Bulls on the break. 

Andrew Gutman had a golden chance when he streaked down the left side, but he pulled his shot just a couple of inches wide of the far post. 

Jackman was called on for the first time shortly afterward, and he came up big with a good save on a shot from Marcello Borges. 

Eight minutes later, Lindley took control of a knockdown header from a Red Bulls defender. Lindley played the ball in front of Oscar Gonzalez 35 yards from goal. Gonzalez beat the center back with a quick shift of direction and then rifled his shot home. 

It looked like Fire was on its way to the quarterfinals comfortable with a two-goal lead and 28 minutes left in the game. 

New York Red Bulls made it a bit more nervous when Christopher Flores came on and opened up the right channel. Etienne struck first in the 82nd minute. On the ensuing kick-off, Fire tried to play it into the corner and let Red Bulls have the ball. 

New York took the throw in, switched the point of attack, and let Flores go to work. Flores had a bit of room to hit in a cross, which Wade volleyed home. 

Jackman made one more save in the closing minutes to help Fire hold on for the draw and advance to the quarterfinals. 

FC Dallas U16 2-0 LA Galaxy 

The defending U16 Development Academy Champions were knocked out on Friday. FC Dallas only needed a draw from the game to advance, but the mentality from the opening whistle revealed that FC Dallas was clearly going for the win against Galaxy. 

Dallas was very organized and used a hardworking midfield trio to keep control of where the game was played. 

FC Dallas’ work was rewarded in the 18th minute when Giovanni Montesdeoca put his toe on a ball over the top of the Galaxy defense and expertly flicked it over the goalkeeper and into the net. 

Galaxy did not have much of a response after the early opening goal and it went from bad to worse in the 37th minute. 

Reginald Cannon whipped in a great cross from the right flank, which Weston McKennie headed into the net. 

FC Dallas finished the playoffs with three shutouts and now hosts New England Revolution in the quarterfinal fixture on July 8.