HENDERSON, Nevada - Forty club teams across 19 states gathered in Henderson, Nevada on Friday to play the first of their final three games in the 2014-15 US Youth Soccer National League season. With several fields in play simultaneously, the three games below represent a small sample of the great Day 1 action.

FC Golden State Platinum 4-4 Ohio Premier Green U17

FC Golden State Platinum hoped to be able to overtake Ohio Premier Green in the standings of the U17 Blue division with a win, but a late goal from Ohio Premier caused the game to end in a 4-4 tie.

Both teams scored early and often, with Ohio Premier’s (3-1-1) Brenan Lawrence getting a goal within the first three minutes. Golden State’s (2-1-2) Jesus Granados answered in the 19^th minute to make the game 1-1. Late in the first half Ohio Premier’s Khalid Hunter would score, only to have Golden State’s Eduardo Sanchez tie the game up at 2 off of a corner kick ricocheted his way. Ohio Premier took their third and final lead just before halftime on a perfectly executed offensive set that Bryan Woo finished off with a goal.

Ohio Premier was the more physical team in the first half, and continued the strategy in the second half- attempting to bump Golden State forwards off the ball. This strategy worked for a time, but Jesus Granados still managed to tie the game up by scoring off a deflection, and a late foul on Cameron Campbell allowed Manuel Chavez to give Golden State their first lead on a free kick in the 80^th minute.

Instead of beating himself up about being called for the foul that allowed Chavez to tie the game, Cameron Campbell positioned himself perfectly to head in a corner kick from Javier Steinwascher in the game’s final minute, resulting in a 4-4 draw.

 

Loundon 00 Red 0-0 WAZA FC East 01 Juniors U14

Loundon 00 Red and WAZA FC East came into their match on Friday with either team hoping to get their first win, and both left seemingly disappointed with the 0-0 result.

Both Loundon (0-3-2) and WAZA (0-2-3) struggled to keep the ball in play for the majority of the first half. The slowed down play seemed to benefit Loundon, and WAZA aimed to take advantage of the noticeable size differential of the players they had out on the field. WAZA was able to get one memorable (but unsuccessful) first half shot off, with Garrett DeLamelleure finding Dominic Nikaj on the left side of the goal, who popped the ball up and over Loundon’s Sebastian Oliver, but the nifty trick shot was cleared before rolling into the goal.

In the second half both teams found a healthy rhythm, but the cleaner play seemed to favor WAZA, who had five opportunities to score early on. WAZA’s forwards missed on two separate headers, a misplayed ball out in front of the goal, a kick that went over the crossbar, and a ball that Sebastian Oliver stepped forward and intercepted, setting up a transition opportunity for Loundon, their first shot on goal of the match. Loundon’s Mason Sergi was able to create a shot for himself late in the second half, but pushed the ball wide left, and the score ended at 0-0.

Baltimore Celtic Dynasty 2-0 Chicago Fire Academy U14

Baltimore Celtic Dynasty came into their US Youth National League match as the leader in the 14U Red Division at 3-0-1, and when all was said and done, they remained undefeated after a 2-0 win over Chicago Fire Academy (2-3-0).

In the sixth minute, Anant Johnson was able to cross the ball over the head of two defenders just before the ball went out of bounds to the left of the goal box, and Theodore Ndje was there and waiting, scoring the only goal of the first half. Baltimore Celtic dominated possession early on, as Chicago Fire struggled to fend off the attacking pressure of forwards Danique Parker and Biggie Ruzzie, and it wasn’t until the 20^th minute of the first half that they were able to clear the ball and maintain a possession on Baltimore’s side of the field. Chicago’s first and only shot on goal in the first half came from Dabic Mendoza.

On several occasions in the first half, Chicago Fire players would stop playing immediately after physical contact in anticipation of a foul call that never came, costing them possessions and allowing Baltimore to continue to pressure their defenders. In the second half, Chicago did a better job of playing though the whistle, and was able to put together several offensive sets. Midfielder Lincoln Lilwitz and defender Andre Reynolds both got great looks in the second half, but Baltimore keeper Cole McNally stopped anything any everything.

For Baltimore, the second half belonged to forward Danique Parker, who created shots for himself and his teammates, and was responsible for the assist that put the game away, drawing defenders to the left side of the box and sneaking a pass to Luke Davis for the goal.