Wednesday brought the first pool match here at the U14 Boys National ID Camp, and commitment was the most prominent attribute on display.
The soccer wasn't always great as players from both teams in the day's final match were giving their all to close down and fluster their opponents, but the heart and effort on display will have been encouraging for head coach Manny Schellscheidt and his staff.
The match was played on turf fields here at Middlesex Prep due to rains that fell most of the day. While a downpour tempered the opening two matches of the day between regional squads, skies cleared up in time for the coveted pool match.
Despite less than ideal weather, these boys gave their all in Concord.
showed some good touches and an ability to turn in the early going. Johnson is here for the 2nd consecutive year and combines tenacity with good skill. Northern Virgnia's
is a good all-around player with the willingness to get stuck in and the skill to make a difference in a match.
. Najem control the ball well and hit a shot off the post before knocking home the rebound.
Playmaker Lopez also showed some real ability as a two-way midfielder during his shift.
FC DELCO Goalkeeper Zak Steffan came up with a highlight reel save on a strike from North Carolina's
.
of Striker FC in New Mexico showed a good ability to turn and shoot, while Dallas Texans' forward
made some good passes into space to get his team's attack in motion.
Halftime brought wholesale substitutions as is the custom here. If there is anybody in the camp faster than Hoosier FC forward
, I haven't seen him. Brown works hard on every ball and can get to most of them first. Luckily for Team 6, goalkeeper
of Florida club West Pines United is quick off his line as well, which kept Brown from getting a soft goal early in the half.
who made a strong down the right, beating two defenders before firing a shot that trickled in to make the score 1-1. Team 5 then battled back with
of Santa Cruz County Breakers taking a pass from Pete Pearson of Beach before lashing a shot that brought a good save from Ghitis, but Brown outraced everybody to the rebound and got a well-deserved goal.
Team 6 worked for an equalizer. Team 5 defender Nick Hutchinson of Lehigh United made a vital intervention to stop one effort, but the tying goal eventually came from Southern California's
after a good run down the left and pass from Concorde Fire's Julio Jimenez.
The teams will be back at it again on Thursday.
