U.S. U18s battle to draws with LAFC and Galaxy

U.S. U18s battle to draws with LAFC and Galaxy
October 13, 2009

It took a last-second score for the U.S. U18 Boys National camp team to salvage a 2-2 tie with opponent LAFC, but the goal itself took a backseat to the quality of play that led to it.

The U18s completed their last round of scrimmages against outside competition Sunday, a pair of matches that also included a 0-0 draw against U18 L.A. Galaxy.

The more dramatic game occurred in the early morning when the U.S. team fell behind 2-0 at the half but found a rhythm with a new lineup and climbed back into the match.

Elite boys club soccer player.A U18 MNT camper competes against LAFC Chelsea in Carson, CA.
Second-half substitutions included defenders Victor Vasquez and Ricardo Hernandez along with attackers Matt Ingram, Chris Somerville, Bryce Follensbee and Kevin Alvarenga.

Ingram and Somerville were two standouts in particular who combined well with midfielder Steeven Saba and Zach Batteer for a dominant half of action.

Batteer, who has a nose for the goal and displays solid technical skill and good size, pressured well up front and earned several good chances. He finally scored midway through the first half to put LAFC on its heels a little.

Somerville was compared to Wayne Rooney by one coach, and the similarities are obvious. Somerville brings a package of rugged toughness and skill you don’t find in many players. He’s speedy and one of the hardest workers on the field. His effort opened things up for players like Ingram, who controlled possession well on the right wing.

On the defensive side, Ricardo Hernandez was noticeable not only for his prodigious size - he was the biggest player on either field - but also his surprising finesse and touch. Hernandez looked to help build from the back, as did left back Victor Vasquez who showed off a mean left foot and decent cross.

Centerback Sean Cunningham is a player with good instincts, but he made a few miscues that created opportunities for LAFC. Max Kurtzman was nails in goal during the second half and came up with a couple tough saves.

For the U.S. team, Bryce Follensbee slipped a shot through the LAFC defense with no more than 10 seconds remaining to tie the contest.

In the later match, a second U.S. unit faced a stiff challenge in the Galaxy a team that was superior in size and featured top playmakers Miles Byass and Pablito Cruz.

With so many skilled players on the field, there was potential for fireworks but it never materialized. U.S. starting strikers Samuel Adjei and Sean Okoli looked to create early opportunities but didn’t get the reps to really make an impact on the game.

Centerbacks Bryan Gallego and Matt Sheeleigh were the clear leaders on the team and kept the team organized. Gallego has displayed his leadership throughout the camp and seems to have a strong sense of tactical awareness to match his physical ability.


Right back David Caban was aggressive and looked to move forward while right midfielder Miguel Lopez was notable for his work rate, battling bigger players off the ball.

The second half saw a few players leave a positive mark on the action. Midfielder Will Trapp looked like one of the better prospects present. He has good size and is deceptively quick. With Galaxy defenders all around him he displayed crafty play in tight spaces.

Ryan Zinkhan teamed with Trapp for some good combinations and JP Medina, a short yet sturdy competitor played well too.

The U18 team caps its week-long camp with an intra scrimmage today.

 

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