SAN JOSE, Calif. -
The Earthquakes U-18 academy team will finish the regular season with a dream date at Avaya Stadium.
The U-18s, who lead the Northwest Division of the West Conference, can clinch their first division championship with a win over Juventus Sunday evening at the new state of the art home of the San Jose Earthquakes. The big match will kick off at 6:30 p.m., shortly after the Earthquakes host FC Dallas in an MLS Western Conference showdown.
- TICKETS: Quakes vs. FC Dallas
“Dave [Kaval] presented the opportunity to me about playing after the match and I couldn’t respond quick enough,” Academy Technical Director Chris Leitch said. “This is going to be such a good experience for these boys playing on a stage like this. It’s important for their development as players and it will help them at the next level.
“It’s one thing to play on the weekend in front of a couple hundred people, but it’s another thing to play in front of a bona fide crowd in a professional stadium,” Leitch said. “As a player, you go through a different set of emotions and it’ll set them up nicely in dealing with pressure that comes with this kind of setting.”
The match will be a showcase of two Bay Area teams facing off at the region’s new epicenter of soccer. The Quakes will go toe-to-toe with neighboring club Juventus in the academy’s final match of Northwest Division play.
“It’ll be a great community event,” Leitch said. “Fans will get to see that we have an academy team that is really supported by the organization. Juventus is a club located in Redwood City, so it’s going to be a great showcase of two Bay Area teams going head-to-head.”
The night will also serve as a curtain call for the U-18 players who will be departing to their respective colleges in the fall. The team’s 17 college commits will be honored during the senior team’s match against Dallas as a thank you for their commitment to the academy.
“This match is all about these players,” Leitch said. “Not only is it a thank you for everything they’ve done for the club, but it’s a recognition of their accomplishments and a celebration of their college commitments.”
Don’t be in a rush to leave the stadium, Quakes fans. Leitch wants to encourage fans to stick around for the match and see what the U-18’s have to offer.
“Hopefully a good amount of the 18,000 stay around for our match,” Leitch said. “They can have an extra beer, let traffic die down a bit, take in a different level of soccer, and see some promising young players compete in a match that has a lot at stake.”
Regardless of the result, both the U-16s and U-18s will advance to the Academy Playoffs in Westfield, Ind. from June 23-26, the first time both teams have advanced to the playoff.
Academy Update
The U-18s (22-7-3, 69 points), who have won five straight games, lead second place Crossfire Premier (20-5-6, 66 points) in average points per game, 2.16 to 2.13, the deciding factor in determining the champion. Crossfire Premier will face the tough Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday afternoon.
The Earthquakes under-18 and under-16 teams continued their march toward the playoffs with victories over San Juan Soccer Club on Saturday.
The U-18s prevailed 7-1 as red-hot forward Yousef Diyab had his second hat trick in as many weeks and his third hat trick of the season.
The U-16s beat San Juan 2-0 and received strong play from converted center back Armon Ojuola, goal-scorer Theo Huxham and young Oscar Govea.
The U-16s (16-10-6, 54 points) can nail down a playoff spot with a win over Juventus on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at San Jose State.
Chris Leitch, the academy technical director, gives the Ojuola high marks for his strong play since switching from forward to center back.
“He’s got a good head on his shoulders, he’s comfortable on the ball and good at organizing,” Leitch said of Ojuola, a junior at Bishop O’Dowd. “He’s been great. He’s got a bright future there.”
The Quakes U-14s lost to Placer United 4-3 on Saturday at Sierra College and rallied for a 2-2 draw with San Mateo County Star on Sunday at San Mateo High. Jason Yanez had two goals against Placer United, and Ramon Felix scored one. Ricardo “Ritchie” Rodriguez scored both goals in the final five minutes against San Mateo. The U-14s, who have dominated the competition this season, rolled out a very young squad over the weekend to get some experience for new faces.
