While most successful teams build from the back forward, title runs don’t tick over without a robust attack capable of finishing its chances. As the Development Academy regular season tapers off, these three teams have produced more goals through March than anyone. So while it’s true titles are often build on the brick and mortar of defense, these robust attacks could well shift the balance of power when the playoffs arrive.
Real Salt Lake U18
There’s never been an academy team quite like this particular one. The Development Academy’s public records for goal-scoring don’t stretch back to its founding in 2007, but we do know that the Red Bulls U18 team scored more goals than any team since 2011-12, when they fired in 102. That was in 32 games and produced a 24-1-7 record. Pretty good, right? At least in an attacking sense, that kind of production hadn’t been replicated in the two seasons that followed. But a new challenger to the throne emerged this year. Say hello to arguably the most terrifying attack in Development Academy history.
