The first game of 2013 proved to be no problem for the Vancouver Whitecaps U18s. 

A six-goal blitz in the first half paved the way for Vancouver’s 9-0 win on the road against San Juan Soccer club. Yassin Essa secured a hat trick by the break, while Duke-bound Brody Huitema also scored three goals of his own.

Also joining Essa and Huitema on the score sheet were Sam Adekuge, Klanz Froese and Carlos Marquez as Vancouver kept pace in the standings with San Jose Earthquakes.

San Juan’s U16s redeemed part of the day, shutting out the Whitecaps in a 0-0 draw.

Brody Huitema

West Conference

San Jose Earthquakes U18 maintained its lead in the conference standings thanks to a 3-0 win over Santa Cruz Breakers on Saturday. While the Breakers kept leading scorer Eli Padilla off the score sheet, a brace from Jose Navarro and a goal from Cristian Cruz secured the three points for the MLS Academy. Santa Cruz’s U16s redeemed the day with a 1-0 win.

Goals on either side of the half opened up a 2-0 lead for De Anza Force’s U18s, and standout forward Jason Romero added a third goal in the 81st minute to extend the lead. Luis Najera pulled a goal back for the Cal Odyssey in the 3-1 result. The De Anza U16s bagged a 2-1 win on the day as well.

A meeting between Real So Cal and San Diego Surf produced two identical results, as both the U18s and the U16s each drew 2-2. Carlos Gonzalez scored a brace for Real So Cal’s U16s, but Pablo Pelaez and Misael Miranda canceled out those two tallies.

Strikers FC picked up a pair of wins over Nomads SC, as the U18s secured a 2-1 win, and the U16s won by a 1-0 score line.

Central Conference

The Dallas Texans U18s secured a narrow 1-0 win over in state rivals Houston Dynamo, and it looks like the Texans U16s would get both wins when Cooper Whitfield scored in the 10th minute of the second game. However, a brace from Christian Lucatero overturned the early Dallas lead, as the Dynamo picked up a 2-1 win.

Big wins were on the docket for Texans SC Houston in its matchups against Classics Elites. The U18s picked up a lopsided 6-1 win, while the U16s scored twice on either side of halftime to win 4-0.

East Conference

After Kendall SC U18s won the opening matchup between it and Orlando City by a 3-1 score, Orlando City U16s turned it around to pick up the full three points with a 3-1 win of its own. Marcos Arroyo, Andrew Bailey and Cameron Hardington led the goal scoring blitz in the game’s first 20 minutes.

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