COMMERCE CITY, COLORADO – The premier college player identification event in the country got underway in earnest here Sunday with a trio of matches heavily attended by a who’s who of college coaches from around the country.

While players were treated to one of the local fireworks shows here the night before, the six teams formed for the event provided a few of their own on the day, with a number of standout individual performances also being put forth.

The event is a mixture of 2010 and 2011 high school graduates. It also is a mixed bag in terms of players who have already committed to college programs vs. those who are still deciding. One monkey wrench thrown into the works so far as playing staff goes, the U.S. Soccer Federation declared last week that players whose teams are qualified for next week’s Development Academy National Finals cannot participate in this event, changing the travel plans of 20 standouts at the last minute. The adidas-ESP staff have drafted in replacements from around the country and they won’t be apologizing for the opportunity to showcase in front of so many top college coaches.

The players will compete in matches here Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, with an all-star game Tuesday night.

Following is a summary of Sunday play.

Click here for a highlight video from Day 1 at ESP.

Team 3 (Mark Santel) 3, Team 6 (Ross Paule) 0

The best soccer of the day was played in the match pushed back to the evening. In pleasant conditions, Mark Santel’s team knocked the ball around and combined effectively to score some good goals and win 3-0.

The first goal came a bit more directly, as Joe Sofia’s (Irvine Strikers) long throw was met by a Cole Chapleski (Colorado Rush) header for a 1-0 lead. Dallas Texans Houston midfielder Kyle Emerson made one of many surging runs through the middle before setting up Real Colorado’s Amadou Dia for a scoring strike. Sunny Jane of United FC 1996 finished the scoring by striking a frozen rope into the back of the net from 30 yards for 3-0.

Sofia, Cape Fear Breakers’ Spencer Tayloe and Solar SC’s Trevor Hubbard were good in the back for Santel’s team, while Emerson was excellent in the middle of the park. Teddy Mullin of Triangle FC showed good skill on the ball for Team 6.

Santel said the good soccer played by his group after just a day together comes back to the players.

“They’re asked to come together in about 24 hours and a couple of sessions. The quicker the team gels and has an understanding of how each other plays, the more they can be effective,” Santel said. “All great players in this camp and this is an excellent group. You have to credit the players for sure. To showcase yourself and impress the people who are here, collectively everything needs to work. It is a team game and it’s difficult to show as an individual without the help of your teammates.”

Emerson, a slashing attacker who moves smartly off the ball and has good technique on it, said the soccer brains on his team won out.

“The players are good. Some of them are playing different positions than usual but everyone’s a soccer player so they play all over the field,” he said. “As a whole we’ve bonded together really well. We’re taking our meals together at one table while everyone else is all over the place. We’re becoming really good friends and we came together in just a day. We’re playing 1-2 touch and it’s very upbeat so it’s a lot of fun.”

Lineups

Team 3
GK: Spencer Lacivita
D: Trevor Hubbard, Joseph Sofia Jr., Martin Sanchez, Mathias Cuadrado
M: Eric Miller, Kyle Emerson, Sunny Jane, Nikos Papanikolopoulos
F: Cole Chapleski, Kyrian Nwabueze
Subs: Devin Cook (GK), Spencer Tayloe, Daniel Herrera, Seth Prieto, James Williams, Amadou Dia

Team 6
GK: Alec Storm
D: Nolan McKeever, Chandler Gagnon, Mamadou Kansaye, Reed Patterson
M: Mariano Guerineau, Justin Franz, Ryan Neil, Teddy Mullin
F: Soony Saad, Marquez Fernandez
Subs: Clayton Adams (GK), Mauricio Diaz DeLeon, Tyler Peoples, Steve Palacios, Brian Visser, Ryan Dodson

Team 2 (Steve Trittschuh) 2, Team 5 (Alfonso Mondelo) 0

Max Kurtzman kept a clean sheet in goal to help Steve Trittschuh’s team to an opening day win. A first-half cross was turned into the net by a Team 5 defender, and Aodhan Quinn scored from a 2nd half scramble to provide the 2-0 scoreline.

Derby County Wolves’ forward Josh Gatt was very good for Team 2, first as a right back in the 1st half running down the flank, and then deployed more centrally as an attacker in the 2nd half. Gatt’s good running with the ball led to a series of chances for his team, including a piledriver effort from 25 yards on which Team 5 goalkeeper Keon Parsa (Rampage FC) made a diving save. LA Galaxy forward Miles Byass was also effective running with the ball.

Kurtzman was excellent in goal. The FC DELCO backstop communicated effectively, commanded his area well and stopped shots as necessary. Cody Adams, Jack Coleman and Alex Molano played well for Team 5.

Lineups

Team 2
GK: Max Kurtzman
D: Josh Gatt, Paul Yonga, Andrew Jean-Baptiste, Michael Kendall
M: Michael Raley, Santiago Schmid, Christopher Nieto, Aodhan Quinn
F: Miles Byass, Jimmy Callinan
Subs: Alex Bolowich (GK), Orlando Castaneda, Derek Creviston, Armando Gaytan, Brian Kenny

Team 5
GK: Keon Parsa
D: Michael Parrish, Victor Rodriguez, Reid Hukari, Cody Adams
M: Jeff Hochuli, James Hollander, Alex Martinez, Taylor Krueger
F: Dale Macdonald, Fatai Alashe
Subs: Cody Mizell (GK), Jack Coleman, Badir Sherman, Josh Sylva, Alex Molano, Connor Drechsler

Team 1 (Brian Quinn) 3, Team 4 (Roberto Dos Santos) 1

Brian Quinn’s team hit for a three-goal salvo early in the opening half. Sebastian Garner (Triangle United) scored from a scramble before Concorde Fire forward Christopher Duvall  made a strong run down the right followed by a good finish.

A handball led to a penalty award for Team 1 and Miami FC’s Jeffrey Stezovsky converted the spot kick for 3-0.

Real Colorado’s Santiago Velez drew a foul in the area and converted a penalty of his own to cut the lead to 3-1, but no more goals were scored in the match. The game was ended 15 minutes prematurely due to an afternoon thunderstorm.

Josh Miller of Westside Metros was good in defense while Ryan Buda of Madison 56ers was active in midfield for Team 1. For Team 4, Lepekola Seetane of United FC 1996 was active in attack, as was Colorado Fusion forward Davy Armstrong.

Lineups

Team 1
GK: Sebastian Evers
D: Caleb Stanko, Josh Miller, Jeffrey Stezovsky, Ross Tomaselli
M: Sebastian Garner, Ryan Buda, Tom O’Brien
F: Christopher Duvall, Robert Botchway, Leon Carby
Subs: Taylor Hafling (GK), Seth Casiple, Alexander Henry, Graeme Mathers, Jerome Cristobal, Khaliq McKenzie

Team 4
GK: Preston Langholz
D: Reynard Simbwa, Kevin Pahl, Mitchell Pfautz, Darvin Ebanks
M: Greg Davis, Lepekola Seetane, Nat Eggleston, Juan Gutierrez
F: Dominic Bonilla, Davy Armstrong
Subs: Robert Rosato (GK), Anthony Kattreh, Kovi Konowiecki, Santiago Velez, Matt Kerridge, Dallin Cutler

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