West

Perhaps the marquee matchup of the weekend takes place out west, where Real Salt Lake hosts LA Galaxy on Saturday. It’s a game that features the top two teams in the Southwest Division, and a win for the Galaxy U18s would cut the gap to one – though having played two more games than RSL. It’s the same story in the U16 age groups, as Galaxy leads RSL on points, though trails on points per game average.

The Vancouver Whitecaps are heading back south for crucial action in the Northwest Division, heading to Northern California for games against De Anza Force and Santa Cruz Breakers. Marco Bustos and Kianz Froese are two of the crucial figures for the U18 side.

Joining the Whitecaps in NorCal is the Seattle Sounders, which head back into action for the first time since the end of March with a trip to face the San Jose Earthquakes. The Sounders U18s are nine games unbeaten so far in 2014, with just a single draw during that stretch. Satoshi Chaffin scored four goals for Seattle his last outing, and will look to replicate and help his side to continue its winning ways.

Rivals Portland Timbers are also making the trip to San Jose, and will face the Quakes on Sunday.

Central 

Two Chicago powers meet this weekend when Chicago Fire takes on Chicago Magic PSG on Saturday. Magic U18s recently lost top scorer Andrija Novakovich, who recently signed a pro deal with English club Reading.

Looking to maintain its solid lead on the U18 Frontier Division, FC Dallas is in action against Texans SC Houston. Santiago Agudelo is one of the team’s most dangerous players, along with North Carolina recruit Coy Craft. FCD U16s are also in a strong position, with a ten-point lead in the division.

U16 chasers Houston Dynamo welcome Real Colorado to town for a Saturday matchup. Forward Juan Flores leads the Dynamo with 18 goals in the current campaign.

The duo of St. Louis Scott Gallagher club sides – both Metro and Missouri – are making the trip this weekend to the great state of Ohio, for games against Internationals and Crew Soccer Academy respectively. Scott Gallagher Missouri U16s are in promising position in the Mid-American Division, and have conceded just 16 goals all season. 

Another impressive U16 side is Vardar, which is tops in the Mid-America Division. Nash Popovic’s 14 goals have helped lead the way to a 39-point total so far. This weekend the club side hosts Minnesota Thunder Academy and Shattuck St. Mary’s. 

The Michigan trip is critical for Shattuck’s U18s, which currently sit in second place in the division standings. Along with a matchup against Vardar, Shattuck faces a tough test against Crew Soccer Academy Wolves.

East

One of many teams with a break over last weekend, the New York Red Bulls resume back in division play against Oakwood SC. It’s a critical game for Oakwood U18s, which can solidify playoff chances with a positive result. 

The intense race for the U18 Southwest Division crown continues in earnest this weekend. Leaders Carolina Rapids host a pair of games on Sunday and Monday, matching up against Capital Area Railhawks before hosting IMG Academy. Carolina’s Tanner Roberts continues to top the U18 scoring charts, on 21 goals.

Continuing to hold first place in the U18 Atlantic Division, Bethesda Olney hits the road for a game against NJSA 04. A win is critical for Bethesda’s U16s in order to improve its Wild Card positioning. 

New Jersey power PDA, which current sits in second in the U18 division and first in the U16 one, takes a long trip to the Virginia Beach area, where it’ll face a meeting against Virginia Rush.

Photo credit: The Province