CARSON, California - There are only four teams left in the hunt for the 2014-2015 Development Academy National Championship titles after the semifinals wrapped up Thursday evening at the National Training Center. 

It’s going to be an all-MLS academy affair in both age groups after Georgia United U16, the lone non-MLS team to advance to this stage of the competition, was knocked out be New York Red Bulls. The U16 match will be between the Red Bulls and FC Dallas on Saturday at 5 pm. 

The U18 matchup will take place on Saturday as well with RSL-AZ facing off against Chicago Fire at 7:30 p.m.

 

New York Red Bulls U16 2-1 Georgia United U16 

The New York Red Bulls booked their spot in the National Championship game on Thursday with a 2-1 win over Georgia United. The game was settled in the opening minutes when New York jumped over GA United with two goals in the first eight minutes. Georgia United answered with a goal in the 11th minutes via Patrick Okonkwo, but could not muster another goal. 

Brian Saramago scored the opener in the fifth minute when New York’s pressure forced a turnover from the GA United defense. New York quickly sprung on the United defense with Jeanpaul Marin skating down the left side. Marin played it in for Saramago who put it away. 

Three minutes later, New York doubled the lead when a floated ball to the back post fooled the GA United center backs. Left back Noah Powder was the first to the ball and smashed his shot into the goal. 

United answered back in the 11th minute when a long ball picked out the run of Patrick Okonkwo against the center backs. Okonwko did well to cut the ball back on the defender and then rolled his shot into the goal. 

Red Bull had a look at restoring the two-goal advantage in the 26th minute when Omir Fernandez held off his defender and then dance his way into the box. A Georgia United defender took down Fernandez at the top of the box. Saramago stepped up and smashed the free kick off the top of the crossbar. 

Seconds before the half time whistle, Andrew Carleton went down in the box but the referee yelled to play on. 

The game took a big change in the second when an incident after the ball went over the end line resulted in the referee showing a red card to Okonkwo despite the protests from the Georgia United coaching staff. 

New York Red Bulls peppered the goal with shots in the second half, but rarely managed to turn one on frame. 

Georgia United had one good luck midway through the second half to pull even when Carleton cut in from the right flank and into the center, but Red Bulls goalkeeper Xavier Kennedy made the comfortable save. 

Red Bulls played out the last 10 minutes without much of note in order to advance to the National Championship on Saturday. 

New York Red Bulls Starting XI: Xavier Kennedy; Noah Powder, Kyle Perno, Mason Deeds, Sean Teixeira, Ryan Mingachos, Jared Gilbey, Jeanpaul Marin; Omir Fernandez, Brian Saramago, Rodrigo D’Andrea 

Georgia United Starting XI: Samuel Morton; Diego Marnique, Sebastian Henao, Andreas Jackson, Ernando Marnique; Qur’an Thomas, Juan Pablo Torres, Christopher Goslin; Andrew Carleton, Patrick Okonkwo, Isaac Pimenta

 

FC Dallas U16 3-0 Philadelphia Union U16 

FC Dallas took control of the game early and did not let go until after the final whistle. The Texas side played with precision in breaking down the shape of the Union defense. 

Toshiki Tasuda netted the second goal of the game seconds before the halftime whistle when Giovanni Montesdeoca slipped him on the right flank. Tasuda first touch send him in toward goal then he played it past the goalkeeper. 

Weston McKennie scored a wonder goal with 10 minutes left to put the game away. Edwin Munjoma played in a brilliant ball for McKennie who put just the right touch on it to put i over the goalkeeper and into the net. 

Philadelphia Union had a couple of looks from long distance, but Ben Hale came up with the saves when called upon and held on for the shutout. 

Real Salt Lake Arizona U18 2-0 San Jose Earthquakes U18 

San Jose EArthquakes goalkeeper James Marcinkowski put on a show, but it was not enough to help the Northern California side top the giants of the Academy playoffs. RSL qualified for its second consecutive trip to the national championship thanks to goals from Aaron Herrera and Amar Sejdic. 

RSL dominated from the start of the game and kept prying at the San Jose defense while looking for a crack in the armor. Damian German had the first chance when he tried an ambitious bicycle kick attempt in the ninth minute, but Marcinkowski made the diving save. 

In the 24th minute, RSL unlocked the left side of the San Jose defense before playing in a pass to Sejdic near the center of the 18-yard box. Sejdic hit his shot low, but Marcinkowski was in the perfect spot to snag the attempt. 

San Jose’s best chance in the first half came in the 32nd minute when Zach Penner battled Danilo Acosta for the ball and raced past him to the end line. Penner hit in a cross that made it to the far post for Alex Valencia. The shot took a slight deflection and just barely missed the frame of the goal. 

Real Salt Lake gained the advantage in the 44th minute when Diego Silva made the run down the left side before hitting a hard, low cross. Herrera was trailing on the far post and punched home the chance. 

San Jose had a look early in the second half to get back onto level terms with RSL. It was Penner with the shot this time, but he missed the goal with his effort from 15 yards out. 

Real Salt Lake put the game away in the 62nd minute when Sejdic’s delayed run into the box left him wide open on the right post. He smashed his shot into the net. 

RSL controlled the ball throughout the final 30 minutes of the game to secure the shutout. 

Real Salt Lake AZ U18 Starting XI: Luis Barraza; Diego Silva, Danilo Acosta, Erik Holt, Aaron Hererra; Amar Sejdic, Adolfo Ovalle, Jose Hernandez; Tate Schmitt, Damian German, Edgar Duran 

San Jose Earthquakes U18 Starting XI: James Marcinkowski; Michael Anderson, Jorge Lara, Rory Birse, Stephen Dougherty; Marcus Simmons, Jonathan Partida, Amir Bashti; Alex Valencia, Zach Penner, John Ricks 

Chicago Fire U18 4-2 Montreal Impact U18 

It was the lone game of the day to go to overtime. Fire stepped up in the overtime period to take the final spot in the national championship game on Thursday. 

Cameron Lindley scored the first goal when he streaked down the right side, beat his defender and then fired a shot at goal. An Impact defender blocked his first shot, but it landed right back on Lindley’s foot. He fired it home. 

Impact answered minutes later when Badreddine Boulajoul was tripped in the box. Jimmy Shammar Sanon converted the penalty kick. 

Fire retook the lead with 12 minutes left in the game when Djordje Mihailovic hit a swerving shot from 30 yards out that snuck into the upper corner of the net. 

Impact found the equalizer with only four minutes left when Thomas Meilleur Giguere headed in a cross. Giguere’s shot floated over the Chicago Fire goalkeeper and into the net. 

Overtime proved to be a one-sided affair with Chicago Fire jumping on Impact in the opening seconds and not looking back. Mike Jimenez scored 90 seconds into overtime one a low shot from 15 yards out. Mihailovic added his second of the game in the first overtime period to extend the Fire lead to 4-2. 

Impact was thrown a lifeline in the second overtime period when the referee awarded a penalty kick for a handball in the box. Fire goalkeeper Sawyer Jackman saved the shot from the spot. 

Fire takes on RSL AZ in the U18 Development Academy final on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.