LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA – As part of the Disney Soccer Showcase, presented by Chelsea Football Club, the 1993 and 1994 age group teams of U.S. Youth Soccer’s Boys ODP are competing here at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in an interregional. Tuesday featured the squads playing in front of U.S. U17 Men’s National Team coach Wilmer Cabrera in front of his staff. The ’94 players were the ones being scrutinized most closely.

Region IV 94s 1, Region I 94s 0

In what was an early preview of the championship, these two region all-star squads will get together and do the whole thing over again Wednesday. And if it’s any where near as good as Tuesday’s game it’ll be worth watching.

In what was a very balanced match that saw both squads create well, Region IV was a little more dynamic in their attack. With central midfielder Mikhail Doholis, of Vancouver, WA, controlling the action, the team advanced with quick hitting passing and timing plays.

California midfielder Richard Martinez helped dictate the play for Region IV and filter the ball up top to starting strikers Aaron Caprio and Matt Gay.

The team nearly scored early when Martinez made a great move out wide and sent a ball into Caprio whose header almost found the goal.

Region IV scored the winner just before half, a laser strike by Caprio was saved but the shot was followed by Gay who headed the ball in.

Region I wasn’t without its chances as well. Their standout player was Donovan Fraser, a fast and athletic striker who has enthusiasm that extends beyond the field.

“These games are really fun, I love it,” said Fraser, of Dix Hills, New York. “Every time we get together we have a blast on and off the field. We like to play together and I think we play pretty well. This match gives us a better chance to see what we’re going up against. We need to play ten times harder.”  

The Region I group will also look for strong performances out of players like striker Darius Madison and midfielder Daniel Bedoya. Bedoya, the team captain, showed off his special skills in the second half, mostly as a service man on set pieces. He created two optimum scoring chances for his team on free kicks and also had an opportunity of his own in the box, on a move where he patiently maneuvered to his left fit but hit the post on the shot attempt.

“Dan is very good on the ball and he wants the ball all the time - he’s a great leader for the group,” said Region I coach Pat Laughlin. “This week we’ve gotten together for training sessions let players evaluate their performance - what they felt like on and off ball, how they set up on set pieces. We’ve tried to get them to think about the game as a whole and not just their individual positions. Overall we’ve come together quickly.”

During a second half that lacked the punch of the first, Region IV sub Ruben Duran came in and contributed well at left back, while Madison proved his worth for Region I as a powerful forward whose presence makes things easier for his teammates.

But in the end the man of the match had to be Doholis who is the rare player who appears quicker with the ball at his feet than he is without it. He’s very decisive and great in any space.

“I felt good out there and confident on the ball; I thought I moved it well and was getting everyone involved and just trying to win,” Doholis said. “It’s a great experience to get out and play against the best players in the country. It makes you better and you get watched by top scouts. It was a good day today.”

Region III 94s 1, Region III 94s 0

A 2nd half goal from Edvaldo Pedro provided the difference in the match as Trevor Adair’s team came out on top over Eric Johnson’s Midwesterners.

Pedro, a strong high school junior from Texas Longhorns, converted a good corner kick taken by West Pines SC’s Kevin Cabrera.

The match was hard-fought and didn’t feature a whole lot of pretty combination play due to the good defending on display. Region III’s target forward Will Cross of Brentwood SC did a good job of holding the ball with his back to the goal, drawing defenders to himself and linking with the midfield via good passing. Ive Burnett was good in defense, as the Central Jackson SO player showed a real toughness in winning balls and breaking up opposition attacks. Florida Rush midfielder Nicholas Melo has very quick feet and knows how to play his way out of trouble when pressed. North Atlanta SA’s Holden Fender was a solid organizer in the back line, while Tulsa SC’s Thomas Carwile put in some crunching tackles.

For Region II, Gabriel Christianson of Cedar Rapids SA also showed quick feet and the ability to keep the ball moving in midfield by playing simple passes. John Lujano of Shattuck-St. Marys was effective in winning possession for his team out on the wing and starting the attack with strong running or clever passing. Iowa goalkeeper Patrick Bunting was solid between the sticks for the Midwesterners.

Region III coach Trevor Adair outlined his primary missions for this age group at this event.

We came here and obviously it’s an important age group for kids to be identified,” Adair said. “There are three kids on the team who have already been selected for residency (Ive Burnett, Nicholas Melo and Holden Fender). We thought this would be a chance to try to play and not worry so much about results but to try and showcase our kids.”

Adair said Tuesday’s performance for the Southeasterners was the best of the event thus far.

“Unfortunately in the 1st game we played really well 18 to 18 but didn’t really finish. In the 2nd game we had spurts where we played well in the 1st half but in the 2nd half there was a little bit of a letdown. Today I thought we played a complete game,” he said. “Some people emerged. You saw Edvaldo and he showed he can play in the center of midfield, on the flank of midfield and up top. Holden Fender has been steady. We lost a kid who decided late to play with his club team so we had to play Holden in the back and I thought he was outstanding. We played well we just lacked some killer instinct when it came to putting the ball in the back of the net.”

Wednesday will bring the final day of play in the ODP event, as well as championship matches in the individual age brackets of the Disney Soccer Showcase.