LAKEWOOD RANCH, Florida – At the end of a long second day at the Development Academy Showcase, the cream of the U16 and U18 crop competed in a pair of Select games in front of a contingent of scouts and college coaches.

Here’s a look at how things played out in each game – and which players stood out on the night:

U16: LA’s Martinez leads Red team to comprehensive win

Second half substitute Steve Martinez, a midfielder from the LA Galaxy Academy, shone the brightest in a 4-1 win for the Red Team. Martinez scored a goal and had an assist after coming in as a substitute early in the second half.

Both rosters featured players with plenty of experience in U14 and U15 national team camps, and the Red Team quickly separated itself from their opponents. Forward Joe Gallardo opened the scoring in the first half, before center back Kevin Politz added a second from a corner kick.

U16 Red Team celebrates a goal.

And it was never that close for the Blue Team, as they simultaneously struggled to score goals and defend from the opening whistle. Politz’s goal came from a defensive mix up on a set piece – and while an early second half goal by Will Bayemi made it a 2-1 game for a bit, Martinez helped the Red Team pull away for the comfortable win.

Notable Performances (Club team in parentheses)

MF Collin Fernandez (Chicago Fire, Red): The central midfielder was arguably man of the match in the U16 Select game after Martinez. Moved the ball extremely well, got stuck in on tackles when he needed to, and didn’t misplace a single pass while playing the whole game.

MF Steve Martinez (LA Galaxy, Red): Entering as a second half substitute, Martinez was a dynamic threat for his side, combining well with his teammates, scoring and setting up goals

D Erik Palmer-Brown (Sporting KC, Red): The center back was in commanding form for his side, showing composure on the ball, superb in distribution, and possessing the necessary speed and athleticism to neutralize whatever attacks the Blue Team could manage on the night.

F Joe Gallardo (Nomads SC, Red): A speedy No. 9 forward, the attacker’s movement and pace was a handful for the Blue Team’s back line to try and cope with.

D Shannon Seymour (Chicago Fire, Blue): Another speedy outside back, Seymour offered his side a burst of pace and played both sides of the ball particularly well, despite how many goals his team conceded.

F Alejandro Vergera (LA Galaxy, Blue): The forward played on the wing in the team’s formation, hanging on the left side. While he certainly lacks size, Vergera showed brief glimpses of talent and ability, making smart decisions in the opponent’s box and should have had an assist.

MF Nathan Kohl (Crew Soccer Academy, Blue): Deployed on the right side of the attack, the Crew Academy player connected with teammate Will Bayemi for the only goal of the game for the Blue squad.

MF Aaron Meyer (FC Dallas, Blue): Playing in central midfield, Meyer made a few driving runs into the penalty box and connected passes well with his teammates at times. Could have scored but lacked a finishing touch after making one of those runs.

Starting Lineups

Blue Team: Kevin Silva; Shannon Seymour, Stephen Gandy, Justin Glad, Wilfred Williams; Christian Gutierrez, Ruben Sanchez, Aaron Meyer, Nathan Kohl, Christian Lucatero; Sebastian Saucedo

Red Team: Austin Aviza; David Chavez, Erik Palmer-Brown, Kevin Pollitz, Caleb Smith; Alex Radilla, Collin Fernandez, Steven Etcheverria, Christian Chavez, Brooks Lennon; Joe Gallardo

U18: Second half sub Romero wins it for the Blue Team

De Anza Force forward Jason Romero provided the only goal of the game in the second Select match of the night, scoring midway through the second half in a 1-0 win for the Blue Team.

A much more even matchup than the U16 match, scoring chances were limited by both sides, as each Select team featured a number of U.S. youth internationals, particularly on the back line.

The score line reflected that, not to mention the older players were a bit more conservative than their younger counterparts. Paul Arriola was particularly active for the Blue Team in the first half, creating numerous dangerous chances from his right wing spot, while Kaiona Bailey provided terrific pace and danger down his flank for the Red Team.

But it would be two subs, Romero and Kevin de la Torre who provided the winning move in the 71st minute, as the forward from California latched onto a ball from de la Torre and fired home to snatch the win.

Notable Performances (Club team in parentheses)

MF Brian Iloski (San Diego Surf, Blue): The midfielder starting the game in the middle and played the second half on the left – he was much more influential in the first half when he was in the center of the park, combining well with Arriola on a number of occasions.

D Trevor Haberkorn (Solar Chelsea SC, Blue): The impressive center back hardly put a foot wrong on the night, cutting off a number of chances and showing impressive composure on the ball.

F Jason Romero (De Anza Force, Blue): Man of the match in this game. Romero entered as a substitute at the half, and was a handful for the whole time. Along with the goal he scored, Romero put another ball in the net (when he was offside) and could easily have added another.

F Paul Arriola (LA Galaxy, Blue): The former U.S. U17 international was very threatening on the right wing, combining well with Iloski and putting the Red Team’s defense on its heels.

D Suliaman Dainkeh (D.C. United, Red): Playing as a left back, Dainkeh put in a solid 45 minute shift, showing good defensive instincts to try and cope with Arriola and keep a clean sheet.

F Alex Ramos (NJSA 04, Red): The son of U.S. U20 MNT head coach Tab Ramos drifted in and out of this one, limited especially in the second half after combining well on difference sequences during the first stanza.

MF Kainoa Bailey (D.C. United, Red): The energetic winger was probably the most dangerous played the Red Team had to offer on attack, as he thundered forward several times, beating defenders with ease. Lacked a consistent touch in and around the Blue Team’s box, however.

D Michael Amick (De Anza Force, Red): Matched his counterpart Haberkorn’s performance in the first half, showing class and leadership at his center back spot.

Starting Lineups

Red Team: Randall Black; Kristoffer Reaves, Matthew Miazga, Michael Amick, Suliaman Dainkeh; Leandro Lemache, Kellyn Acosta, Romilio Hernandez; Kainoa Bailey, Alex Ramos, Justin Dhillon

Blue Team: Jack McGuire; Jose Ocampo, Trevor Haberkorn, Grant Lillard, Dylan Greenberg; Marky Delgado, Antonoi Murillo, Brian Iloski; Paul Arriola, Jeff Farina, Marcus Epps

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