The U14 Development Academy Showcase kicked off in Westfield, Indiana on Friday, here are a few of the highlights.

MORE: Day 1 Top Performers | Day 1 Photos

St. Louis Scott Gallagher Missouri 0 – 0 Players Development Academy 

St. Louis and the Players Development Academy opened up the weekend’s events, but they couldn’t open the scoring. Each side had chances, but the keepers were king in Friday morning’s 0-0 draw. 

St. Louis had the first chance, and arguably its best, in the opening minutes earning a free kick from just outside the 18-yard box. Josh Sargent took the kick and bent it around the right side of the wall, but Hunter Pinho dove to his left for the save of the day. St. Louis was awarded a series of corner kicks on a later attack in the first half, but none produced any legitimate scoring opportunities.

Spencer Patton, a left side attacker, was PDA’s most effective offensive weapon. He routinely beat defenders down the left sideline before crossing the ball into the box. Despite his efforts, he was subbed out in the second half.

Without Patton on the left wing for PDA, there were fewer and less effective build ups and the pace of the game slowed dramatically. Neither PDA nor St. Louis could put together many threatening attacks. Instead, they mostly exchanged control of the ball in the middle third.

St. Louis managed one last chance in the 76^th minute when Vikas Manohara got into the box and chipped the ball over the goalkeeper’s head, but it went off the left post leaving the game knotted at zero.

PDA had two set-piece chances off corner kicks in extra time but couldn’t convert. After St. Louis cleared, the final whistle blew ending the first of two scoreless matches on the day.

Orlando City 3 – 1 Dallas Texans

The defensive effort was much less impressive from both Orlando City and the Dallas Texans in Orlando’s 3-1 win. The floodgates opened for Orlando in the second half when they scored two of their three goals and had countless other chances as Dallas’s defense completely broke down.

Orlando wasn’t without its defense struggles though. In the 11^th minute of the match, one of the defenders misplayed a ball back to the keeper. The ball almost rolled into the net because of the bad angle. After the keeper gained control and tried to clear the ball, it was stolen and Dallas nearly had an opportunity at an open net.

Orlando recovered from the error and gained their first lead in the 23^rd minute when Raul Aguilera delivered a deep ball to the left post for an easy header by Landen Haig.

It seemed as though Orlando was lucky to have the lead, especially going into halftime, with the way their defense played.

The defense wasn’t much better in the second half, but Orlando was so dominant on the offensive end that Dallas rarely had chances. They got one though on another defensive error from Orlando in the 44^th minute. Jesus Varela got the ball inside the 18-yard box and put a 15-yard shot on goal from the left side, but the Orlando keeper got the save.

Juan Esteban Carmona gave Orlando some breathing room midway through the second half with a short goal from the right side and Dehai Abraham further extended the lead eight minutes later, in the 64^th minute.  

The Texans finally got on the board in the 78^th minute. After a foul inside the 18-yard box, Luis Carrillo took a penalty kick and placed it in the left corner of the goal. The keeper guessed right and nearly got the save, but the placement was too good.

The goal came too late to challenge Orlando’s lead though and the match ended shortly thereafter 3-1.

 

New York Red Bulls 2 – 0 FC Golden State

The Red Bulls’ were outplayed at times, but they took advantage of their opportunities and their efficient play earned a 2-0 win over FC Golden State.

Giuseppi Margiottiello didn’t waste his early opportunity against Golden State. He converted his free kick from just outside the 18-yard box giving the Red Bulls the only goal they’d need. Zach Ryan secured a 2-0 advantage minutes later with a goal of his own.

New York didn’t have another strong scoring chance in the half, but it didn’t matter. Their 2-0 lead held up the rest of the half and the rest of the game.

Golden State had several opportunities in the second, but none came to fruition.

Issa Badawiya had a shot from 30 yards out that went just over the crossbar. Kevin Aguilar-Cervantes sent one wide left. Harold Hanson had the best chance of the bunch with a shot straight away from the edge of the six-yard box, but he too missed.

Golden State could easily have tied or led 3-2, but they’ll have to live with the 2-0 loss. Fortunately for them, the wait for another match is short. They’ll lead off Saturday’s slate with a 10 a.m. contest against Orlando City.

 

Real So Cal 1 – 0 Philadelphia Union

Without their top goal-scorer, Juan Infante, Philadelphia was never able to threaten Real So Cal. Real’s early goal proved too much for the Union’s undermanned attack and they cruised to a 1-0 win.

The only goal in the match came in the 16^th minute on a cross from Wilson Harris on the left side. Matthew Rivarola-Gomez ran to the right post and received a perfect pass for a header inside the six-yard box and an easy score.

Real had another good look six minutes later on a similar play. Leonel Alvarenga served the ball into the box to Kepler Despinos, but Despinos couldn’t get a shot off before the ball was cleared.

Philadelphia’s offense showed some good build up in the second half, leading to potential goal-scoring opportunities, but each time the attack fizzled out as the ball neared the 18-yard box. Their best look came out of frustration, on a 30-yard straight-away laser from Colin Brezniak.

After failing to convert on a free kick in the 61^st minute and a one-on-one attack in the 65^th minute, frustrations boiled over for the Union. Anthony Fontana pulled one of the Real players down from behind resulting in a yellow card.

The only noise Philadelphia made the rest of the way was complaints to teammates as a result of miscommunications and lack of cohesion.

 

New England Revolution 2 – 1 De Anza Force

The final match of the first day was among the more exciting finishes, but will likely be remembered for the slow pace brought on by excessive stoppages in play for players suffering cramps. Tied 1-1 going into extra time, the Revolution broke through with a goal in the 82^nd minute.

Just five minutes into the match, the Revolution nearly made a critical blunder. As a weak pass rolled towards the goalie, one of the Revolution players attempted to block the Force player from the ball, but got beat. The goal had to dive to try and save the ball. He missed, but fortunately for the Revolution, so did the shot.

Just two minutes after a shot from New England’s Amos Shapiro-Thompson went high, Christian Schifano got them on the board beating the goalie with a 10-yard shot.

The Force had some chances in the first half, but were far more effective in the second. They got the goal back in the 61^st minute. Arda Bulut tried to softly flick the ball over the goalie’s head, but the ball didn’t quite make it to the net. Bulut stayed with it though, but the goalie and Revolution defenders to the ball, and flicked it over the goalie’s head once again, this time for the score.

The next twenty minutes were littered with players on both sides cramping up, causing several stoppages in play and tensions to rise as parents from both sides grew displeased with the opposing teams’ handling of each injury. All of the stoppages led to roughly five minutes of additional time giving the Revolution enough to score the game-winning goal.

Two minutes into extra time, Joseph Brito knocked home a chip-shot in the same fashion as Bulut just 20 minutes prior.