With the 2009-2010 USSF Development Academy season in the books, it’s time to hand out some hardware.

In addition to a Player of the Year award, we created an Academy Finals Starting XI to recognize the top performers in each age group at Academy Finals week, which took place July 10-17.

While there are many exceptional Academy players who did not make the list, those who did represent the best of the best, and it’s no surprise that U15/16 national champion Chicago Fire had three players qualify for the starting eleven.

Here are the winners.

U.S. Soccer’s U15/16 Player of the Year is Raul Mendiola, who led his Arsenal team to the top of a stacked So Cal conference in 2009-2010. While his seven goals weren’t at the top of the Academy scoring charts, his creativity and playmaking were instrumental in a highly successful campaign for Arsenal this year.

U15/16 Academy Finals Starting XI:

Goalkeeper: Sam Euler, Chicago Fire – played the game of his life in the championship against D.C. United, making several highlight-reel saves in regulation and blocking one shot in the penalty shootout to deliver the Fire the title.

Defenders: Anthony Torres, Chicago Fire – the physical core of a stingy Fire defense did all the dirty work in the middle, playing the role of enforcer as the Fire rumbled to the championship.

Alfred Edmonds, De Anza Force – a rock steady presence in the heart of the defense, who also showed the ability to get forward and score goals when called upon.

Vlad Lekarev, Internationals – a consistent performer with great footwork and mind for the game, who always seemed to be in the right place at the right time to make a play.

Joshua Alvarez, Cal Odyssey – a very physical defender who loves contact and is unafraid of making clean, hard tackles in open space.

Midfielders: David Selvaggi, Sockers FC – it is difficult to classify him as a midfielder, forward or any other single position, because he was all over the field at Finals Week. His incessant work rate was amazing to watch, and his speed and ball-skills made him a constant threat going forward.

Stefano Bonomo, De Anza Force – dynamic central midfielder showed all the right moves, and his physicality, creativity and powerful shot make him an enticing prospect at the next level.

Jon-Paul Medina, Cal Odyssey – shifty player with great balance and a low center of gravity, and the ability to slot perfectly weighted passes through to goal.

Luis Medina, Chicago Fire – perhaps the smallest player at Finals Week, Medina made a big splash with his soft first touch, incisive passing and knack for scoring spectacular goals.

Forwards: Michael Gamble, Baltimore Bays Chelsea – prolific scorer from Baltimore did not have his best showing at Finals Week, but still managed to attract double- and triple-teams (and plenty of oohs and aahs) whenever he touched the ball.

Gregory Antognoli, Cal Odyssey – rock solid in the heart of the Odyssey attack. His strength on the ball and speed off it were impressive, and the run to the Finals solidified his status as a leader of the Odyssey team.  

Tomorrow, we’ll wrap up the U17/18 age group, announcing the Player of the Year and Academy Finals Starting XI for the older Academy boys. Stay tuned.