The United States Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) Winter Showcase gives our Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency teams a chance to play against non-conference opponents this weekend.
All 78 USSDA teams have travelled to the Winter Showcase in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, with the United States U-17 national team in friendly action versus Brazil, France, and Turkey, as part of the event. Whitecaps FC Residency U-16 and U-18 squads will be playing at the Premier Sports Campus, where they will play three USSDA games on Friday, Saturday, and Monday.
The USSDA Winter Showcase will be a good test for our Residency teams, with the program’s technical director and head coach Richard Grootscholten really looking forward to the challenge. “It will be good see how the players react to being on the road for seven days,” the Dutchman told whitecapsfc.com. “They have to adjust to the long travel and the three-hour time change. Many eyes will be on our two teams, as we are the only Canadian teams here, and our results in the Academy league have been very impressive so far. We will be looking for the players to be very professional on and off the field.”
The Winter Showcase has provided Grootscholten and his staff with an opportunity to bring several members of the U-14 Residency squad to Florida. “We have five U-14 players with us and we will be looking for them to get as much playing time with the U-16 squad as possible,” revealed Grootscholten. “We will continue to develop our playing style and get the most out of this Winter Showcase as we can.”
Stay logged on to whitecapsfc.com throughout the weekend for coverage from the 2011 USSDA Winter Showcase in Florida.
U-16 Residency schedule
Friday, December 2 - 8:15 a.m. PT - Whitecaps FC U-16 vs FC Dallas U-15/16
Saturday, December 3 - 12:30 p.m. PT - Whitecaps FC U-16 vs Concorde Fire U-15/16
Monday, December 5 - 8:15 a.m. PT - Whitecaps FC U-16 vs Texans SC Houston U-15/16
U-18 Residency schedule
Friday, December 2 - 6 a.m. PT - Whitecaps FC U-18 vs FC Dallas U-17/18
Saturday, December 3 - 10:15 a.m. PT - Whitecaps FC U-18 vs Concorde Fire U-17/18
Monday, December 5 - 8:15 a.m. PT - Whitecaps FC U-18 vs Texans SC Houston U-17/18
