Following a pair of wins versus San Diego Surf Soccer Club on Saturday, Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency completed a successful weekend of United States Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) action on Sunday in Chula Vista, California. The U-18 ‘Caps came away with a 6-0 victory, while the U-16 squad left with a 0-0 draw, as each team faced off against their respective counterparts from Nomads Soccer Club.
U-18
In the first match of the doubleheader at Stadium Field on the campus of Otay Ranch High School, Whitecaps FC U-18 Residency (5W-0L-1D) continued their impressive start to the season with a 6-0 win against Nomads SC U-17/18.
The ‘Caps got off to a flying start when Caleb Clarke beat the goalkeeper with a fine finish just two minutes into the match. It was Clarke’s team-leading eighth goal of the season. Spencer DeBoice put his stamp on the match by netting a hat-trick, while Ben Mckendryand Yassin Essa also scored for the visitors.
“The team showed an unbelievable work ethic and performed very well today,” Residency technical director and head coach Richard Grootscholten told whitecapsfc.com. “We worked on creativity in the final third and we got two or three fantastic crosses with some very nice header goals. We played two matches this weekend, which was hard physically, but we’ve done a good job.”
U-16
Whitecaps FC U-16 Residency (4W-1L-1D) extended their USSDA unbeaten streak to five matches with a 0-0 draw against Nomads SC U-15/16 in the second match of the doubleheader on Sunday.
After a relatively even first half, the young ‘Caps took over in the second half and generated numerous chances, including hitting the post, but they could not find a way to break the deadlock. A second match in as many days saw all four players from the Whitecaps FC U-14 Residency team earn playing time.
“We were a bit unlucky, but overall it was a good performance,” said Grootscholten after the match. “We tried to play with pressure, and that is not the easiest way to play, but we have to get better. We still need to learn how to be more creative and to finish the end pass, but that is why we are here. I thought overall they did absolutely well.”
Upcoming matches
Both Residency squads will be on a short week as they return to the field this coming Thursday, November 17, to host Santa Cruz Breakers Academy in a doubleheader at the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) Thunderbird Park Turf Field. The U-18 ‘Caps kick things off against Santa Cruz Breakers Academy U-17/18 at 4 p.m. PT, followed by the U-16 ‘Caps versus Santa Cruz Breakers U-15/16 at 6:30 p.m. PT.
