Saying it’s been a good week for Vancouver Whitecaps Residency U18s is a bit of an understatement.
If you’ve been following <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/tags.php?tag=residency+week" target="_blank"><u><i>"Residency Week"</i></u></a> here on AFTN then you’ll know that the young Caps qualified for the USSDA Finals for the second consecutive year and in some style too.
The Caps won all three of their Group 1 games, scoring 11 goals and conceding just three. They were the only one of the 32 U18 teams in the playoffs to finish with a 100% record, they scored the most goals over the week and had the best goal difference.
Impressive stuff and it certainly turned some heads down in Dallas.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
It extended the U18 team’s unbeaten streak to 15 matches (with 13 wins) and they have now lost only three games since Gordon Forrest took charge of the team back at the start of November.
There were certainly stars over the week but overall it was an incredible team performance and one which Forrest is extremely pleased with.
<i>"As a group we are very pleased with the outcome of the play offs. We set our goals as a group and individuals and most of these were achieved during this period. The players really focused on the effort and performance, both individually and as a team, which gave us the end results."</i>
So what proved to be the most pleasing aspect of such a good week?
<i>"Pleasing for me is the character and desire that the players showed against some tough opposition and in very difficult conditions......not easy playing that many games in a short spell. Another thing is the level of technical ability on show......we played some great football at times and scored some quality goals."</i>
The Caps weren’t even firing on all cylinders this week, with the in-form Spencer DeBoice going off with an ankle injury just ten minutes into the first match against Chicago on Monday and playing no further part in the tournament.
DeBoice has been a key cog to the Caps attack, both at U18 and PDL levels. Is there any danger he may miss out on the Finals in Houston?
<i>”Spencer will be assessed again on our return and the medical team will be working hard to make sure he is fit for the Finals.”</i>
Hopefully he will be good to go because it’s a tough looking final eight, as you would expect, and the Caps will need all the firepower at their disposal. Not that they haven't got enough already.
The Finals groups draw hasn’t been made yet but Vancouver will have to see off the seven other groups winners if they want to bring home the silverware.
The other teams heading to Houston for the week of July 14th are: Seattle Sounders, Albertson SC, New York Red Bulls, Shattuck St Mary's, New England Revolution, De Anza Force and St Louis Scott Gallagher Missouri.
The incredible aspect of the final eight is that two of the teams play in the Northwest Western Conference of the USSDA alongside the Caps, in Seattle and De Anza. The other pleasing aspect of the qualifiers is that none of them are going to be used to playing in the blazing heat of Dallas.
Whilst the Sounders and the Force may be familiar foes for the Whitecaps, the rest are something of an unknown right now. Half of the final eight are MLS academies but only New York and Albertson are currently ranking higher than the Caps in average points per game.
Whoever Vancouver end up with in the group stage, it's going to be a tough set of games.
<i>"The Finals stage is always going to be tough and all teams that made it there will have deserved it somehow along the way. We have some familiar teams in there and also some teams that would be good to match up against for the challenge and development.
"We will review our group once selected and make sure the players are provided with every little detail we can give them to help their performance."</i>
As the team get set to head home to Vancouver, they will clearly be on a high. After narrowly losing out in the Championship game last year, what's the feeling and desire like in the squad to go one better this time around?
<i>"The players are in good spirits just now and we have a bit of a run going that we can hopefully keep building on. It's their own unique group from last year's squads as there is a mixture of players born 94, 95 and 96 and they are now focused on doing the best they can for the club.
"With some of the players' experiences and feelings from last year, this will put them in a good place for the Finals preparation."</i>
We can't wait to seeing how it plays out and will be bringing you full coverage of the Finals week, and the build up to it, here on AFTN.
The whole team have already done themselves, the club and the fans proud. Whatever happens now is just the cherry on top. Let's hope it's a nice trophy shaped one.
<p>