The U18 squad fought hard in the Sarasota heat and finished with 2 draws and a loss.  The U16 squad finished the weekend picking up 7 points with 2 wins and a tie.  The U16 squad will await next weekend’s results from across the country, but appear to be in an excellent position to secure a playoff spot in Greensboro, NC June 25 – 29.  The top 32 teams will square off in Greensboro with the top 8 moving on to the National finals at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Ca. The U16 team finished their inaugural Academy regular season with 15 wins, 5 losses, and 10 ties.
 
Along with the 228 Academy matches that will help determine who will be represented at Playoffs, there were six Academy Select Team matches against individual clubs. Made up of players chosen by Development Academy Technical Advisors and youth national team coaches, Select Teams are a chance for some of the country’s best players to play with, as opposed to against ,each other.  Conner Rezende, Brian James and Calvin Rezende represented Weston’s strength in the Select games.
 
The Sarasota Showcase along with the Phoenix Showcase held in December gave players the opportunity for exposure not only to US National Team coaches but to hundreds of college coaches nationwide.  The Weston games drew over a hundred college coaches, throughout the weekend.  Coaches ranged from ACC power houses; Virginia, Duke, and Maryland to Ivy League stalwarts; Harvard, Princeton and Brown and schools from the Big East, Big Ten, Pac 10 as well as every major conference across the country.
 
Ozzie deFaria, father of U16 player Jason deFaria, commented “The Weston games always seemed to attract the largest crowds of coaches.  Weston’s style of play and growing nationwide reputation is a huge advantage for all of our players.  These Showcases give our young student-athletes the exposure required to move on to the next level whether it be collegiately or at the professional level.  Coaches Marcello, Alvin, Carlos and Victor have done an amazing job developing the players and the college coaches constantly commented and requested more information on our players.”
 
Despite Weston FC alumnus, Alejandro Bedoya’s recent cut from the US Mens National Team headed to the World Cup, we can expect Weston to make its impact on the World Cup stage as well as in the professional and collegiate ranks in the near future.  Keep an eye out for the U16 team results this summer from Greensboro.