PORTLAND, Ore.
- Portland Timbers Academy midfielder Adrian Villegas has joined up with the U.S. Under-16 Boy’s National Team for the Aegean Cup in Turkey through Saturday. Back at home, The Timbers U-18 and U-16 Academy sides resumed regular-season U.S. Soccer Development Academy play last weekend with matches against Academy sides representing the LA Galaxy and Chivas USA.
Villegas, 14, and the United States opened group play of the Aegean Cup Monday against Romania in Manisa, Turkey. Coming off the bench in the second half, Villegas scored just six minutes into his shift in the 69th minute to ensure a 2-0 victory for the U.S.
The U-16 BNT faces Norway on Tuesday and Turkey on Thursday. At the conclusion of group play, the top teams in Group A and B will meet for the championship match on Saturday, while a third-place match will also take place that day.
Villegas was previously called into training camp with the U-15 BNT from Dec. 13-20 in Bradenton, Fla., and has appeared in 11 games for the Timbers U-16s during the 2014-15 U.S. Soccer Development Academy season.
Timbers Academy teams resume league play with Southern California road trip
Playing their first match since Dec. 2, the Timbers U-18s split a weekend doubleheader on the road against the Galaxy and Chivas USA. On Saturday, Portland (3-10-2, 11pts) couldn’t overcome a hat-trick by LA Galaxy U-18 (and former U.S. U-17 Men’s National Team member) Adonis Amaya despite second-half goals from Edson Martinez (Salem, Ore.) and Gio Magana Rivera (Hood River, Ore.). Against Chivas USA, Magana Rivera tallied the game-tying goal in the 26th minute, while Josh Varon (Bakersfield, Calif.) netted the game-winning goal in the 39th minute as the Timbers U-18s earned a 2-1 win over Chivas USA U-18s.
The Timbers U-16s grabbed an early lead against the LA Galaxy U-16s through a Blake Bodily (Eagle, Idaho) goal in the 21st minute on Saturday, but two late tallies by the host side gave the Timbers U-16s a 2-1 loss – their first loss since Nov. 9 (a span of four games). On Sunday, the Timbers U-16s (8-4-3, 27pts) played Chivas USA U-16s to a scoreless draw to earn a point from the road trip.
The Timbers Academy returns to the Rose City for matches on Saturday, Jan. 31, against the Santa Cruz Breakers (U-18s kick off at 10 a.m., U-16s at 12:30 p.m.), and Sunday, Feb. 1, against De Anza Force (same times). Both games are currently scheduled to be played at the adidas Timbers Training Center in Beaverton, Ore.
