PORTLAND, Ore. - Heading into the postseason, the Portland Timbers U-16 Academy were drawn into Group G for the 2014-15 U.S. Soccer Development Academy Playoffs, it was revealed on Wednesday as U.S. Soccer conducted a live draw. Joining the Timbers U-16s in Group G are the U-16 sides of the New York Red Bulls, Solar Chelsea SC and IMG Academy.
The Timbers U-16s finished the regular season in second place in the Northwest Division with a 16-8-8 overall record, 56 points and a mark of 1.75 points per game. Closing out the schedule on a three-game unbeaten streak (1-0-2), the Timbers U-16s finished among the Top 15 teams in the league in goals scored (61) through 32 matches as Jose Perez (McMinnville, Ore.) collected 17 goals in 30 appearances and midfielder Blake Bodily (Eagle, Idaho) notched 10 goals in 30 games. Midfielder Adrian Villegas (Hood River, Ore.), who has earned time with the U.S. U-15 and U-16 Boys’ National Team sides, chipped in five goals in 21 games. Midfielder Carlos Anguiano (Salem, Ore.), who was recently called into a U.S. U-16 BNT training camp, notched eight goals in 31 appearances, while Joe Corner (Salem, Ore.) added seven goals in 14 games this season.
Under the direction of head coach Andrew Gregor, the Timbers U-16s put together a seven-match unbeaten streak (4-0-3) from Jan. 18-March 7 and never suffered consecutive losses during the regular-season schedule.
Joining the Timbers U-16s in Group G, the New York Red Bulls U-16s (23-1-2, 71pts) finished with the highest points per game average (2.73) of any U-16 Academy team this season and have not lost since April 19. Dallas-based Solar Chelsea SC (14-8-5, 47pts) finished in fourth place in the Frontier Division after registering the second-most goals scored (61) in the 13-team division and qualified for the postseason as one of 11 wildcard teams by earning a mark of 1.74 points per game. IMG Academy, which is based in Bradenton, Fla., qualified for the postseason as a wildcard team with a 1.61 points per game as the sixth-place side in the Southeast Division.
The 2014-15 U.S. Soccer Development Academy Playoffs take place from June 23-26 at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind.
