On Tuesday, July 10, the Seattle Sounders Academy U-17s team squares off against Atlanta United in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Championship match, with the winner being crowned the top U-16/17 team in the country. After storming through the group stage, the young Sounders toppled Columbus Crew SC and Barcelona AZ Academy in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.
Though they eventually secured a 4-1 win over Barca, the match provided a valuable litmus test for the U-17s ahead of Tuesday’s USSDA title tilt.
“I thought it was a game of two halves, as I think we were generally second best in the first half,” said U-17 Head Coach Chris Little. “We played a good opponent and they caused us some problems, so it was very difficult. Fortunately, we were able to tweak a couple of things, and the depth within our squad led to a much improved second half.”
The 4-1 score line may make it seem as though the Sounders breezed through the semifinals. But in reality, they only entered halftime level at 1-1 because goalkeeper Bobby Harraka managed to pull off an acrobatic full-extension save from a dangerous free kick in the 28th minute.
Goalkeeper Bobby Harraka makes a save in the Development Academy Championships semifinal vs. Barca Academy / Nick Smith
And after Seattle went ahead 3-1 late in the second half, Barca came close to pulling one back on several occasions, only to be denied by Harraka.
“Goals change games and both of those saves were at critical moments in the game,” said Little. “They were vital saves, big saves. If you want to keep advancing in a tournament, you need to have a goalkeeper step up in key moments, and he did that.”
In addition to valiant goalkeeping and a dynamic attack, the Sounders secured their massive victory due to the depth of the squad. Looking to finish off their opponents, Little opted to shuffle the deck and bring on two professional players -- S2’s Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez and Azriel Gonzalez -- as well as U.S. Youth national team players Bryson Hankins, Sota Kitahara (2003) and Danny Leyva (2003).
That depth could be the difference maker on Tuesday as the young Sounders play their second match in three days in Missouri.
Added Little: “We were really pleased with the depth of the squad. Specifically, we subbed on two 2003s in key moments of the game. We believe as an academy and as a club that if you’re good enough, we’ll give you a chance. These guys are playing two age groups up and they played huge roles in helping our team in the second half.”
The U-17s’ barnstorming run to the USSDA national title game didn’t happen in a vacuum, but rather it’s the continuation of a multi-year trend in which the club has continued to fortify and reinforce the pipeline that runs from the Sounders Discovery Program U-12 team all the way through to the Sounders First Team.
The U-17s starting XI ahead of their semifinal match vs. Barca Academy / Nick Smith
Last year, the U-19s finished third after falling 3-2 to the L.A. Galaxy in the national semifinal. The U-17s have already improved upon that best-ever finish, and they stand on the precipice of being the first Sounders Academy team in club history to win the national championship.
“It’s great to be back again at the national championship event,” said Sounders FC Director of Player Development and Academy Director Marc Nicholls. “Last year, we were disappointed not to make the final, and we were able to do that this year. Obviously, the objective is to win it, so we hope that we can play well tomorrow and give ourselves a chance to do that.”
As if the chance to win a national title wasn’t enough motivation, the U-17s and Little have been overjoyed by the encouragement they’ve received from fans of the club.
“It’s great to have so much support on social media and see people supporting the team,” said Little. “We really hope that, for the fans, we can have one more good performance and win a national championship on Tuesday.
