The first weekend of March saw the U18s and U16s head down south for a series of games against their Texan counterparts. Despite a pair of losses for both groups, the boys performed admirably in the southern heat and demonstrated some solid play on both sides of the ball.
U18
Houston Dynamo 2 - 0 MNUFC
FC Dallas 2 - 0 MNUFC
After four hours on a bus for a 9 a.m. kickoff following a loss to Houston, Alex Morawiecki’s U18s took to the pitch in Dallas on Sunday for a good overall match that showcased the team’s focus on looking and playing forward. The group kept in mind a goal of remaining compact and pressing Dallas when the ball went wide or into the mid-block, and the Texas club’s two first-half goals came off a direct set piece and a corner kick. Morawiecki was otherwise happy with the group’s defensive performance around the box against a team that has only lost a single match this season.
Irvin Hernandez stood out on both sides of the ball with an impressive performance in a tight physical matchup to hold the ball and connect passes at the 10. Down the flank, Issa Saidi showed relentless drive while also handling the ball well in recovery. Ty Perkins excelled on the back end, breaking lines and getting the ball going forward with control.
U16
Houston Dynamo 3 - 2 MNUFC
FC Dallas 4 - 1 MNUFC
Saturday saw Jamie Caroll-Rolfe’s U16s on the pitch at Houston Sports Park for a tight match. Though Caroll-Rolfe noted it was difficult to showcase Minnesota’s typical aggressive, front-foot approach in the stifling heat, the boys pushed right up to the end. Overall, the U16s had some good moments but ultimately lost out in a few lapses in concentration. The match served as a good experience for a few U15s who played up.
Griffin Giel put one on the board for Minnesota, followed by George Porter, who demonstrated solid leadership in organizing the team when out of possession and found good space to progress the ball. Alex Holst put on the defensive pressure to make play easy to predict, and Brody Schauf excelled in progressing the ball with some great performance in 1v1 play.
Sunday brought a tough game against a fresh FC Dallas and a result that didn’t truly reflect the game’s swing — MNUFC kept up for the most part, but when Dallas were in front of the goal, they were potent. Minnesota defended well for long periods and the group opened up some opportunities to get something out of the game.
The opposition’s Vejrostek, Cook, and Velazquez were quick to close spaces across the pitch and finish when it counted, but Minnesota’s Sully Maynes held up the defense with some impressive denied shots and blocked runs. Porter again led the team well with some quick play and an eye for progression, and the highlight of the match for MNUFC was a particularly stellar goal from U15 Donatien Nzambimana. His understanding of space and impeccable timing got him behind the last line for an impressive goal.
The U18s, 16s, and 15s hit the road again for matchups against FC Cincinnati this Friday. From there, 18s and 16s go up against Columbus Crew Saturday and the 15s see a rematch against St. Louis Scott Gallagher.
