For the second-straight week, the Minnesota United Development Academies travelled to the Chicago area for match-ups against both FC United Soccer Club and Sockers FC. The Loons’ effort was highlighted by their U14 Development Academy’s first win of the season — a 3-1 victory over their FC United Soccer Club counterparts — as well as a two-goal effort from U13 forward Charlie Piller.
MNUFC U13 2 – 3 FC United Soccer Club
In the first game of the weekend, MNUFC ended up on the wrong side of a high-scoring, back-and-forth first half against FC United Soccer Club. The Loons got out on the front foot and opened the scoring in the fourth minute courtesy of Charlie Piller, but FC United rattled off three unanswered in the 13th, 18th and 24th minutes via Gabrial Silva, an MNUFC own goal and Celestino Vasquez, respectively, to come back and claim a 3-1 lead. Piller’s second goal of the afternoon in the 34th minute cut Minnesota’s deficit to one, but that was as close as it came. After the five-goal opening half, the two sides went scoreless over the final 40 minutes.
MNUFC U14 3 – 1 FC United Soccer Club
The Loons started fast en route to their first win of the 2018-19 campaign. Sylvester Doe and Nana-owusu Ababio scored for MNUFC in the 13th and 30th minutes to open up an early 2-0 lead for the away side. FC United cut that advantage to one, 2-1, with a Jack Carretta goal in the 33rd minute, but Minnesota responded just three minutes later with a Micah Burton strike in the 36th minute to regain the two-goal edge that it carried through to the final whistle.
MNUFC U15 0 – 1 Sockers FC
MNUFC and Sockers battled through almost an hour scoreless in their U15 matchup before the home side broke through for what proved to be the game-winner. Sockers’ Jack Moxom broke the deadlock in the 56th minute and, despite their best efforts, the Loons failed to respond and were held off the scoreboard in a one-goal loss.
The three Development Academy teams have an off week before returning to action for their home openers the weekend of September 29-30 at the National Sports Center in Blaine. On Saturday September 29 the U13 and U14 teams play the Indiana Fire Academy at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., respectively, and the U15 team plays the Chicago Fire Soccer Academy at 9:30 a.m. On Sunday, September 30, the U13 and U14 squads take on the Chicago Fire Soccer Academy at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m., and the U15s match up against Indiana Fire Academy at 9:00 a.m. at Academy of Holy Angels Field in Richfield. The full schedule for all three Development Academy teams can be found on MNUFC.com.
