JUNE 2011 -- Vardar Soccer
Club took a page from its successful past to create a new
look for the future. Director of Coaching Morris Lupenec
unveiled the club's new logo which was created using
elements from the original 1980s logo and elements from its
previous logo that has been used by Vardar for the past five
years.
The "vintage look with
modern elements" continues to use three stars which
represent the third Vardar club to be established in the
world. The original Vardar was a professional men's team
playing in Macedonia (est. 1961) and the second Vardar was a
men's club formed in Detroit in the 1970s. The third club
was established in 1984 as a non-profit youth soccer
organization. Vardar III used Roman numerals in its logo to
acknowledge its status as the third Vardar club and in the
early 2000's, management replaced the numerals with three
stars.
"We are in a new uniform
cycle so it made sense to take a look at updating the logo
at this time," explained Lupenec. "We wanted a design that
honored our past but we also wanted a look for the future.
I'm extremely pleased with the edgy look that our graphics
designer created. The Vardar name and logo are already
recognized around the country and I'm confident this logo
will make the kind of impact we're after whenever we step on
the field to compete."
The new logo will be
available on all Vardar uniforms for the 2011-2012 season.
In addition, beginning immediately, all Vardar spiritwear
will sport the new look. Vardar merchandise is now being
handled by Soccer Plus and will be available in store July
1.
CLUB NEWS
Vardar's Carroll to Play With
U17MNT on Live TV
JUNE 2011 -- Vardar's Carroll
to Play With U17MNT on Live TV
Zach Carroll continues to
shine on the U17 Men's National Team. Zach has earned a
starting spot at centerback for the upcoming 2011 FIFA Under
17 World Cup tournament. All games will be televised (see
schedule). And look for #2!
Sunday, June 19, 7PM
vs Czech Rep - ESPNU
Wednesday, June 22,
4PM vs Uzbekistan - Galavision
Saturday, June 25, 7PM
vs New Zealand - ESPNU
All three group games will
also be shown live-streamed on ESPN3.com.
CLUB NEWS
Congratulations Vardar U10
Boys!
JUNE 2011 -- Vardar U10 Boys
had an outstanding spring session! Not only did they win the
U11 Major Blue Division, but they came within a single point
of winning the U10 Premier division. Combined the boys had
an overall record of 14 wins, 2 losses and 3 ties during the
spring session. All the boys should be congratulated for
their fine efforts.
As a team the boys accomplished the following over the
2010-2011 year:
2010 Vardar Elite
Cup-Champions
2010 Force FC Club
Invitational-Champions
2010 MYSL U11 MAJOR
GOLD-WEST Division-Champions
Wolverine
Tournament-Finalists
2011 MSYL U11 MAJOR
BLUE Division-Champions
CLUB NEWS
Vardar and SC Freiburg Agree
to Partnership Vardar Soccer Club announced today that it has entered into
a partnership with Sport-Club Freiburg of Germany
June 6, 2011
-- Vardar Soccer Club announced today that it has entered
into a partnership with Sport-Club Freiburg of Germany that
will promote player development, training and a continuous
exchange of players and coaches between the two clubs.
As part of the partnership, SC Freiburg will share with
Vardar its Youth Player Development Curriculum with the goal
being that training and player development methodologies are
consistent between the two clubs at every level.
To further
promote SC Freiburg’s training methods and philosophies,
Vardar coaching staff will be invited to Freiburg during the
summer to participate in training sessions and SC Freiburg
coaches will travel to Michigan to conduct training sessions
and collaborate with Vardar coaches on soccer training
methods.
In addition, this August, SC Freiburg has arranged for
Vardar’s U18 team to participate in the U19 tournament
hosted by the SpVgg Oberndorf, a highly regarded youth
tournament in Europe which will have the U.S. boys facing
teams from Brazil, Spain, Cameroon and other German
Bundesliga clubs. In the past, scouts from throughout Europe
have attended this tournament. Lodging, ground
transportation and all meals will be covered for the Vardar
players.
Then, beginning with the 2011/2012 season, Vardar’s U16 and
U18 Academy Teams will compete as SC Freiburg Vardar.
Throughout the two-year partnership, SC Freiburg will be
able to recruit Vardar’s players for its German youth
academy program and Vardar will identify and recommend other
talented players from youth clubs in the U.S. and Canada.
“This is a great opportunity for Vardar players and other
Michigan players to have an avenue to play in the European
market,” said Morris Lupenec, Vardar Director of Coaching.
“Germany is at the forefront of top soccer talent as seen by
their past World Cup performances, and we are excited to be
partnered with a club that has a long history of developing
soccer players that perform at the highest level.”
Caleb Stanko
of Holly, MI, recently became the first Vardar
player to sign with SC Freiburg’s U19 Men’s Team
Sport-Club Freiburg is a German soccer club, based in the
city of Freiburg in Breisgau in Baden-Württemberg. SC
Freiburg currently plays in the Bundesliga, the top tier of
German soccer. SC Freiburg is the smallest club in Germany's
top flight and relies heavily on player development in order
to compete at the highest level. In fact, SC Freiburg was
the first professional soccer club in Germany to introduce a
Development Academy in the late 1990s and was just
recognized again in May 2011 by the German Soccer Federation
(DFB) as having one of the overall best academies in
Germany. The club's Academy regularly produces players that
make it into the professional team and its U-17 and U-19
teams always are among the top teams in the country.
Caleb Stanko of Holly, MI, recently became the first Vardar
player to sign with SC Freiburg’s U19 Men’s Team. Stanko, a
member of the Vardar U18 Academy Team that won the National
Championship in July of 2010, had been training in Germany
since March of 2011. “Caleb is a perfect example of how this
partnership can work to the benefit of Vardar players,”
Lupenec said. “Hopefully Caleb will be just one of many
Vardar players who will train with SC Freiburg and make an
impact on European soccer.”
CLUB NEWS
Vardar U16s make run at first
in U.S. Soccer Development Academy division
Vardar is 4-0-1 with four shutouts
in last five Great Lakes Division Central Conference games
Tariq Akeel has helped Vardar Academy U16s to a
4-0-1 in their last five matches.
Photo By: Vardar soccer
ESPN.RISE.COM -- June 1, 2011
-- Vardar U16 has been on a tear in the U.S. Soccer
Development Academy.
The Detroit-based squad has gone 4-0-1 against five of its
Great Lakes Division Central Conference rivals, posting four
shutouts. It surpassed Crew Soccer Academy (8-2-2, 10-5-4)
for first place in the nine-team division.
Jeffery Adkins leads the team with seven goals, followed by
Youseff Bjaidar and Tyler Jugon with five each. Tariq Akeel
has four and Zachary Pagani has three.
In succession, Vardar vanquished seventh-place Chicago Magic
(4-5-3, 5-10-4), second-place Crew, ninth-place
Internationals (2-8-2, 7-10-2) and fifth-place Sockers FC
(4-2-5, 6-3-9). Vardar battled to a scoreless tie Sunday
against eighth-place FC Milwaukee (2-7-3, 2-14-3).
What makes Vardar's position more daunting for opponents is
6-foot-3 defender defender Mahamoudou Kaba, who'd been
playing up with the under-18 squad, could return to the
U16s, according to coach Mike Lupenec.
"We're going to bring Mo down to play with the younger
academy," Lupenec said. "We're sitting in a good position to
make the playoffs, and that was our main goal. Last year,
our older academy actually won the national championship.
Our younger academy has made the playoffs the last two
years."
Kaba, who plans to graduate early this year, has verbally
committed to South Carolina.
Lupenec credits the defense of Phillip Soong, Mike Leone,
Jeffrey Robbins and Sean Hasen, as well as goalie Matt
Smolinski, for limiting scoring chances, particularly during
the toughest match of the run -- the 2-1 win over the Crew
on May 21.
"They've been steady in the last few games," Lupenec said.
"Our center backs (Leone and Soong) have done an excellent
job."
After losing consecutive 1-0 matches to Derby County Wolves
(5-4-7, 8-6-9) and Chicago Fire (6-3-4, 10-4-6), Lupenec
made a change in the offensive rotation after May 14.
"Right after the Fire game, we decided that we were going to
put our best best offensive players in a 4-3-3," Lupenec
said. "Youseff, Tariq and Jeffery have been clicking and
putting pressure on back lines.
"Their roles have been basically to score goals, and I think
that changing the system helped. Yousseff is very athletic;
Jeff's very technical; and then Tariq is a good offensive
man who likes to get forward."
READ MORE......
CLUB NEWS
U14 boys State Cup Champions
JUNE 2011 -- Vardar U14
Academy Boys won 2-1 in the State Cup Final against TNT
Dynamite. The MVP award was shared by Willie Maddox and
Nash Popovic and the Most Valuable Goalie was Spencer
Ward.
These two
teams (13 Boys and 14 Boys) and the Vardar 14 Girls now head
to the Region II Championships slated for June 25-29 in Fox
Cities, WI.
CLUB NEWS
U13 boys State Cup Champions
JUNE 2011 -- U13 boys State
Cup Champions. Pearce Skinner was awarded Most Valuable
Goalie and both Mitch Guitar and Conner McDevitt were
awarded MVP. The boys defeated Crew 3-1. Vardar went up 2-0
in the first 12 minutes of the game and held the lead thru
the game.
The U13 Boys team is coached
by Curtis Ward.
CLUB NEWS
Michigan State Cup Championship - U14 Girls
November 1, 2010 -
Vardar’s U14 Girls edged the Michigan Hawks in a
very well played 1-0 game on October 17th
to win the Michigan State Cup Championship. These
two teams are no stranger to the State Cup Finals,
this game was actually a rematch of the championship
game last season. The Vardar girls went 6-0 in
State Cup play, scoring 23 goals without allowing an
opposing goal.
READ PRESS RELEASE
CLUB NEWS
Vardar
Player Earns Golden Boot Award
JUNE 2011 -- Nash Popovic, a
member of Vardar's U14 Academy Team, earned the Golden Boot
Trophy for the six goals he scored during the recent
Manchester United Premier Cup held Memorial Day Weekend in
Beaverton, OR.
The
Manchester United Premier Cup (MUPC) is the largest
international youth football tournament in the world,
involving over 6,000 teams from over 40 countries. Teams
from around the globe compete in regional or national
qualifying tournaments, all with the ultimate goal to reach
the MUPC World Finals for boys, and the Gothia Cup
tournament for the girls U.S. winner. Once again, Nike World
Headquarters in Beaverton hosted the U.S. Finals for the
MUPC. The tournament saw 20 of the top U14 and U15 boys and
girls teams each in the nation come together to play for the
crown.
Vardar's boys earned a
sixth place finish with a three win, 1 loss and 1 tie
record. Vardar girls went 1-2-1 for the weekend
CLUB NEWS
Vardar
has four teams vying for the State Cup Championship title
JUNE 2011 -- Vardar has four
teams vying for the State Cup Championship title this
Saturday, June 4, at the East Lansing Soccer Complex, 3700
Coleman Rd., E. Lansing.
The U13 Boys and U18 Boys State Cup Finals begin at 9:30
p.m. while the 14 Boys championship game begins at 12 p.m.
and the 15 Boys battle for the crown beginning at 5 p.m.
Come cheer on our Vardar players!
CLUB NEWS
Vardar's
U13 Boys earned the Championship title at the Wolverine
Tournament
MAY 2011 -- Vardar's U13 Boys
earned the Championship title at the Wolverine Tournament
May 30 beating the Grand Rapids Crew Juniors Gold 1-0.
The team is coached by Curtis
Ward. The Vardar 13s next take on the Crew during the State
Cup Championships on June 4
CLUB NEWS
Nine Vardar teams have
qualified for the State Cup Quarterfinals to be held this
Saturday, May 21 at the Saginaw Soccer Complex in
Saginaw. Game times are as follows:
9:30 AM Vardar U18
Boys coached by Demir Muftari and Morris Lupenec, Field
#6
9:30 AM Vardar U13
Boys coached by Curtis Ward, Field #7
9:30 AM Vardar Red U13
Boys coached by John Phillips, Field #8
12:00 PM Vardar U14
Academy Boys coached by Mike Lupenec, Field #9
12:00 PM Vardar U14
Pre-Academy Boys coached by Mike Lupenec, Field #10
2:30 PM Vardar U16
Boys coached by Morris Lupenec, Field #1
2:30 PM Vardar U13
Girls coached by Eric Pogue, Field #7
2:30 PM Vardar East
U13 Girls coached by Rick Christensen, Field #8
5:00 PM Vardar U15
Boys coached by Mike Lupenec, Field #3
Come on out and cheer on
our Vardar players! Winners will then play on Sunday during
the State Cup Semi-Finals. The State Cup Championships will
then be held on June 4
CLUB NEWS
Novi Jags
Tournament Finalist: U9 Vardar Ann Arbor Team
CLUB NEWS
Vardar
Red 98 at the Nike Challenge Cup in Dublin, OH
April 2011 —
Vardar 98 Red had an outstanding tournament in
Dublin, Ohio.
The team defeated
Blast FC in the semi-finals 6-3, and lost to
Lexington FC in a thrilling Final match by a score
of 0-1.
Congratulations
Team!
CLUB NEWS
Vardar players travel to Costa
Rica to play on the 1996 and 1995 Region II Boys
International Tournament
February 2011 —
Three Vardar boys were part of the Region II ODP
team to travel to Costa Rica this past week to play
on the 1996 and 1995 Region II teams in the Boys
International Tournament.
Players with the '96
ODP team were Matt Nance, Connor Balantyne and
Craig Duggan.
Other than Region
I, II, III & IV participating in this event, four
youth teams from Costa Rica joined in the
international event including Brujas, Heredia,
Alajuela and Saprissa
CONCAF game
featuring Zach Carroll on the U.S. U17 MNT will
air on ESPN Desportes and live-streamed on
ESPN3.com.
Look for
the quarterfinal against El Salvador on Tuesday,
Feb. 22 at 3 p.m
CLUB NEWS
Vardar
Academy Player selected for U17 World Cup qualifying and
CONCACAF championship
February 2011 —
Vardar Academy player
Zach Carroll has been selected to travel with
the U.S. U17 MNT squad to Jamaica for U17 World Cup
qualifying and CONCACAF championship. Coach Cabrerra
took 20 boys and Zach is one of three centerbacks on
the trip.
Vardar
Academy players named as top 20 players in the Midwest
Region
February 2011 —
Vardar Academy players
Zach Caroll, Jeff Adkins, Phillip Soong, Mike
Moscone, Matt Meldrum and Tariq Akeel were named
by Top Drawer Soccer as a top 20 player in the
Midwest Region.
The Regional Top 20
Rankings (for the 2011 – 2015 classes) were based on
input from Top Drawer Soccer staff, scouts and
coaches at various levels. Both the numerical
rankings and the star ratings are subject to update
at least once per week. Read more:
U.S.
Soccer Names 36 players for Training Camp at The Home Depot
Center
December 1, 2010 —
U.S. U-18 MNT head coach Mike Matkovich has
finalized a 36-player roster for a training camp at
The Home Depot Center from Nov. 20-28. The training
camp will include friendly games against local men’s
teams, including Ventura County Fusion, FC Hasental,
Hollywood United and Orange County Blue Star.
The roster includes 31 players who are currently
part of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, plus a
former Academy player in Victor Pineda who signed a
Homegrown Player contract with the Chicago Fire
earlier this year. Midfielder Caleb Stanko played up
last season with the U-17/18 Vardar squad that
captured the 2009-10 championship.
Read More...
November 22, 2010 —
Zach Carroll, a member of the Vardar U18 Academy
Team, has been invited to participate in a U.S.
Academy Select Team game during the Dec. 2-6 Winter
Showcase to be held in Phoenix, AZ. The game between
two groups of players born in 1994 and 1995 will be
played at 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 4.
Select Teams are made
up of Academy players chosen by youth national team
coaches and U.S. Soccer Technical Advisors. They
will have the opportunity to play alongside some of
the top players in their age group in front of youth
national team coaches, Technical Advisors, national
team scouting network and hundreds of college
coaches from across the country. In the past,
professional scouts from Major League Soccer and
foreign clubs have also been in attendance. All of
the players are age-eligible to compete in the 2011
CONCACAF U-20 Championship in April, and players
born on or after Jan. 1, 1994, are eligible for the
2011 CONCACAF U-17 Championship in February
November 1, 2010 -
Vardar’s U14 Girls edged the Michigan Hawks in a
very well played 1-0 game on October 17th
to win the Michigan State Cup Championship. These
two teams are no stranger to the State Cup Finals,
this game was actually a rematch of the championship
game last season. The Vardar girls went 6-0 in
State Cup play, scoring 23 goals without allowing an
opposing goal.
READ PRESS RELEASE
CLUB NEWS
Force FC
Invitational Tournament U10B Gold Champions
September 5,
2010 -The Vardar U10 Boys won the Force FC
Invitational Tournament U10B Gold Champions
.
Congratulations to Coach Morris and all the
boys for a well deserved championship!
CLUB NEWS
2010
Vardar Elite Cup Champions - U13 Boys
August 22,
2010 -
Coach Phillip's boys went 4
and 0 to become Vardar Cup 2010 Champions.
The final game they defeated Ole Soccer Club
U13 by a score of 6-1.
Congratulations to Coach Phillips and all the
boys for a well deserved championship!
CLUB NEWS
2010
Vardar Elite Cup Champions - U10 Boys
August 22,
2010 -The Vardar U10 Boys started the new
fall campaign on a very positive note by
going undefeated on its way to winning the
Vardar Elite Cup U10 championship.
The
tournament featured some of the top U10
teams in Michigan, along with a very strong
Warren County United team from Ohio. In its
first game, Vardar beat Waza FC East 10-2
then dispatched the Michigan Jaguars 6-3 in
game two. On Sunday morning the boys
persevered through a rough match against
Alliance FC, 3-0.
The finals
featured two undefeated teams with Vardar
facing off against a very talented MI Wolves
team. As expected the two teams battled
fiercely throughout the game. Vardar emerged
victorious with a well earned 4-2 victory.
Congratulations to Coach Morris and all the
boys for a well deserved championship!
CARSON, Calif. (July 17, 2010)
— Two second half goals by Vardar’s
Derek Schrauben helped the Michigan side
come from behind to defeat Crossfire
Premier and win the 2009-10 Development
Academy U-17/18 national championship at
The Home Depot Center. Liam Kelly lit up
the scoreboard in the 12th minute for
Crossfire, but Vardar recovered and tied
it in the 29th minute before winning
with Schrauben’s heroics late in the
game.
“We were confident that there were
things we could do better in the second
half and get back to doing things the
way we know how,” said Vardar head coach
Demir Muftari. “The boys really
responded well and had a really good
second half. It was good not only to get
the second one, but also to get that
third one and put them away.”
The championship match was the first for
both teams in their first appearances at
Finals Week. Vardar earned a spot in the
final through offensive fireworks,
scoring seven times in group
matches—with one of those goals being
the difference between them and Real So
Cal that got them into the championship
match. Crossfire Premiere went the other
way, rebounding from an opening game
loss to FC Dallas to respond with two
straight shutout wins to finish at the
top of Group 1.
READ FULL
GAME SUMMARY
CLUB NEWS
Vardar 17/18 Academy to play for National Championship
July 16,
2010 -- The Vardar U17/18
Academy team, coached by Demir Muftari,
has advanced to play in the Academy
National Championship after posting a
2-0-1 record in preliminary games. The
championship game, pitting Vardar
against Crossfire Premier, will be
played Saturday, July 17 at 7 p.m. PT
(10 p.m. ET). The game will be streamed
online on Sunday, July 18 at 4 p.m. PT
(7 p.m. ET). Crossfire Premier is
based out of Seattle, WA.
By beating
Baltimore Bays 3-0 in its third
preliminary game, Vardar had a +1 goal
differential over Real So Cal who also
had a 2-0-1 record and had tied Vardar
1-1 in the first bracket game earlier
this week.
Click on
the following link to watch the game
streamed online by Hi-Pod:
Congratulations to the Vardar boys for their
well-deserved berth in the National Final!
The U17/18
team is comprised of Joey Dillon, Rob Dolot,
Dean Dziewit, Carlos Folino, Zeke Harris,
Peter Jacobson, Jon Jebson, Miche'le Lipari,
Garth McClellan, Michael Pugh, Zach Schewee,
Derek Schrauben, Caleb Stanko, Mario
Teixeira, Ugo Uche, Fatai Alashe, Zachary
Carroll, Mohamadou Kaba and Blake Skamiera.
Eric Pogue is the team's assistant coach
VARDAR AND CROSSFIRE
PREMIER CLINCH SPOT IN UNDER-17/18 FIRST-PLACE GAMEAT 2010 DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY FINALS WEEK
ONE
GOAL CHANGES EVERYTHING:
Thursday night saw exciting finishes in the
U-17/18 age group at Development Academy
Finals Week, with just one goal separating
first and second place in both groups.
Vardar and Crossfire Premier will meet in
the Finals Week championship match on
Saturday, July 18, at 7 p.m. PT at The Home
Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
In Group 1, Vardar and Real So Cal, playing
simultaneously on adjacent fields, exchanged
goals in a pair of wild games that came down
to the wire. At halftime, Real So Cal needed
a goal to clinch the group, but Vardar
quickly scored and forced Real So Cal to
score two to stay ahead of the Michigan club
in the standings. The local team was up to
the task, and went ahead 5-1 in the 76th
minute, seemingly sealing a place in the
final. But Vardar answered back with a goal
in the second minute of added time to go
ahead 3-0 and take the top place in Group 1.
Group 2 also featured late goals and
surprise endings, as FC Dallas started the
day in first place in their group, but
finished in third place after a thriller
that saw CASL FC Chelsea take the lead twice
before scoring the game-winning goal with 10
men in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
Though that goal gave CASL six points on the
week, on the next field over, Crossfire
Premier scored a 90th minute goal of their
own to make it 2-0 and gave them the goal
differential tiebreaker.
A LOOK AT
THE U-15/16 PAIRINGS:
The younger age group will wrap up their
Finals Week with four placement matches on
Friday evening. The day will start with CASL
FC Chelsea taking on D.C. United and
conclude with the championship game, slated
for 7 p.m. PT on the Glenn “Mooch” Myernick
Field at The Home Depot Center.
HOW THEY GOT
HERE
Chicago Fire
Chicago Fire came through a tough Frontier
Division and a competitive Playoff group to
reach Finals Week, and continued their
streak of impressive play at The Home Depot
Center. In Carson, the Fire bested local
rival Sockers FC 2-1 to take control of
Group 1. On Monday evening, Larry
Sunderland’s club topped D.C. United 2-0,
and with Sockers FC and Baltimore Bays
Chelsea playing to a tie, the Fire were
assured of a place in the championship game.
THEY SAID
IT:
“We’ve had our ups and downs but we’ve come
through and started to play well when it
matters. We support each other on and off
the field. We’re like a family, so we play
well together.” – Peter Beasley, Chicago
Fire Captain
Cal
Odyssey
Last year’s runners up Cal Odyssey returned
six players to the 2010 squad, and will be
looking to build on its championship
experience Friday night. JJ Wozniak’s team
opened Finals Week with a 4-2 victory
against CASL Chelsea FC behind two goals
from team captain Villyan Bijev. Two days
later, the Oxnard, Calif.-side overcame a
1-0 deficit to clinch the top place in Group
2 with a 2-1 win and a game to spare.
THEY SAID
IT:
“It’s not going to be easy, but we just have
to go out and play hard. I still don’t think
we’ve played our best game yet, but we’ll
get there. We have to play hard and stay
focused and do what we do.” –Daniel Flores,
Cal Odyssey Forward
SEASON FINALE:
The Development Academy playoff system was
created to add to the number of meaningful
games for Academy athletes, further
enhancing the player development process.
Since its launch in the fall of 2007, the
Academy has improved the training
environment, provided relevant, high-level
matches on a consistent basis, increased the
level and efficiency of scouting for the
national teams and provided players, coaches
and referees with structured programming.
CLUB NEWS
Development Academy U18 headed to Nationals!
July 1, 2010
-- U18 boys as Champions headed
to Nationals! All expenses paid trip to
Home Depot Center in LA from July 10-18th to
fight for the National Championship vs. Real
So Cal (CA-S), Baltimore Bays (MD),
Crossfire Premier (WA), Concorde Fire (GA),
FC Dallas (TX), CASL (NC), and Wolves (MI)
CLUB NEWS
ALL 16
TEAMS SET FOR DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY FINALS WEEK IN CARSON,
CALIF.
July 1, 2010 --
U-15/16 Teams Kick Off Finals Week July
10 and Crown Champion July 16
U-17/18 Teams Begin Group Play July 11
With Final Set for July 17
GREENSBORO,
N.C. (June 29, 2010) – Every group during
Academy Playoffs came down to the final day,
but all 16 teams across two age groups have
been set for the 2010 Development
Academy Finals Week that will take place
from July 10-17 at The Home Depot Center in
Carson, Calif.
In Carson,
the eight teams in each age group will be
split into two groups, with the winners of
each group advancing to the championship
match. The U-15/16 championship will be
played on July 16 and the U-17/18
championship game will be July 17. Second
place teams will meet for a third place
match, following down into a seventh place
match between the two fourth place teams
from each group.
In the
U-15/16 age group, top-seeded Baltimore Bays
Chelsea earned three wins in Greensboro to
advance to Finals Week. They will be joined
in Group 2 by 2009 runner-up Cal Odyssey,
CASL FC Chelsea and Finals Week newcomers,
Internationals.
Group 1
includes a pair of Chicago-area teams as
both Sockers FC and the Chicago Fire will do
battle in the early stage. They will be
joined by another member of the Central
Conference, Internationals and the lone
member of the West Conference, DeAnza Force.
The U-17/18
age groups feature last year’s U-15/16
champion Derby County Wolves, who are
looking to repeat in 2010. They will be in
Group 1 alongside Crossfire Premier, FC
Dallas and CASL Chelsea FC Academy.
Group 2 for
the older teams includes Real So Cal, the
only representative of Southern California
that will be at The Home Depot Center.
Concorde Fire, Baltimore Bays Chelsea and
Vardar round out the U-17/18 teams.
The
Development Academy playoff system was
created to add to the number of meaningful
games for Academy athletes, further
enhancing the player development process.
Since its launch in the fall of 2007, the
Academy has improved the training
environment, provided relevant, high-level
matches on a consistent basis, increased the
level and efficiency of scouting for the
national teams and provided players, coaches
and referees with structured programming.
-ussoccer.com-
CLUB NEWS
Vardar
Soccer Club and Coerver Coaching MI are proud to
announce a development partnership
July 1, 2010 --
Vardar Soccer Club and Coerver Coaching
MI are proud to announce a development
partnership.
Coerver
Coaching is recognized as “The Worlds #1
Soccer Skills Teaching Method.”
It has
been endorsed by many of the worlds
leading players and coaches.
Among
them are Jurgen Klinsman (Germany and Bayern
Munich), Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester
United), Roberto Rivelino (Brazil World Cup
Champion), Osvaldo Ardiles (Argentina), and
Gerard Houllier (Liverpool and France).
Coerver MI and
Vardar Soccer Club will be hosting its first
of many programs for the Vardar players,
this summer from July 5th through August
12th a five week program designed to
increase player development. The core areas
that will be emphasized during this program
will be:
Ball
Mastery: 1 player 1 ball groundwork
developing quick touch and control with both
feet, developing into increased difficulty. Passing and Receiving: Improving
first touch control on the ground and in the
air and developing accurate and creative
passing in the final third where time and
space are limited. Moves: 1v1 learning to attack with
and defend against game winning moves. Finishing: Focusing on techniques and
instinctive play in around the goal and
encouraging players to ‘take
responsibility’. Small-Sided Games: 3v3, 4v4, 5v5
improving small group play with an emphasis
on speed.
This
program has a unique flexible approach
running Monday through Thursday. Attend
once a week, twice a week, three times a
week or for the full four days. Sign up for
multiple weeks or just one week.
Location: Borden Park Time: 9:00-10:30
a.m.
Cost:
$25 per session
1 Day per week $25, 2 Days per week $50, 3
Days per week $75, 4 Days $100, 5 weeks
$500, sign up for 3 full weeks and receive a
$25 Coerver coupon, sign up for 5 weeks and
receive $50 Coerver coupon redeemable at any
future Coerver MI program.
For any
questions or concerns please contact: Tony
Deacon, Technical Program Director for
Coerver MI and Vardar coach. Email:
AnthonyTLD@att.net Phone:
248-217-6363
For
registration information go to the Michigan
link at
www.coerver.com
CLUB NEWS
State Cup Results -- June 8, 2010
Vardar U13
Boys won 1-0 over Alliance Academy.
MVP is
Nebojsa Popovic
Most
Valuable Goalie is Matt Wilkie
They
are coached by Curtis Ward with
assistants Eric Pogue and Kevin
Callaway
Vardar U15
Boys won 4-0 over Waza East Kelly.
MVP is
Mike Leone
Most
Valuable Goalie is Matt Smolinski.
They
are coached by Morris Lupenec.
Vardar
West's 18 Boys lost to the Wolves 3-1.
Vardar U13
Girls lost in penalty kicks following a
1-1 tie after regulation time and two
ten minute overtime periods
CLUB NEWS
U9 Vardar-Michigan &
Vardar-East face off in Pacesetter
Final
June 1, 2010
-
Congratulations to the u-9 Vardar and Vardar
East girl’s teams that made it to the final
to face each other at the Pacesetter
tournament.
The game
was 1-1 at the end of regulation. In
overtime, Vardar scored and ended up winning
2-1. What a great weekend for both teams and
an exciting hard fought final.
CLUB NEWS
Carolynn
Ashley Cosan
Carolynn left
this life as we know it on
Friday, May 14, 2010, to
continue her mission with
God to give guidance and
support to all who know her
and all who she has ever
touched. She will be playing
and coaching soccer from
Heaven; whispering in each
striker’s ear when to shoot,
shouting at the defenders
when to clear the ball. Her
presence in our family, on
the team, in school, and in
the community will surely be
missed. Carolynn was born
May 01, 1992.
Carolynn was
a Senior at Mt. Pleasant
High School. She played
varsity soccer for all four
years, demonstrating her
leadership abilities as
Captain her senior year. She
had recently been accepted
at Northern Michigan
University to play varsity
soccer for the Wildcats and
is the first woman from MPHS
that had ever received a
soccer scholarship to play
at a Division I/II
university. Carolynn played
recreational and premier
soccer since she was 8 years
old. She was a member of the
Vardar Premier Soccer Club.
She refereed all ages of
soccer teams and coached
U-10 soccer for the City of
Mt. Pleasant, when she
wasn’t playing herself. In
the winter, however, her
true love was snowboarding.
Her love of snow and the
thrill of the ride was like
no other. Her friends and
family will always remember
their trips to Caberfae,
Boyne, Marquette Mountain,
Colorado, and Utah to enjoy
the thrill of downhill
sports. Carolynn also liked
to hunt turkeys, deer, ducks
and geese with her Mom and
Dad.
Carolynn
was a Girl Scout from
Kindergarten through high
school; she joined Youth
Services Cadets during
junior high; she ran track,
cross country, played
softball, and competed as an
AKC Junior dog handler in
the show ring and a member
of the National Wild Turkey
Federation.
Carolynn
was a certified snowboard
instructor with Professional
Snowboarding Instructors of
America; she was also a
certified soccer referee
with Michigan Youth Soccer
Association and Michigan
High School Athletic
Association and a member of
St. John’s Episcopal Church.
Adam
Puvalowski
Adam Puvalowski, Beloved
son, brother and uncle
passed away Saturday, May 1,
2010 after sustaining
injuries in an automobile
accident. Age 18 years.
Adam was born on January 2,
1992 in DeKalb County,
Indiana.
He was a senior at Nouvel
Catholic Central High School
and would have graduated
June 6, 2010. Adam was
dedicated to soccer most of
his life and was an All
District and All State First
Team Soccer player. Adam
was also licensed to coach
soccer and referee at
various levels. He had the
unique opportunity to play
in Brazil at the age of 14.
Over the past couple of
years, he traveled
extensively across the
United States, playing on
several elite teams. As a
result of this dedication,
he was awarded a full ride
scholarship to Saginaw
Valley State University this
fall. Adam was an
extremely humble and
selfless person and most
often thought of others
before thinking of
himself. He took it upon
himself to train and mentor
young children and his
peers. He had a gift in
bringing out the very best
in others and was a role
model for so many.
Zachary
Carroll training with the U.S. U17 National Team -
Vardar U15/16 Academy -
April 28, 2010 --
Zachary Carroll, a member of the Vardar
U15/16 Academy team, will be
spending the rest of his sophomore year
at the IGM Academy in Bradenton, FL,
training with the U.S. Men's U17
National Team.
Zach came
to the attention of the national
coaching squad during a US Development
Academy Training Session in early April
at the Columbus Crew Stadium. He was
noticed by Gerson Echeverry, U17
assistant coach, and was asked to play
with the U17 National Team the following
weekend in Chicago. From there Zach was
asked to attend an April 18-24 mini-camp
in Florida. At the camp's conclusion,
Zach was approached by Wilmer Caberra,
head coach of the U17s, and was offered
a spot in the residency program.
Zach is one of
40 U17 players who live on campus at the IMG
Academy in Bradenton, and train in the
morning under the guidance of Cabrera and
assistant coaches Paul Caffrey, Echeverry,
Keith Fulk and Paul Grafer. In the
afternoon, the players attend classes at
Bradenton Preparatory Academy. While in the
full-time residency program, the players not
only train daily under Cabrera, but also
have access to the IMG Academy’s spacious
facilities. The team regularly uses IMG’s
state-of-the-art strength-training
facilities, as well as some of the nation’s
best sports psychologists that work at the
Academy. The IMG Academy includes
top-of-the-line soccer equipment, three
Bermuda grass fields, an indoor dome with
artificial turf, two swimming pools, newly
renovated student housing and dining
facilities.
Zach is a
student at Grand Blanc High School and will
graduate in 2012.
CLUB NEWS
2010 Blue Chip Hammer Cup Champions!
April 12, 2010
-The Vardar U9
Boys team picked up some championship hardware at the 2010 Blue Chip
Hammer Cup in Cincinnati, OH this past weekend.
Using the first game to knock off
some winter rust, the boys tied a tough Warren County United team
3-3. Their next opponent was the host team, Hammer FC, which Vardar
won 6-0.
On Sunday morning the boys played
Knoxville FC team. The outcome was a 3-1 victory for Vardar.
Vardar won the championship game
3-1 in a rematch against Warren County United.
Congratulations to all the boys for
a well deserved championship!
March 31, 2010 – The U 17 Vardar Boys were the Champions of the
Men’s U 18 Division of the 2010 Nike Academy College Showcase. The boys won all
3 games, racking up 8 goals while giving up only 1.
Vardar beat the Eden Prairie SC Dynasty Eagles
from Minnesota 4 to 1 in the first game. In the second game,
Vardar faced the U 18 Chicago Sockers and won a 2 to 0 victory. In the third game, Vardar
beat
the St. Croix SC Celtics from Minnesota, 2-0.
March 31, 2010 –
Vardar U13 boys went to Virginia to play
Division 1 of the Alliance Cup where
they went undefeated the entire
weekend.
They won the championship game in
penalty kicks after double over time
against #6 ranked team in the nation,
The Baltimore Bays. The Vardar U13 boys
are currently ranked #1 in the State, #1
in the Region and #5 in the Nation by
Gotsoccer national rankings
March 3, 2010 – The
Vardar Soccer Club has been selected to participate in the
prestigious Elite Club National League (ECNL).
This is an
honor for the club as only two teams in
Michigan were invited to participate.
The
selection affirms Vardar's continued
growth and development of its girls team
and provides national recognition for
the girls program.
From nearly 60
clubs that applied for membership, the ECNL
Board of Directors recommended 12 new clubs
for membership in the Elite Clubs National
League (ECNL).
The ECNL
member clubs approved these recommendations,
increasing the number of member clubs to 52
for the 2010-11 season.
An
announcement relating to the 2010-11 ECNL
regular-season events will be made in late
March.
The
clubs granted membership for the 2010-11
season are:
About the ECNL:
The
ECNL is a non-profit national youth soccer
league founded in 2009 to provide the best
possible developmental environment for
American female youth soccer players through
the creation of the highest level of
national competition and an identification
and development program to provide an avenue
for players to participate in U.S. Soccer's
National Teams. The 2009-10 season is the
ECNL’s inaugural season. Each of the 40
member clubs in 2009-10 will have a team in
the U-15, U-16 and U-17 age groups, each
competing for the ECNL National
Championship, the ECNL National Club
Championship, and promotion and relegation
between flights. The ECNL is sanctioned by
US Club Soccer.
February
1, 2010 -- Anna Sieloff, a member
of the Vardar U-18 team, has been
selected to represent the United States
as part of the U-18 Women's National
Team at the 2010 Ten Nations Tournament
in La Manga, Spain, Feb. 26-Mar 6.
Sieloff has
been attending national team training camps
for the past year and most recently attended
a January training camp at the Home Depot
Center in Carson, CA, where 24 players were
vying for a spot on the team heading to
Spain. "I thought I had played pretty well
in California," Sieloff said, "but the
quality of players competing for spots is so
high you just never know what the coaches
are expecting or looking for. I'm thrilled
at the opportunity and I'm very
grateful that I've been given this chance."
Sieloff has
been a member of Vardar since 2002. With
her team she has won six State Cup
Championships in which she was selected as
the Tournament Most Valuable Goalie all six
times. A senior at Country Day High School,
Sieloff will continue her soccer career and
goalkeeping at the University of North
Carolina. As a Tarheel, Sieloff expects to
pursue a major in physical therapy
Vardar
U12 Boys win 2009 Fishers Halloween Classic U13 Division
October 25,
2009 -- Fishers, Indiana --
Congratulations to the U12 Boys and Coach
John Phillips on winning the 2009 Fishers
Halloween Classic U13 Boys Division
Championship.
The U12 Boys
went 3-0-1 in tournament play.
GREAT
JOB BOYS!!!
CLUB NEWS
Vardar
U14 & U18 Girls crowned 2010 State Cup Champions
October
30, 2009 --
Two Vardar girls teams have been crowned
Michigan State Cup Champions after
winning in the final game of the 2010
tournament. The U14 and U18 teams will
now represent Vardar and Michigan at the
June 2010 Region II Championships in
Dayton , OH .
Coached by Demir Muftari, both the U14s
and U18s won 1-0 in their Championship
games. This is the first State Cup
victory for the U14s who went into
overtime against the Grand Rapids Crew
Jrs. before Bella Habuda scored the
winning goal. Center midfielder Mary
LeAnnais was named Most Valuable
Player of the tournament. In the U14s
shutout, Victoria Maniaci was selected
as the tournament's Most Valuable
Goalie.
The U18s win was their sixth State Cup
title in seven attempts. Kyla Cross
scored the winning goal against the
Michigan Hawks and was recognized as the
tournament's Most Valuable Player while
Anna Sieloff recorded the shutout in net
and was selected as Most Valuable
Goalie.
The U16 girls team coached by Todd Heugh
fell short in their bid for the State
Cup crown. They lost 1-0 against the
Michigan Hawks.
"Vardar was happy to have had three
teams in the State Cup Finals and we are
extremely proud of our girls who
performed so well on the soccer field,"
said Morris Lupenec, Vardar director of
coaching. "The U14s are ready to start
their own winning tradition and the
U18s finished their State Cup streak in
typical fashion - a thrilling 1-0
victory against a team they've beaten
now six out of seven tries in the State
Cup Final. Six State Cup wins is a
Vardar girls record."
CLUB NEWS
MYSL U9
Boys Premier Division Champions
October,
2009 -- With one game left in the fall
season, the U9 Boys team wrapped up the MYSL
U9 Boys Premier Division Championship.
Their current record is 8 wins and 1 tie,
with 1 game left on 10/31. They also went
undefeated during the Traverse City Autumn Classic Tournament,
winning 4 games with 1 tie in route to the
championship. They also won the U9 Boys
Green-West Division this past spring with 10
wins, 1 loss and 1 tie.
Their overall
outdoor record so far in 2009 is 22 wins, 1
loss and 3 ties. Great Job Boys!
CLUB NEWS
Vardar
Girls Advance to the State Cup Finals
October,
2009 -- Three Vardar girls teams are
competing for the championship title in the
2010 Michigan State Cup Tournament. The
U14s, U16s and U18s will take the field on
Saturday, Oct. 17, in pursuit of the crown.
The Vardar
U14s will play at 2 p.m. on Field #1 at
Ultimate Soccer Arenas while the U16s and
U18s both square off in 9 a.m. games at
Ultimate, Fields #3 and #1 respectively.
The U18s are seeking their sixth State Cup
title having lost only once since the team's
first attempt as U12s.
Come cheer
on the Vardar girls!
CLUB NEWS
Vardar
Girls Advance to the State Cup Quarterfinals
September 23,
2009 -- Vardar Soccer Club will be
represented in all five age groups at the
Michigan State Cup quarterfinals to be held
October 3 at the Saginaw Township Soccer
Complex.
The
schedule is as follows:
U18s
10 a.m. Field #1
U17s
12:30 p.m. Field #6
U16s
10 a.m. Field #8
U15s
12:30 p.m. Field #9
U14s 3
p.m. Field #10
Come support
your club and cheer on the Vardar Girls!
CLUB NEWS
Vardar U9 &
U10 Girls win TBAYS Autumn Classic
September 21,
2009 -- Traverse City, MI -- Congratulations to the girls
and Coach Josh Back on
winning the TBAYS Autumn Classic U9 & U10
Girls Division championships.
The U9 & U10 girls were
4-0 in tournament play. Great
Job Girls!
CLUB NEWS
Vardar
Ann Arbor U13 boys win the Mead Cup
September 9,
2009 --
Congratulations to the Vardar Ann Arbor U13
boys for winning the Gold Division at the
Mead Cup! Great
Job Boys!
CLUB NEWS
2009
Vardar-Elite Cup Champions - U12 and U14 Girls
August 22,
2009 -- Congratulations to the girls
and Coach Demir Muftari and Mike Lupenec on
winning the Vardar Cup U14 & U12 Girls
Divisions!
The U14 were
4-0 in tournament play. The U12 Girls
won the championship game in a OT
Vardar-Michigan - U17 Boys - State Cup Champions 2009
(June, 2009) --
For the third year in a row, the Vardar Boys U 16 team won the
Michigan State Cup. Vardar defeated TNT Dynamite by a score of 2 to
1. The most valuable player medal was awarded to D. J. Evans and
Michael Mendola took home the medal for the most valuable goal
keeper. Congratulations on a great State Cup Tournament.
U16 Vardar Boys -
Region 2 Championships in Sioux Falls
(June, 2009) -- The U 16 Vardar Boys
had the honor of representing Michigan at the U.S. Soccer Region 2
Championships in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, June 20-22. They won 2
games and lost 1 game, tying for 1st place in their
bracket but not advancing to the semi-finals because of the head to
head tie breaker. Good luck next year!
2009 Adidas
Bluechip College Showcase Co-Champions
(June 2009) -- The U 16 Vardar Boys
were Co-Champions of the 2009 Adidas Bluechip College Showcase in
Miami, Ohio. The boys won 2 games and tied the third, racking up 21
points and a share of 1st place. A 1st
place tournament at a highly ranked College Showcase. Good Job!
More....
Written by
ESNN (Elite Soccer News Network) -- July 22,
2009 -- The U.S.F.C. SuperElite®
Discover Europe™ International Showcase,
which comes via the Orange County Blue Star,
begins tomorrow.
Eighteen of
the top players in the country set off on a
voyage that will include tours through
Austria, Germany and Belgium.
And as
eye-opening as the tour will be for some
players, for others it won’t be their first
brush with playing internationally.
Soony Saad, one of the final two
players that we’ll spotlight for the event,
has had much of the world opened up to him
through his enormous talent. Having competed
in the likes of England and Italy, Saad has
the rare combination of veteran experience
and newcomer enthusiasm.
“I’m very
excited,” Saad said. “I’ve never played in
any of the countries where we’ll be but I
know that playing overseas is a lot
different than playing here at home. I
always try to watch a lot of soccer from the
countries I visit so that I pick up a couple
tendencies and styles of the way they play.”
To even the
playing field a little, it might be wise for
a few of the international teams to brush up
on some of Saad’s moves as well.
Saad has
been a standout talent since the first day
he touched a soccer ball. A natural, Saad is
one of the top young strikers in the world,
is dynamic with the ball and has a nose for
scoring. He seemingly always puts himself in
good position to convert chances.
He’s
received great experience through the U.S.
Soccer U17 Residency Program, and was the
2008 U.S. Soccer Development Academy U16
Player of the Year during his time with
Vardar Soccer Club.
CONTINUED...............
Soony Saad
and Jose Perez Are Among Many Youth National
Team Players to Benefit from Academy System
CHICAGO (Feb.
4, 2009) – The U.S. Soccer Development
Academy has to look no further than the
Under-17 Men’s National Team to find stories
of successful player development and
scouting. Members of U.S. Soccer’s Residency
Program, former Vardar standout Soony Saad
and FC Dallas’ Jose Perez both credit their
time in the Academy in providing
opportunities with the U-17 MNT. Both are
part of a 22-player roster that is currently
participating in the La Serena Cup in Chile.
January 2009 - Orlando, Fla. –
The Vardar U17 boys team won
their division at the
prestigious Disney's Soccer
Showcase presented by the
Chelsea Football Club on Dec. 30
at the beautiful Disney's Wide
World of Sports Complex.
The showcase is the ultimate
place for top clubs to be seen
by hundreds of college coaches
looking for great soccer talent.
It is rated the top youth soccer
tournament in the United States
in a Soccer America survey. It
gives athletes a chance to shine
on one of the biggest stages set
for youth soccer in this
country.
(July 18, 2008) – The U.S.
Soccer Development Academy
announced the 2007-08 Academy
Player of the Year for the Under
15/16 age group at the
Development Academy Finals Week
at The Home Depot Center in
Carson, Calif.
The U-15/16 Player of the Year
is Soony Saad from Vardar. Soony
has parlayed his impressive
performance into call-ups to the
U.S. U-17 Men's National Team.
The recipients of the honors
were voted upon by U.S. Soccer's
Development Academy coaches and
National Team scouts. Already,
13 of the 22 players on the
Starting XI have been in camp
with a U.S. Youth National Team,
and the 10 players from the
Starting XI have one more chance
to impress the National Team
scouts.
CLUB NEWS
U16 Girls advance to
USYSA National Championship
(July 14, 2008) –
The Vardar U16 Girls, coached by Demir
Muftari, are on their way to the USYSA
National Championship Series to be held July
22-27 in Little Rock, AR.
The team was selected
by the Region II Championship committee to attend Nationals.
To get to the Regional
Final, Vardar girls advanced through their
bracket by beating Nebraska (Gladiator Rio)
4-0, tying Iowa (Des Moines Heat) 1-1, and
winning 4-0 over Minnesota (Woodbury
Inferno). The Semi-Final was against Ohio
North's Cleveland Internationals with Vardar
winning 2-0.
Showing the passion to claim the regional title,
Eclipse and Vardar met to determine the champion and a spirited
contest followed as both opponents sought victory. After a
scoreless game in regulation, Eclipse opened up the scoring and
claimed the regional crown.
Congratulations to the both teams for a
tremendous performance. Good luck at nationals!!
(June 12, 2008) –
Soony Saad, a
member of the U-16 Vardar Academy League,
has been selected among the nation's top
players to join the U.S National Residency
Roster for the Fall of 2008 in Bradenton
Florida.
Soony & his older brother Hamoody
Saad recently joined Vardar Soccer Club this past year and since
have helped bring the team to many victories. The U-16 Academy
record is 16-2-3. The Saad brothers' goal is to win their league and
represent their new club at the National Championship in July, which
will be held in California.
Soony attributes their recent
success to the great coaching staff: Jason Davis, Morris and Mike
Lupenec as well as their fellow teammates.
Soony will miss his team and coaches as he bids farewell this
fall. "It will be sad to say goodbye, but I'm excited for my
team-mates who look to have an awesome finish this year and a
bright fresh team next year in the U-18 Academy. Thanks to all!!
CLUB NEWS
Vardar Player to attend National Team
Training Camp
(April
25, 2008) –
Niki Read, a member of the Vardar U16
team, has been selected to attend the U18
Women's National Team training camp to
be held May 3-10 in Sunrise, FL.
Niki has been a Vardar player since U-9. She
has been a Regional Team ODP player for
three years and has attended three national
team training events as well as an Adidas
ESP camp which highlights the top 92 high
school sophomores.
With her Vardar team, Niki has been part of
four State Cup Championships and one
Regional Championship. Her team will next
represent Michigan at the June Region II
Championships in Rockford, IL. She is
currently coached by Demir Muftari. Niki is
also verbally committed to the University of
Illinois. She is a 16-year-old junior at
Lake Orion High School.
64 clubs from
24 States and the District of Columbia
Represented in Program's Inaugural Year with
Clubs Focused on Improving Development
Environment
The 64 teams will be
divided into eight conferences, each
comprised of eight teams based largely on
geographic proximity. Each team will play
approximately 30 matches during an
eight-month season, with the winner of each
conference playing in the Academy Finals at
The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
Additional Development Academy program
elements such as a Technical Workshop and
Best Practices seminars are being finalized.
“The clubs participating
in the inaugural Academy season represent a
shared vision of player development and the
desire to change the current landscape,”
said U.S. Soccer’s Director of Coaching
Education Bob Jenkins. “These clubs were
selected because of their ability to
implement the best development environment
for our elite youth players.”
