IMG Academy

IMG Academy holds ribbon cutting for new state-of-the-art Student Residence Hall

john.esfeller@imgworld.com — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:14:37 +0000

Bradenton, Fla. (May 21, 2013) – Last evening IMG Academy held a ribbon cutting for the latest addition to its expanding campus - a five-story Student Residence Hall.

The opening of the new Hall comes just weeks after IMG Academy broke ground on a new multi-sport complex that will open in August.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to open our new Residence Hall, which will quickly become the hub of our campus and provide each boarding student with a living space very similar to what they will experience in college,” remarked Rich Odell, Vice President of Student Affairs and Headmaster, IMG Academy. “This incredible facility marks just the beginning of a campus expansion plan that will include new academic buildings, student life facilities, and sport complexes.”

Several hundred students and staff, as well as community partners led by architect Fawley Bryant and Tandem Construction, were on hand for the event. Special guest Michael Dolan, Chairman and CEO of IMG Worldwide, made the trip to IMG Academy after receiving a personal invite signed by members of the IMG Academy Student Council. Dolan did the honors of cutting the ribbon, leading to a flooding of the Hall by eager students seeking a look at their new home.

Remarked Rick Fawley, President, Fawley Bryant: “The ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Residence Hall featured an energized IMG Academy student body - reminding me that the social environments we create for student-athletes are just as critical to maximizing their personal growth potential as ensuring their long term success to become great citizens of the world.”

Echoed Peter Hayes, President, Tandem: “Since our first days on campus, we have recognized and appreciated IMG’s vision and commitment to transforming this local facility into a world class sports training and educational campus like none other. Last evening, as students and stakeholders from across the country and around the world gathered to celebrate the completion of the first major building component of the new master plan, it became evident that the future is now. Inspiration, collaboration, focus and an unwavering resolve to be the very best is that which defines IMG and the leadership that has made it all possible. We are so very proud to be a member of the IMG Team!”

The Residence Hall will house 500 students during the academic year with the ability to expand to 1000 during the summer camp season. The building is wireless throughout and features a state-of-the-art security system. Floors two through five will feature academic study rooms, while the lounge area on the first floor will feature: a toiletries/snack shop; mail room; large-screen televisions; high-top table seating and relaxing furniture; pool, foosball, ping pong tables; and more. The first floor will also house Campus Life and Health Services offices, as well as a 24/7 Campus Safety desk in the lobby. Ten adults will live in the building – one on each wing of each floor – and will serve as resident assistants for the students.

IMG Academy celebrates the ribbon cutting of the new Residence Hall!

Marlon Hairston earns call-up to U.S. U-20 National Team camp

john.esfeller@imgworld.com — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:20:36 +0000

Marlon Hairston graduated from IMG Academy in 2012 and signed with one of the most respected soccer programs in the nation, the University of Louisville. Hairston quickly established himself within the team and had a great freshman season. However, that “great” has turned into an amazing year after being called up to the U.S. U-20 National Team training camp as they prepare for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

“It was right after a community service event that I learned I was called up,” said Hairston. “Coach Ken pulled me aside and told me the news… I was really excited”

Growing up in Jackson, Mississippi, the 19-year-old is far removed from the simple life of the Deep South. Growing up, football and basketball were the popular sports to play, but Hairston wanted to follow in his older brothers footsteps and play soccer. Soccer became the perfect distraction to help the younger Hairston stay out of trouble.

“I always wanted to use soccer as a positive, instead of just being anywhere in the neighborhood, running around and doing anything negative in my area,” said Hairston. “So it was my thing that I wanted to use and try to make the best of it.”

Hairston made the decision to move 700+ miles to IMG Academy, where he grew not only as a soccer player, but also as a person. As his skills and confidence grew, so did his performances on the field. In his senior year Hairston scored 17 goals and eight assists on his way to being named the 2011-2012 Offensive Player of the Year.

“IMG [Academy] really helped me prepare for things not only on the field but off the field too,” said Hairston. “Dealing with a wide variety of people from different places around the world was a big advantage.”

His ability and character attracted many colleges, but Hairston felt Louisville was the best fit. After being named to the All-Big East Rookie team, it is hard to argue otherwise. There were many special moments in his first year, but nothing would compare to his first collegiate goal.

“My first goal was against Belmont and I kind of went crazy when I scored,” said Hairston. “I didn’t know how to celebrate…I just kind of went to the corner and all of my teammates came and celebrated with me at the corner flag.”

Hairston finished the season with two more goals (both game-winners) and three assists. With the U-20 World Cup being this summer, it was perfect timing for Hairston to be in form. Louisville coaches put together a highlight reel and sent it to U.S. U-20 Head Coach, Tab Ramos. He liked what he saw, and now the Mississippi native is in Los Angeles with the best U-20 players in the country, many of which are already pros.

“That’s been one of the best experiences for me… getting to mingle with professional players,” said Hairston. “I’m just trying to take in as much as I can and learn as much as I can from these guys in a short period of time.”

For some, success and recognition can give a player a big ego, but Hairston is staying humble and appreciative. He realizes when part of a U.S. National Team, he is representing his country; an honor few experience.

“At this level, wearing the US National Team Badge on my chest... is a great experience,” said Hairston. “Whether it’s a camp or friendly, or actually playing in the world cup, being able to represent your country is special.”

The U.S. U-20 National Team camp concludes April 28 with a match against the reserve team of Major League Soccer’s Chivas USA. This will be Head Coach, Tab Ramos’ last opportunity to evaluate his player pool before choosing the final World Cup roster. The 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup takes place June 21-July 13 in Turkey.

Marlon Hairston earns U.S. U-20 call-up after standout rookie year!

Catching up with National Merit Scholar Samy Ramadane at IMG Academy

john.esfeller@imgworld.com — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:49:15 +0000

IMG Academy student-athlete Samy Ramadane, is one of the school's most involved students. He’s a member of the National Honor Society, named to the 2012 Homecoming Court, a Student Residential Mentor, a tutor to his peers and tireless in his community service endeavors. He accomplished all of this while maintaining a perfect 5.0 GPA in Advanced Placement classes. His most recent accomplishment was winning the National Merit Arkema Inc. Scholarship. Ramadane is also a first generation American of Morrocan descent. He is very appreciative of his life in the U.S., but revisits his Morrocan roots with summer trips to visit family.

We sat down with Ramadane to discuss becoming a National Merit Scholar, his Morrocan roots, his Harry Potter fandom and more.

Samy Ramadane on…

…being one of only 18 winners of a corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship.

It’s nice to know that my hard work has kind of paid off. It’s a great accomplishment because I was competing against high-schoolers from all over the nation. So it’s good to see how I stack up against some of the smartest and most accomplished high-schoolers in the nation.

…his academic influences.

My parents are very successful people. They were born in Morocco with not much. The only thing that really helped them get to where they made it was their education. They had very supportive parents who also made sure to keep them on track, but they mainly did it on their own. And to see that is an accomplishment that I’ll never achieve but definitely a mindset that’s been instilled in me since I was little.

…how he learned of IMG Academy.

Honestly, I’m not even sure! I came for a summer camp right before 10th grade so four summers ago. I was looking for a place just to stay in shape and my mom and I were looking at camps. I had been going overseas to France to play and go to camps there. When we heard about IMG it sounded like a great place to stay in shape and sort of have a new experience. So I came down here for a week, and that’s when I first got to know about it. I stayed in the dorms on main campus. The first time was just to stay in shape for my high school pre-season. I came back again the next summer, and I came closer to the beginning of the summer and they asked me to stay. I didn’t really come down here with the notion that I would come here full time, but once the coaches asked me and he talked to my parents about it, and got to know more about IMG Academy, it sounded like the right place to be – Especially for soccer. Academically, they have a strong curriculum and I had to take some online classes to keep up with the curriculum to graduate on time.

… his aspirations with soccer and college.

I’m not sure. I’m thinking about going to Johns Hopkins or I might take a gap year and explore some other opportunities for college, or more opportunities for soccer. I’ve been accepted to Johns Hopkins Biomedical Engineering Program, and if I can defer the acceptance for a year, I can take a gap year and I won’t have to reapply and can go in 2014.

…his hobbies.

If I was back home, I’d say soccer, but here soccer is part of my everyday life. I like running and swimming. I haven’t been able to do as much swimming. I don’t really get to do it here, but I love to snow ski. I love to fish, too. My uncle is very into fishing and when I was in Morocco that’s something I would always do. We have a house next to the beach, and I love to get up in the morning, 4 or 5 in the morning, and go out with the local fisherman and catch huge fish. That’s something I really like to do. My uncle was very into it, so that’s how I got into it. Also I like to dance. I dance to anything, but I don’t like country or metal music.

…his friendships built at IMG Academy.

I like hanging out with my friends a lot. Paul Sime, he’s from Guadeloupe, and he lives in the same building as me. Mario Tinsley’s a basketball player and he also lives in the same building as me. Paul’s a soccer player. We go to the beach sometimes and play FIFA. With the IMG Academy experience, it’s one of the biggest reasons I love it here. It’s such an immersive place where all these different cultures come together. Having international heritage, it’s just a great place for me to get to know new people from all over the world, and develop relationships I’m going to keep for years after here.

…his Harry Potter fandom.

I’ve read all seven books as soon as they came out. I’ve seen all the movies. In two years being here, I haven’t had the chance to go to [The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure]. I went to Disney World a couple months before the Harry Potter Park was opened, so that was disappointing, but Disney World was really nice.

…his favorite soccer player.

I do like Chamakh. Of all time, my favorite soccer player is Pele. Growing up he was the first player my dad told me about. I saw a lot of videos of him. My dad grew up watching him play, and once I saw him play, I just thought he was an amazing player and his style is beautiful to watch. Right now, I would say Ronaldinho even though he’s not at his peak anymore. When he was at his peak, he was also an incredibly talented and creative player and that’s sort of the same style I saw in Pele. When I was little, I used to play forward, but now I play more as an Attacking Center-Mid. I prefer Attacking Center-Mid.

…something people don’t know about you.

I speak Arabic, but I can’t roll my Rs [laughing]. Just like Spanish, in Arabic, you need to roll the Rs. English and Arabic are my two languages. I learned them both at the same time. Arabic with my family, and English just from being at school and around other people.

Samy Ramadane discusses winning the National Merit Sholarship and more!

IMG Academy alumnus, Zerek Valentin, heads to Norway

john.esfeller@imgworld.com — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:09:05 +0000

Zerek Valentin graduated from IMG Academy in 2008 and went on to have a successful two year career at the University of Akron. In 2011, he was drafted by Chivas USA as the fourth overall pick in the SuperDraft. After 25 appearances in his first year, Valentin was traded to Montreal. He had minimal impact for Montreal in the 2012 season, so when Bodo/Glimt inquired about a season long loan in 2013, it looked to be a win-win situation.

Many speculated that the young defender forced a move because of a lack of playing time, but Valentin squashed those rumors immediately, calling such claims “absurd."

In fact, Bodo/Glimt’s head coach, Jan Halvor Halvorsen, had been following Valentin since his days at Akron and has kept an eye on him since. This seemed to be the perfect time to bring in Valentin and both parties agreed.

Now all attention is on his new club and achieving promotion into the top league in Norway, the Tippeligaen. It just so happens this is Valentin’s last year in his contract with MLS, and if things go well, the American wouldn’t rule out a permanent move. After a 4-1 start to the season, Bodo/Glimt are early favorites to earn promotion.

"I think it's everyone's ambition to play in Europe and play at the highest level possible," Valentin told YanksAbroad.com. "If this team gets promoted and starts doing well, Bodo has the potential to play and get into some of biggest competitions and that is everyone's dream. But I'm taking it step by step and hopefully once we get promoted, we will see."

IMG Academy alumnus, Zarek Valentin goes on loan to Bomo/Gilmt.

PHOTO GALLERY: IMG Academy Multi-Sport Complex Groundbreaking, April 17, 2013

kim.berard@imgworld.com — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:06:33 +0000

On April 17, 2013, in the company of student-athletes and their families, staff, alumni, professional athletes, sports performance partners, community leaders, and many more, IMG Academy broke ground on a world-class, multi-sport complex. A state-of-the-art stadium, opening in August 2013, marks the first phase of expansion. The stadium will feature: 5,000 seats with the ability to scale to 10,000; a professional-quality Bermuda grass surface with TV-ready lights; an 8-lane, 400m track and additional training areas for jumps and throws; a broadcast-ready press box with coach, press, radio rooms and hospitality suites; and a collegiate-style video board. A new, lighted stadium field for baseball will also open, paving the way for the addition of a baseball quadraplex that will rival any spring training facility.

The second phase will open in December 2013 and feature a 40,000-square foot fieldhouse with multiple locker rooms, meeting spaces, and offices. Phase Three will include a research and development facility for sports performance companies looking for a permanent research home on the IMG Academy campus, as well as the addition of new multi-sport field venues to bring the total of playing fields to more than 20, servicing soccer, lacrosse, baseball, and football.

PHOTO GALLERY: IMG Academy breaks ground on a state-of-the-art multi-sport complex

IMG Academy trainee, Craig Bellamy, helps Cardiff City to their first promotion into the Premier League

john.esfeller@imgworld.com — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 17:43:52 +0000

In November of last year, Welsh soccer star Craig Bellamy, came to IMG Academy to nurse some minor injuries and get back to game shape. He also took time to speak to IMG Academy’s soccer program. He had recently been traded from Manchester City to his boyhood club, Cardiff City, and was expected to help in their push for promotion into the Premier League.

On April 16, Bellamy helped Cardiff City draw Charlton Athletic and secure one of two automatic berths into the Premier League. This was the first time in 53 years the club was in top flight soccer, but the first time since the formation of the Premier League. The fans rushed the pitch with tears in their eyes, as they realized a dream had come true.

Promotion into the Premier League is more than just playing against the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal. Adam Bull, consultant at Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, told English news source, The Sun, that clubs will earn an extra £90m for gaining promotion in the Premiership. The city of Cardiff will also reap some benefits of promotion, with estimates that as many as 5,000 jobs will be created. Last season, Swansea City’s first season in the Premier League was estimated to be worth £58m to the city.

Craig Bellamy has won the FA Community Shield and been an UEFA Champions League runner up, but nothing will compare to bringing his hometown team and city, promotion into the the English Premier League.

IMG Academy trainee, Craig Bellamy, helps boyhood club reach the Premiership

IMG Academy breaks ground on world-class, multi-sport complex

david.portnowitz@imgworld.com — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 14:04:17 +0000

Today, in the company of student-athletes and their families, staff, alumni, professional athletes, sports performance partners, community leaders, and many more, IMG Academy broke ground on a world-class, multi-sport complex. A state-of-the-art stadium, opening in August 2013, marks the first phase of expansion. The stadium will feature: 5,000 seats with the ability to scale to 10,000; a professional-quality Bermuda grass surface with TV-ready lights; an 8-lane, 400m track and additional training areas for jumps and throws; a broadcast-ready press box with coach, press, radio rooms and hospitality suites; and a collegiate-style video board. A new, lighted stadium field for baseball will also open, paving the way for the addition of a baseball quadraplex that will rival any spring training facility.

“Over the last few years, we have made great strides in not only our integrated delivery of academics and athletics, but also our commitment to a rich campus life experience at IMG Academy,” said Greg Phillips, Vice President and Athletics Director. “Just a month before opening our new university-style residence hall, we are excited to break ground on our new multi-sport complex and stadium, which will soon serve as the competition home for five of our sports. Our student-athletes will have a new venue in which we can all proudly come together and share our love for competition.”

In addition to the impact on the student-athlete experience, the facility will have a significant impact on the newly-formed IMG Performance division of sports and entertainment giant, IMG Worldwide, which operates its headquarters on IMG Academy’s campus. Established in 2012, IMG Performance, among other initiatives, owns and manages more than 100 sporting events, many of which take place at IMG Academy and will now be staged in the new complex. They include: the IMG 7v7 National Championships; United Soccer League’s Super-Y and Super-20 North American Finals; the IMG National Baseball Classic; and the IMG Lacrosse Nationals. The new complex will also enable IMG Performance to attract a new level of national and international competition.

Additionally, prospective and existing sports performance partners will now have the opportunity to conduct their research and development efforts out of the new facility. Industry-leading companies like Gatorade, Under Armour, Motus Global, Prince and others, who already have a presence on the IMG Academy campus, will be able to expand their campus footprint, if they choose.

“We couldn’t be more excited for what our campus expansion signifies for our student-athletes and their families, our alumni, and our staff, as well as our extended family and the local community,” remarked Sam Zussman, Senior Vice President, IMG Worldwide and Managing Director, IMG Performance. “The new facility will also help enrich the offerings of our IMG Performance division, as it relates to the delivery of athletic and personal development services, the hosting of events, the advancement of performance research and development, and the design of new training products and services.”

For more information about the new multi-sport complex, click here.

State-of-the-art complex opens September 2013!

IMG Academy alumni find scoring touch over the weekend

john.esfeller@imgworld.com — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 21:46:18 +0000

Jozy Altidore, Aron Johannsson and Demarcus Beasley have three things in common: they are American, they scored this weekend and they spent part of their early careers at IMG Academy.

Jozy Altidore has been scoring at a torrid pace for AZ Alkmaar this season. He has 21 league goals and 28 in all competitions; both of which are records for Americans playing in Europe. Three of those goals came on Sunday as Altidore notched a hat trick in just nine minutes against FC Utrecht, the fastest in club history. The first two were penalty kicks he earned and the final was powerful header in the bottom corner. This was Altidore’s third hat trick of the 2012-2013 season, and rumors are swirling about a possible eight figure summer transfer to a number of top clubs. Altidore spent time at IMG Academy as a member of the United States U17 Residency Team.

Altidore’s new teammate, Aron Johannsson, is a recent transfer from AGF Aarhus in Denmark. Johannsson started the 2012 season on fire for Aarhus, and was tied atop the scoring charts when AZ Alkmaar bought him mid-season. Interestingly enough, he holds the record for the fastest hat trick in Aarhus history at 3 minutes and 50 seconds. After sustaining an early season knock, Johannsson finally scored this Sunday, his first league goal for Alkmaar. The goal came after a cheeky meg on a defender and slotting the ball underneath the goalkeeper. At 17-years old, Johannsson came to IMG Academy from 2007 to 2008 before signing a professional contract with Icelandic club, Fjölnir. Johannsson has dual citizenship from Iceland and the U.S., but U.S. Head Coach Jurgen Klinsmann has stated his interest in the young striker. Many fans hope to see Johannson cap tied in this summer’s Gold Cup.

DeMarcus Beasley has turned back the clock on his career. After battling with some nagging injuries in years passed, the 30 year old has found new life at C.F. Puebla in the Mexican Primera. His performances even saw him called in for the recent World Cup Qualifiers versus Costa Rica and Mexico. This latest goal is just another example of his resurgence. The goal came after teammate, Felix Boria, headed the ball down in the penalty area and Beasley blasted in a right footed shot from 12 yards. Beasley came up through the United States U17 Residency program at IMG Academy. He also spent time on the IMG Academy PDL team before signing with MLS club, Chicago Fire, in 1999.

Goals can be seen below...

AZ Alkmaar-Utrecht 6-0 Highlights All Goals by marcoxxx46

IMG Academy alumni Jozy Altidore, Aron Johannson and DeMarcus Beasley score for their clubs.

IMG Academy U18s conquer adversity in impressive Dallas Cup run

john.esfeller@imgworld.com — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 03:42:17 +0000

The Dallas Cup is the oldest and most prestigious international youth boys soccer tournament in the United States. Since its inaugural year in 1980, the Dallas Cup has hosted teams from 45 states, 100 countries and six continents. This year, youth teams from Manchester United, Juventus, Tigres, Ajax, and others were in attendance. Just to be invited is an honor, and IMG Academy had three teams represented: U14s, U17s and U18s.

“It's a great competition and good tournament,” said U18s right midfielder, Victor Rojas. “All the teams are good.”

IMG Academy’s U18s took full advantage of the opportunity to showcase their skills, but not without adversity. After a disappointing loss in their first game against FC Astoria Waldorf (GER), the odds were against IMG Academy advancing to the knockout rounds.

“No one actually thought we would make the knockout round,” said U18 forward Raul Gonzalez.

The boys came together though and focused on playing like a team in the second game against Club Mana (MEX). That focus paid off with a game-winning goal coming in the dying moments of the match. Despite winning, in order to reach the quarterfinals they needed Club Mana to defeat FC Astoria Waldorf 3-2 and they had to win their game against TCSC Cavalry White by 5 goals. The score was 2-1 to FC Astoria Waldorf with 10 minutes remaining when Club Mana scored the game tying goal and shortly after, the game-winning goal. This gave IMG Academy a fighting chance at securing a quarterfinal birth. Head Coach Scott Dean put together an all-attacking lineup, hoping to score quickly and often. It turned out to be a genius move, with IMG Academy leading 6-0 heading into halftime and a final score of 10-0. Against all odds, IMG Academy was through to the quarterfinals where they would face academy rivals RSL AZ Elite.

As expected, the game was tense, but IMG Academy were lethal in front of goal scoring two in the first half. Going into the second half the defense knew RSL were going to come out flying, but withstood the attack. IMG Academy put the nail in the coffin with a third and final goal from Yussuf Olajde to win 3-0 and reach the semi-finals.

“The RSL game we played very good as a team,” said Olajde. “ On my first goal, Pablo gave the ball to Victor and he shot and the goal keeper saved it and I scored on the rebound. On the second one, I made a good run and Pablo slid the ball through, and I was one-on-one with the goalkeeper, so I did my thing and dribbled the goalkeeper.”

Unfortunately, their magical run came to an end at the hands of Swedish team IF Brommapojkarna. IMG Academy held the Swedes at bay for most of the match, but their possession and quick passes wore down the team. IF Brommapojkarna took the game 2-0, but IMG Academy walked away with their heads held high.

Dallas Cup steams on towards finale

intern — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 14:27:12 +0000

DALLAS, Texas - It’s win or go home time at Dr Pepper Dallas Cup 34 and one of the marquee matchups of the U19 division quarterfinals saw two residency academies from opposite sides of the country, RSL-AZ and IMG Academy, face off.

With bragging rights on the line, the more established IMG Academy flexed their muscles a bit in a comprehensive 3-0 win over their cross-country counterpart that sees the Florida academy move on to face IF Brommapojkarna of Sweden in Saturday’s semifinal.

While the week’s early games were plagued by windy and cold conditions, Friday’s quarterfinal saw the return of warm temperatures and relatively calm winds that brought out some high quality play. It didn’t take IMG long to get on the board either as in just the second minute, the Florida club struck.

Right-winger Victor Rojas had two shots saved in quick succession by RSL goalkeeper Luis Barraza, but the third rebound popped out to Yussuf Olajide who headed it in for the early lead.

With RSL missing arguably their best center back in Santi Carillo due to yellow card accumulation, the back four struggled to keep their shape, though they didn’t allow many chances through the rest of the first half. The Arizona side nearly leveled things in the 30th minute when Jose Hernandez slid a through ball to Jose Navarro, but when he tried to round the ‘keeper, Evan Finney was up to the task smothering the ball well and not allowing a rebound.

RSL held most of the possession through the first half, but IMG doubled the lead with a back-breaking goal just before the halftime whistle. IMG forward Raul Gonzalez found himself free on a breakaway and rounded Barraza before sending a shot in off the post.

“Getting in at 2-0, we said at halftime there would be a third goal, let’s just make sure it’s us because if it’s them, it’s a dogfight,” said IMG Academy Coach Scott Dean. “It stung a little bit for them going into half and it’s a big time goal for sure.”

The late goal seemed to kill any hope of a comeback for RSL and after a few half-chances, IMG finally put the game to bed on the hour mark. It was again Olajide who electrified the crowd with another shifty move before blasting one past Barraza to round out the scoring. A left-sided attacker with lots of flair and plenty of speed, Olajide was the best player for IMG on the day.

“Today I told him it was one of the best games that he’s played,” said Dean. “He’s very dynamic and for him a lot of times, it’s the end result. Can he get the finish or that last pass, and today he hit balls across, he finished when he had to and he played with a lot of confidence.”

While Olajide was the star on offense, much of the credit for the win should go to the smothering IMG defense led by center back Spencer Moeller and defensive midfielder Brendan O’Conner.

“Defensively we’ve given up some late goals so in the last couple games here we haven’t given one up,” said Dean. “They were steady, well organized and got numbers behind the ball.”

California clubs highlight Saturday finals

Three championship games will be contested at Dr Pepper Dallas Cup on Saturday with California clubs featuring in all three championship games. The U15 final sees Sunrise Elite of Florida take on Arsenal FC Academy while the U14 championship pits CF Monterrey of Mexico against Pateadores. The U13 championship will be an all-California affair with Pateadores taking on FC Golden State.

In the older age groups CF Monterrey and CZ Elite will battle in one U16 semifinal while Santa Montica United takes on FC Golden State in the other semifinal.

The U17 semifinals see more California clubs as Santa Clara Sporting takes on FRAM while Aalborg BK of Denmark take on FC Golden State.

The Houston Dynamo are through to the semifinals of the U19 group as Bryan Salazar hit a hat trick in their 5-4 win over Central California Blues. They’ll take on PAC Tigres while the other semifinal is IMG Academy vs. IF Brommapojkarna of Sweden.

The Gordon Jago Super Group championship will see Emerson Hyndman and Fulham, who beat Fluminense on penalty kicks in a thrilling semifinal, take on Kashiwa Reysol of Japan who easily dispatched of Aalborg BK.

Complete Friday scores:

U19 Super Group Quarterfinals

IF Brommapojkarna 3, Solar Chelsea 1

Houston Dynamo 5, Central California Blues 4

PAC Tigres 5, Knowsley Youth 4

IMG Academy 3, Real Salt Lake Arizona Elite 0

U17 Quarterfinals

Santa Clara Sporting 1, Penn Fusion 0

FC Golden State 2, New York SC 1

Aalborg BK 2, TSF Ginga 0

FRAM 3, FC Dallas 2

U16 Quarterfinals

CF Monterrey Rayados 1, FC Dallas El Paso 0

Santa Monica United 2, Sockers FC 0

FC Golden State White 2, Juventus Forza 1

CZ Elite 3, Solar Chelsea 2

U15 Semifinals

Arsenal FC 1, Santa Barbara SC 0

Sunrise Elite 2, Chicago Magic PSG 0

U14 Semifinals

CF Monterrey Rayados 3, Pumas 1

Pateadores 3, Arsenal FC 1

U13 Semifinals

FC Golden State Academy 3, FC Golden State Gold 0

Pateadores Los Angeles 5, Pumas 1