(2001) 2016-2017 U16, (F:02) What's kickin' so far?

We are five matches into the U16 season. Far enough along to get a nice preview for the rest of the season.

Three years ago when the big clubs with DA status moved the 2001 and 2000 "top" level players into their pre-academy programs, their Classic C1 teams had rosters decimated. The clubs didn't have a transition plan. An epic failure by the big clubs and their directors. As a result, Texans, FCD, and Solar C1 teams suffered terrible game losses as the second tier teams (with little to no roster losses) demolished them the following season. This crushing failure led to Solar Red '01 and FCD Premier '01 being demoted to D2. The Texans followed them into D2 the following year. The 2011, 2012 and 2013 D1 and State Cup championship teams all demoted. It was a disaster for the big clubs to have their flagship Classic D1 teams demoted. FCD Premier 01 was able to play their way back (a year later) into D1 after winning D2 and qualifying for the Dallas Cup. The original Solar Red and Texans Red teams never returned to D1.

With the transition into Age Pure categories for 2016-2017 the club directors seemed to have learned from the 2013 debacle. The clubs had pool training sessions the summer of 2016 to reinforce and maintain their top teams. The clubs, with huge quantities of players among many multiple teams, reshuffled their deck of cards. This time it was the smaller clubs and independent teams that were at a disadvantage.

Last years 2002 is now 2001. The end-of-year results, in sequential order, from last year were...(1) FCD Spiars, (2) Liverpool Elite Fagen, (3) Solar Chelsea Red Stricker, (4) Sporting United Videla, (5) FCD Premier Thornber, (6) Club America, (7) Liverpool Owen, ( 8 ) Mexico FC, and the two demoted teams, (9) Dallas Texans South Adame, (10) Andromeda Renner. Leaving no Dallas Texans in D1. The first time my bb will not face a DT squad in D1 since he was a little tot.

This year, at U16 the same top teams from the bigger clubs from the 2015-2016 roared out of the gate. The two Solar and FCD teams are also in the regional league. So they are alternating weekends between Classic League and the travel to regional league matches. Superior SC Azteca and FC Premier Forzi joined D1 for this campaign.

Last year's D1 winner FCD (Spiars) currently sits in third place with four wins and a loss. The only loss coming to a very good Solar Fagen team. In the regional league they lost their first match while trying to balance both the Plano Labor Day Tournament and a game in Tulsa, OK (8 hour round trip) on the same weekend. They won the Plano tourney but had a very long travel day to Tulsa, to play a rested team.

Solar Chelsea Fagen (Formerly, Liverpool Fagen) remains in a familiar place, second place. Only a tie with a fantastic Sporting United squad marring an otherwise perfect Classic League record. Instead of the Plano Labor Day Tournament, they had a three tough matches in Oklahoma in the regional league. Winning one, while taking two defeats. The two Solar Chelsea teams are in the regional league first division while the two FCD squads are in the regional league second division.

Solar Chelsea Stricker, sits in fourth place in Classic with two losses in their first five matches. They've been very inconsistent. Allowing Liverpool Owen to score 4 goals on them in a 5-4 high scoring (winning) match and taking a shocking, 3-1 loss to Mexico FC. They haven't yet played FCD Spiars, Solar Fagen or Sporting United. Three extremely tough opponents much stronger than either Liverpool or Mexico. In the regional league they've won two and lost to TSC Hurricanes.

FCD Premier Thornber, currently in first place, is riding a win streak. He picked up the 2001 boys playing on the older FCD Premier team. Kids that had been playing older 2000 boys and with experience in two State Cup Finals and two Dallas Cups. Their last loss coming in England to Wiggin back in July. Where they won or tied 14 of 16 festival and friendly matches. Back in Texas they went 4-0 at the King Tut, won their first regional league match in Tulsa, 2-0 over the team that beat FCD Spiars. In Classic League they have four shut-outs in five matches with a +18 goal differential. Their upcoming schedule has their two toughest opponents; Solar Fagen and FCD Spiars.

Next, Sporting United. A team I've watched three times this season. They have creative players and a fantastic forward. Their inconsistency will need to be addressed. They are capable of tying Solar Fagen, 2-2, in an entertaining and scrappy match, yet lose to Liverpool, 3-1. It doesn't make sense. They are also the only team able to penetrate FCD Premier's defense to score twice in a close, 3-2 loss.

The next tier of teams will earn most of their points playing each other and with an occasional upset over a top five team; Mexico FC, Liverpool Owen, Superior SC Aztecas, and FC Forzi.

Club America is in a very difficult place. They didn't have a single substitute in the game this past weekend and asked the referee to end the game early. They finished in a very respectable sixth place in D1 last year with seven wins. They haven't won a game in their first five matches this year.  It's going to be a long and challenging season.

The age pure brouhaha has died down. The decisions made on the July 1st signing day can only be viewed in the rear-view mirror.

Will be interesting to see how these teams compete against the 01 Pre-academy teams when they match up for Dallas Cup qualification.

The top four 01 teams match up this Wednesday, 9/28 at Richland College.

Solar vs. FCD in both matches.
Nipper (+18 GD) vs Fagen (+6 GD), two undefeated teams and Spiars (+8 GD) vs Stricker (+/- 0 GD).
High scoring offenses matching up against very good defenses.

http://events.gotsport.com/events/schedule.aspx?EventID=53839&GroupID=547996&Gender=Boys&Age=16

The forecast calls for some showers today but the weather will be clear for Wednesday night.

There were no Classic League or SRPL games for Solar Chelsea squads this past weekend. They'll be well rested for Wednesday.

The FCD squads were in San Marcos for SRPL action action against STX teams, Paso de Norte International and Houston Express. Spiars' boys had two big shut-out, 3-0 wins. Nipper's boys had similar results, winning 5-0 and 7-1.

http://events.gotsport.com/events/results.aspx?EventID=52489&Gender=Boys&Age=16

PG-any insight into the 7-0 score FCD Premier vs Solar Chelsea Elite?

I think Solar Chelsea Elite was far too tentative at the beginning of the game. FCD aggressively pressed to regain the ball, attacked from the get-go and scored within a few minutes. The cool weather allowed FCD to maintain a fast tempo throughout the match and they rarely let go of the ball. Solar had one or two yellow cards and a red card (2nd half). FCD was issued a yellow card.

Parity is the theme for the season, thus far.

The four teams at the end of the spectrum have virtually the same number of points; 3, 4 and 5. Goal differential (GD) will separate them at the end of the season when the relegation battle becomes fierce. FC Premier is at -9GD, Liverpool at -10GD, Superior Azteca at -11GD, Club America at -8GD.

Liverpool, Superior Azteca and Club America have already given up big GD and shut-out losses to FCD Premier. FC Premier Forzi, hasn’t faced FCDP yet. So Forzi can help his team immensely this weekend by containing the GD versus FCD Premier. They cannot afford to allow FCDP to light-up the scoreboard.

Club America, had a HUGE win over Liverpool and an important tie with Mexico FC which allowed them to leap out of the standings cellar.

Sporting United, a really talented team has been a head-scratcher. Being wildly inconsistent with only 2 wins, 4 losses and a tie. They can give FCD and Solar squads great matches, then lose to Superior Azteca. They are at 0GD while at the #6 spot.

Speaking of GD, five teams are at a negative, that’s normal. There are three with 0GD (Fagen, Stricker and Videla) and only two teams with positive GD.  The division has a lot of parity.

It appears the race for a Dallas Cup invitation will come down to one of the two FCD squads.

FCD Spiars trails FCDP by only three points. They have their big match-up on October 16th. The match will count triple because it impacts both CL D1 and SRPL standings and will also determine the outcome of the invitation to the Dallas Cup.

I believe GD is the tie-breaker. FCDP has the advantage with a current +32GD (six shut-outs in seven matches) while Spiars’ boys have +8GD (three shut-outs in seven matches).

Before the big match-up, Thornber’s FCDP boys meet FC Premier Forzi and Spiars will play Sporting United.

Misconduct Points; mostly UB which I think means unsportsmanlike behavior
11 Solar Chelsea Stricker
09 Superior Azteca
08 FCDP
07 FCD Spiars and FC Premier Forzi
06 Solar Chelsea Fagen
05 Liverpool and Club America
04 Mexico FC and Sporting United

Are we debating which FCD team will get the Dallas Cup bid....laugh out loud funny debate.....both will get in....FCD runs the tournament.....Premier is playing the best soccer right now.....Spiars is the 2016 Dallas Cup runner up.....moving on....

Agree that both will be in Dallas Cup. I haven't watched either play yet this year, but based on the stats, I've been very impressed at the improvement in Nipper's GF. They seemed to have a lot of trouble finishing when I watched them last year. Lots of possession. Lots of Shots, but not so many Shots on Goal. I don't know if that's been a point of emphasis in training or maybe adding even more talent with the roster churn of Birth Year, but last year they had 41 GF in 18 league games, and this year they already have 34 GF through 7 games. Wow.

Good Matchups at MoneyGram (One @ Richland) this Sunday...............thoughts / Predictions?

Mexico v Sporting United, 2-2.

Club America v FC Premier, 2-1.


FC Dallas Premier v FC Dallas Spiars, 2-1, Premier. Knocking Spiars into 3rd place.

Solar Stricker v Solar Fagen, 1-2. Fagen's boys will hopscotch Spiars into second place.

Superior SC Azteca v Liverpool, 2-1.

Mexico vs America
https://youtu.be/bp4xFtnrD0A

This link to an alternate to Gotsoccer.com was brought to my attention. It's a similar ranking system. Just plug in the age group and gender on the drop-down menu. Seven CAS or CAN teams are ranked in the Top 10 Nationally.

The local team national ranking (take it with a grain of salt) aligns fairly close to the current CL standings. Five TXN teams in the top 50, not too shabby.
(1)  FC Dallas Youth Premier   43.27 Score
(13) FC Dallas Youth Central    41.10
(28) Solar SC Chelsea Elite Fagen  40.42
(35) Solar SC Chelsea Stricker   40.26
(41) Sporting United SC   40.13
(53) Mexico FC   39.77
(57) Superior SC Azteca    39.75

http://youthsoccerrankings.us/index_2016.html

QUOTE on the linked page:
"COMPARE RANKINGS
A ranking systems' accuracy is measured by its "Predictive Power" (how often a higher ranked team beats a lower ranked team). A Predictive Power of 0% is equivalent to flipping a coin. 100% means the rankings always predict the result of a game (impossible given the random nature of the sport). Some ranking systems only rank the top 25 teams in each age group. That is not helpful if you are trying to flight a tournament. "Coverage" is the fraction of all games where both teams are ranked by the ranking system. Here is how the online ranking systems compare today:
PREDICTIVE POWER %
This site:             74.1%
Gotsoccer:           47.1%
Soccer in College: 42.5%
Top Drawer:          0%

FCD Spiars matches up against Solar Chelsea Elite tonight at Richland College. The last time they met, Solar came out on top, 2-1. Only one point separates them in the CL1 standings. A tie or win by Solar maintains their second place standing. A win by FCD has them replacing Solar in second. It should be a really exciting game.

FCD Spiars is having another great season. Only a couple of one goal losses keep them from repeating their success from last year. Their defense is a fortress. They held FCD Premier to a single goal.

Similarly, Solar has had immense success. Their only loss in CL coming at the feet of FCD Premier.