Day 1 of 3
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Rosters: 2002 | 2003
CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Nov. 26, 2016) — The annual US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program (US Youth Soccer ODP) Boys Thanksgiving Interregional opened Saturday at Grande Sports World in Casa Grande, Ariz.
The three-day tournament will take place Nov. 26-28 and feature teams in the 2002 and 2003 age groups comprised of the top male players in the country.
The event will feature more than 140 of the nation’s top players selected from US Youth Soccer State Association and Regional level evaluations. In each age group, players will attend scheduled training sessions and also compete in matches against each of the other regional teams.
The US Youth Soccer ODP Boys Thanksgiving Interregional annually attracts numerous college coaches, as well as several U.S. Soccer scouts. The talent on display from each team allows coaches and scouts to evaluate players in an environment similar to what they will face at the next level of play.
Highlights from Day 1:
2002s | Region II 1, Region III 1
In the 2002 age group, the Region II and Region III teams battled to a 1-1 draw. Region II got on the board first as Jack Finnegan put the ball in the back of the net with the assist coming from Kirezi Freddy as well as Omar Fregoso. Region III evened the match when John Franks capitalized on a penalty kick. As neither team took the lead by the end of the 80-minute match, the game remained even until the end.
2002s | Region IV 1, Region I 0
On the other end of the 2002 age group, Region IV and Region I also played in a close matchup as Region IV claimed a 1-0 win. All it took was a penalty kick from Region IV’s Daniel Powell and a solid defensive line to hold onto the lead until the final whistle.
2003s | Region IV 3, Region I 0
The Region IV team in the 2003 age group opened up the Thanksgiving Interregional with a 3-0 win over Region I. Region I had an early opportunity when they received a penalty kick, but the shot was block by Region IV’s goalkeeper, Tyler Reavis. However, Region IV did gain the lead when Anthony Robertson finished a goal. Christian Nydegger quickly made it a 2-0 game shortly after, and Region IV topped off the match with one final goal from Dylan Akau.
2003s | Region II 5, Region III 1
On the other side of the 2003 age group, Region II went on a scoring spree and defeated Region III, 5-1. Region II’s Jack Sartino scored the first goal, while Matthew Roou scored the second with an assist from Patrick Weah. Weah also helped create the third goal as he assisted Griffin Gyurci. Jacob Bergin of Region II found Roou to increase the lead once again, and Roou also went on to finish his third goal of the match while tacking on Region II’s fifth goal. Although Region III got on the board with a goal from Ernest Muirhead, Region II took the victory.
US Youth Soccer ODP is the original Olympic development program. With programs in all 55 US Youth Soccer State Associations, it is available to any player. US Youth Soccer ODP is the only elite player development program that can claim members of Major League Soccer and the National Women’s Soccer League, as well as the majority of current and past national and youth national team members, as alumni. To learn more, visit www.usyouthsoccer.org/programs/OlympicDevelopmentProgram.
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