FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Two players on the New England Revolution Under-16 squad and the team’s head coach were honored this weekend by U.S. Soccer following the completion of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy’s 2010 season.
Under-16 midfielder Diego Fagundez (Leominster, Mass.) was named to the U15/16 Development Academy Starting XI, honoring him as one of the top 11 players across the country in the Development Academy. In 2010, Fagundez, 15, scored 20 goals in 30 games.
Additionally, forward Felix DeBona (Everett, Mass.) and Fagundez both earned spots on the U15/16 East Conference Starting XI. The Revolution was the only team in the East Conference with multiple players earning recognition on the conference’s Starting XI squad.
Under-16 head coach Bryan Scales, also the head men’s soccer coach at UMass-Lowell, was named East Conference Coach of the Year. Scales, who joined the Revolution’s youth development staff before the 2009-10 season, led the U16 squad to the Northeast Division title this year and to the team’s first-ever appearance in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy playoffs, where they lost a tie-breaker to advance to the national finals.
“We are very pleased that Diego and Felix have been recognized for their tremendous play this season,” Revolution Director of Youth Development Karl Edmonds said. “They both had stand-out seasons and were big parts of the team’s success into the playoffs. And, Bryan has been a fantastic addition to our coaching staff. We are very excited that he has been recognized for his work this year with the Under-16s.”
Both Fagundez and DeBona have been named to the Revolution’s 2010-11 youth squads, with Fagundez set to return to the Under-16 team, while DeBona will move up to the Under-18 squad.
Entering its third season, the Revolution’s youth program is the only fully-funded youth soccer program in New England, and competes in the prestigious U.S. Soccer Development Academy. Qualified and talented players will be accepted into the Revolution’s youth program without regard to their financial situation. All players’ needs and expenses related to soccer activities – training, facilities, equipment, uniforms, travel associated with competitions – are provided by the Revolution at no cost to the players or their families. In 2010, both the Under-16 and Under-18 teams advanced to the playoffs.
REVOLUTION DIRECTOR OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT KARL EDMONDS:
On Diego Fagundez:
Diego is a fantastic all-around player and very much deserves this honor from the Development Academy. He competes for every ball, and he possesses terrific ball control and balance. Diego also has a wonderful ‘football brain,’ which has benefited all of our players as they play with him. What makes Diego special, though, is that he is a very respectful young man and a great member of the community, as well.
On Felix DeBona:
Felix has proved to be a formidable player this season. The team consistently played through Felix and his link-up play was the trademark of the team this season. Felix was a mainstay for the team and a player the other players looked to for guidance. He not only proved to be a great link-up player, but he also proved to be a goal scorer, and he scored goals from every position, in and out of the box with his head and feet. Felix is also very likable and respectful of his peers.
On Bryan Scales:
Bryan simply did a terrific job this season, and deserves this honor from U.S. Soccer. Bryan brought a very consistent game plan to the Under-16's this season. He coached the players to trust one another, play simple, keep the ball and get forward. All of the players bought into the plan immediately and generated a unique team bond that saw them win the Northeast division and come so close at the playoffs to a spot in the national finals. Bryan continually gave positive feedback to this team in games and practices, and his knowledge base won the respect of the players and fellow coaches. Bryan is extremely professional, and it was this demeanor that gave the boys the impetus to work hard and never accept coming second in games and training.
