CHESTER, Pa. – The New England Revolution Academy Under-16 team was eliminated from the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Playoffs today after suffering a 5-3 extra time defeat in their quarterfinal match with the Philadelphia Union at PPL Park’s Training Grounds in Chester, Pennsylvania.
After a lively opening from both sides where Josue Mongue tested Revs goalkeeper Trey Miller in the first minute before Isaac Angking fired over the bar seconds later, it was Philadelphia that took the lead in the 12th minute. Moments after Matthew Real had hit the post for the Union, a cross was whipped in from the left and winger Jack Skahan planted a powerful header into the top corner to make the score 1-0.
The Revs hit back midway through the first half, when Izaiah Jennings picked up the ball in midfield, dribbled at the Philadelphia defense, and played in a streaking Daniel Jones who took a touch before sliding a low finish past Andrew Verdi and into the bottom corner, tying the score at 1-1 in the 20th minute. The Revs would pull in front 13 minutes later when they were awarded a penalty kick after Aaron James burst into the area and was brought down by a Union defender. Isaque Couto stepped up to convert his third penalty kick of the Playoffs and ensure the Revs went into the halftime break with a 2-1 lead.
Philadelphia came out strong in the second half and equalized in the 52nd minute. After Miller had already made two big saves in the opening 11 minutes of the half, he was unable to stop substitute Alex Soto, who struck a powerful effort that cannoned off the crossbar before rebounding off Miller and into the back of the net to tie the score at 2-2.
The Revs pushed hard for another go-ahead goal, with defender Calvin Aroh twice going close with headers while Justin Rennicks could only fire over the bar after being found by Matt Ranieri.
Against the run of play, the Union would pull in front with just five minute remaining as Raheem Taylor-Parkes scored in the 75th minute. The forward, who had only been on the field for six minutes, received a cross from the left and found himself free in front of goal and he knocked the ball into the corner to put the Union 3-2 up.
However, that lead would only last a minute as Couto tallied his second of the game to send the match into extra time. Andrew Barrowman played the ball to Couto on the top of the box, and the midfielder cut past several challenges before lashing a left-footed drive into the bottom right corner to tie the score at 3-3.
The home side again took the initiative at the start of extra time, with Tiger Graham shooting just over from inside the area while Miller, who made seven saves on the day, denied what looked a certain goal with a fingertip stop on Justin McMaster’s close-range effort. New England’s resistance was broken in the 89th minute, as Taylor-Parkes beat the Revs’ offside trap and slid a low shot into the far corner from a tight angle, putting the Union up 4-3.
The Revolution threw numbers forward in the second half of extra time, but a curling effort from distance off the foot of Barrowman that forced Verdi into a diving save was as close as they would come. In stoppage time at the end of the second period of extra time, the Revs pushed all 11 players forward for a corner kick, and, once it was cleared, Taylor-Parkes won a footrace with Jones to the loose ball and scored into an empty net to complete his hat trick and eliminate the Revolution from the Development Academy Playoffs.
New England Revolution U-16s vs. Philadelphia Union U-16s
U.S. Soccer Development Academy Quarterfinals
July 8, 2015 – PPL Park Training Grounds (Chester, Pa.)
New England Revolution 3, Philadelphia Union 5
After Extra Time
Scoring Summary:
PHI – Jack Skahan 12’
NE – Daniel Jones (Izaiah Jennings) 20’
NE – Isaque Couto (Penalty Kick) 33’
PHI – Alex Soto 52’
PHI – Raheem Taylor-Parkes 75’
NE – Isaque Couto (Andrew Barrowman) 76’
PHI – Raheem Taylor-Parkes 89’
PHI – Raheem Taylor-Parkes 102+
Misconduct Summary:
PHI – Joseph DeZart (Yellow Card) 22’
PHI – Tiger Graham (Yellow Card) 46’
PHI – Anthony Fontana (Yellow Card) 100’
New England Revolution: Trey Miller; Matt Ranieri, Nick Woodruff, Calvin Aroh, Daniel Jones; Max Diamond, Isaque Couto, Isaac Angking (Joe Brito 57’); Aaron James (Alex Clarke 57’), Izaiah Jennings (Andrew Barrowman 70’), Justin Rennicks (Andrew Talcott 91’).
Substitutes Not Used: Eddie Walsh, Travis van Brewer, Kevin Vang.
Philadelphia Union: Andrew Verdi; Robert Campbell (Andrew Aprahamian 81’), Mark McKenzie, Auston Trusty, Matthew Real; Jack Skahan (Anthony Fontana 85’), Joseph DeZart (Raheem Taylor-Parkes 69’), Lamine Conte, Josue Mongue (Alex Soto 41’); Tiger Graham, Jerren Nixon (Justin McMaster 41’).
Substitutes Not Used: Justin Bajek, Freeman Dwamena.
Weather: Partly Cloudy and 89 degrees
