The Rapids Academy competed in its first tournament of the 2023 season this past weekend at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah. The academy’s U-15 and U-17 teams faced off against Real Salt Lake, Sporting KC and Real Colorado’s Academy sides during the weekend long preseason competition dubbed the Rocky Mountain Tournament.
The U-17’s three game slate kicked off on Friday with a late night match against tournament hosts Real Salt Lake. The Rapids immediately brought the intensity and earned themselves their first win of the tournament in a 2-1 stoppage time victory.
Despite a solid first half, the team conceded the first goal of the match in stoppage time of the first 45. The U-17’s entered the second half struggling to create chances with Salt Lake’s attack forcing the team deeper into their defensive half. However, an influx of energy and quality performances from the bench helped the Rapids to regain control of the attacking third, allowing Chuky Villalpando to find the equalizer in the dying minutes off an assist from Joel Ineh. The fight for the win seemed to be coming to a close as the team rounded into minute five of stoppage, but a late assist from Isiah Flores and a go ahead goal from Ineh ultimately earned Colorado its first win of the tournament in stoppage time.
The second match for the U-17’s ended in a 1-1 draw with Sporting KC on Saturday afternoon. The first half of the game was marked by quality chances from both sides, asking goalkeeper Jordan Lohr and defenders Patrick Dormoh, Maddox Brown, Isiah Flores and Tadeo Razo to stand tall against an aggressive Kansas City attack. Despite the team’s best efforts, the whistle blew at the end of first half with both teams unable to find the back of the net.
Heading into the second half, the Rapids were the first to give up a goal with only 15 minutes left in the match. Just 10 minutes later, Philip Pak recovered a ball in the midfield and sent a through ball to the feet of Josh Elicerio, giving the team its equalizer before the final whistle.
The third and final match of the weekend saw the Rapids face off against local rivals Real Colorado. Although the two teams met on foreign soil, the intensity of the match lived up to the long standing competition between the two sides. The team showed good defensive stability throughout the match as they fielded some of the U-17’s younger players. A strong performance in goal led Leo Medina to a well-deserved clean sheet alongside the defensive efforts of Colorado’s backline. The game saw a multitude of good moments in possession that led to goal scoring opportunities, but ultimately the match ended in a 0-0 draw for the two Colorado sides.
The U-15’s took the pitch for the first time on Friday night to square up against the home team, Real Salt Lake. The match turned out to be a positive test for the boys in burgundy as they faced off against a dominant Salt Lake attack. Despite their best efforts to stifle their opponent’s scoring efforts, the match saw Colorado fall in a 4-0 loss. Left back Miguel Alvardo proved to be the bright spot of the match, putting his body on the line to defend his goal, ultimately earning him the team’s man of the match honors.
After a night of rest, the U-15’s regrouped for their Saturday match against Sporting KC and found their rhythm after falling back into a 3-4-3 formation. The team put up a stellar performance on both sides of the pitch, creating multiple scoring opportunities and keeping the Kansas City offense from finding the back of the net throughout the 90 minutes. Goalkeeper Diego Ambriz notably posted a clean sheet during the match after putting up a mature and composed performance in goal.
On the opposite end of the pitch, wingbacks Jeremiah Vines and Tigre Sanchez created opportunities in the attacking half to help their team to a 3-0 win. Landon Strohmeyer was the first to find the back of the net off an assist from Sanchez, which was quickly followed by an assist from Brian Villalba on a goal from Vines. The third and final goal of the match was scored by Angel Reyes off an assist from Rafael Aguirre.
The U-15’s rounded out their weekend with an emotional rivalry against Real Colorado. A standout among the rest, Cristopher Madera was elected man of the match after putting in his best efforts in the midfield, providing attacking runs from a deeper position. Although the match ended in a 0-0 draw, the players were able to get quality minutes under their belts as they prepare for the challenges of a busy spring season.
