SECAUCUS, N.J. - The Red Bull New York Youth Academy again showed why it is considered one of the top soccer programs in the nation as all three of its teams had successful campaigns in the United Soccer League Super Y-League Finals, held in Tampa, FL from Friday, November 17 to Tuesday, November 21.
The three teams combined for a 9-3-1 record with the U-14s leading the way and making it to Tuesday's final, before falling in a close encounter to the Chicago Magic, 2-1, after a late game-winning goal. The U-14s finished the tournament 4-1-0.
"It's great to see a team that starts from scratch at the beginning of the year and improve as the season progressed," Director of Youth Soccer and Player Development Giovanni Savarese said of the U-14s. "They had a good Super Y season, but they kept on improving and showed in Super Y Finals that they were getting better and better. We are very optimistic of the future."
Elsewhere, the U-15 and U-17s squads also impressed during the tournament. The U-15s were able to go 2-1-1 in the competition, defeating the Spokane Shadow in the group stage, 1-0, and Seacoast United, 2-1, in the consolation round. Meanwhile, the U-17s, led by forward Walter Hines who scored seven goals in four games, went 3-1-0 at the championships.
This was the first time in program history that Red Bull New York sent three teams to the Super Y-League Finals.
"I am very proud of the academy because first of all, they showed that they are professionals off the field. It's definitely something people notice right away," Savarese said. "They're improving as players and getting better everyday and everyone knows we are developing a good environment in the academy."
