Vardar Home

    Academy Home
    Coaching Staff
    Academy Club News
    Training Schedule
    Player Development
    System
    2010 Tryouts

    Video Player
    Visual Media
    College Recruiting
    Alumni
    Vardar Pro Players
    SPARQ Resources
    Health & Nutrition

    Academy Team Pages
       U-15/16
       U-17/18
       Schedules
       Standings
    Academy News
    Academy Presentation
    Academy Clubs
    U.S. Soccer FAQ

    You Tube Videos
    Twitter
    Facebook

 
 

    Academy News

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 

 

 
 

 

Vardar Defeats Crossfire 3-1 To Win U-17/18 National Title

CARSON, Calif. (July 17, 2010) — Two second half goals by Vardar’s Derek Schrauben helped the Michigan side come from behind to defeat Crossfire Premier and win the 2009-10 Development Academy U-17/18 national championship at The Home Depot Center. Liam Kelly lit up the scoreboard in the 12th minute for Crossfire, but Vardar recovered and tied it in the 29th minute before winning with Schrauben’s heroics late in the game.

“We were confident that there were things we could do better in the second half and get back to doing things the way we know how,” said Vardar head coach Demir Muftari. “The boys really responded well and had a really good second half. It was good not only to get the second one, but also to get that third one and put them away.”

The championship match was the first for both teams in their first appearances at Finals Week. Vardar earned a spot in the final through offensive fireworks, scoring seven times in group matches—with one of those goals being the difference between them and Real So Cal that got them into the championship match. Crossfire Premiere went the other way, rebounding from an opening game loss to FC Dallas to respond with two straight shutout wins to finish at the top of Group 1.   
READ FULL GAME SUMMARY

 


 

Video Player

To view the latest Academy information, including schedules, standings, player rosters and contact information , please visit the U-15/16 And U-17/18 Academy Team Pages

To view the latest information on the Development Academy, please visit the Development Academy Home Page on ussoccer.com. 

 

ACADEMY ON THE WEB -- NEW

 

ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” aired a feature this past week covering U.S. Soccer’s player development initiative leading up to the World Cup this summer.  The short feature includes footage from Development Academy events and has interviews from the L.A. based Academy club, LAFC Chelsea.

 
 

Development Academy Description

Developing the Next Generation

U.S. Soccer’s Development Academy program is driven by the game and its players, coaches and referees.  This game-centric approach allows for long-term development to occur through a deep understanding of what makes players successful around the world.  As the sport of soccer grows in the United States, young players in our country need the proper environment to compete against the world’s elite.  The U.S. Soccer Development Academy program provides the optimum developmental environment for the nation’s top youth soccer players, coaches and referees by emphasizing development through quality training and limited, meaningful competition.

 

Meaningful Training

Academy teams spend a greater amount of time focused on training to improve as individuals and as a team. The teams and players receive direct feedback and evaluations from National Team Staff and ProZone video analysis. To round-out the complete training environment, Academy teams are tested in their physical capabilities using the SPARQ testing methodology and their hydration levels by Gatorade.  They also receive a SPARQ training curriculum for soccer-specific athletic training and Nutrition and Hydration recommendations from Gatorade’s Sports Science Institute.  Each athlete then gains a greater understanding of how they compare physically against their peers and what they need to do to achieve their optimal performance levels. 

Competitive Environment

The Academy program features teams from the top youth clubs from around the country. Each Academy team plays approximately 30 regular season games to ensure all games are meaningful. Games are also played according to FIFA’s Laws of the Game and officiated by a pool of the nation’s top young referees in order to prepare players for the next level of competition. National Team Scouts regularly attend Academy games, so players are evaluated over the course of the season and in their natural positions allowing for better player assessment.

Early Success

As the program enters its second year, it has already dramatically impacted the player development process in the United States. In 2008, more than 100 players from Academy clubs were included in U.S. Youth National Teams and almost 800 graduates from the inaugural Academy class participated in college soccer the following fall. Virtually all college programs use the Academy program as a scouting vehicle and the program has received increased attention from professional scouts representing domestic and international clubs. Visit ussoccer.com to view the top Academy teams in action.

Development Academy Presentation

Please click here to learn more about the origins of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy program

U.S. Soccer FAQ

Further questions about the Development Academy can be answered in this U.S. Soccer FAQ.

 
 
 
Local and National News Articles about Academy  
   

Carlisle, Jeff. U.S. Soccer Federation Overview.  ESPN.

 
•  "U.S. Soccer overhauls its youth programs."
• 
"Development Academy is also an educational tool for coaches."
• 
"USSF models youth development on a mix of foreign concepts."
• 
"Pay-to-play aspect still permeates youth soccer."
• 
"Lower age groups in U.S. youth soccer still need overhaul."
-29 Jan. 2009
1 Feb. 2009
5 Feb. 2009
-19 Feb. 2009
-26 Mar. 2009
 
   
Mercer, David.  Sports: Soccer.  USA Today  
•  "Young soccer players chasing pro dreams at new academies."  -17 Apr. 2009
   
 
 
 

 

©Copyright 2010 Vardar Soccer Club. All rights reserved.  ®