Last Saturday, Austin FC’s First Team made the trip north on I-35 to take on FC Dallas, but it wasn’t the Club’s only squad in action that day. Four Austin FC Academy teams also visited Frisco on October 30, and went undefeated in four matches against sides from the vaunted FC Dallas Academy.
Following the announcement earlier last week that Austin FC Academy midfielder Micah Burton had been called up to training camp for the U.S. U-17 Men’s National Team Camp in November, the program’s U13, U14, U15 and U17 teams all recorded impressive results on the road at the Toyota Soccer Center.
The Austin FC Academy U13 and U17 teams defeated Dallas 2-1 and 3-2 respectively, while the U14 and U15 sides each played to draws. The U17’s performance was particularly eye-catching, as Bryan Arellano tallied a goal and an assist and Aidan Lopez picked up two assists. The team’s backline of Alek Melo, Nick Kashambuzi, Drake Fournier and Joel Vergara put in a solid defensive shift as well.
“Our staff were pleased to see all of our teams compete at a high level this past weekend against FC Dallas,” said Austin FC Academy Director Tyson Wahl. “We have a lot of respect for what FC Dallas has done in youth development and our players demonstrated that we are headed in the right direction as an Academy.”
The Austin FC Academy has performed well across all age levels to begin the 2021-22 MLS NEXT season. The U13 and U17 teams each sit in first place in their respective divisions, while the U-14 and U-15 sides are in second place in theirs. The four teams have combined for 17 wins and only four losses in 23 total matches.
While the two older age groups are done with MLS NEXT action this calendar year, the Texas rivalry matches are set to continue for the U13 and U14 sides. Each team will compete against academy squads from San Antonio FC and Houston Dynamo FC before a winter break.
“Our teams are focused on our next league game and are tasked with maintaining the high level of performance that they displayed this past weekend,” said Wahl.
