PORTLAND, Ore. – After an extended break in match play, the Portland Timbers Academy teams resume their 2012-13 U.S. Soccer Development Academy schedule this weekend on the road against Californian clubs De Anza Force and Santa Cruz Breakers Academy.
Playing their first matches since Dec. 16, the Timbers Academy teams face De Anza force on Saturday at De Anza College in Cupertino, Calif., with the U-18 teams meeting at 12 noon (Pacific) and the U-16 squads playing at 2:30 p.m.
The Timbers Academy teams then travel to Aptos, Calif., to take on the Santa Cruz Breakers on Sunday; the U-18 teams kick off at 10 a.m., and the U-16s sides square off at 12:30 p.m.
Entering the weekend, the Timbers U-18 Academy sits in fifth place in the Northwest Division with a 5-6-2 (17pts) record. The Timbers U-16 Academy is 4-5-4 (16pts) and are ranked sixth in the division. The two teams have been training regularly at the adidas Timbers Training Center since early January.
The weekend’s matches will mark the seventh and eighth consecutive road matches for the Timbers Academy teams.
Timbers ODP Pre-Academy boys and girls teams show well at ODP regional championships
The Timbers sent five Pre-Academy ODP teams – three girls teams and two boys teams – to the Olympic Development Program (ODP) Region IV Championships, held earlier this month at the Bettye Wilson Complex in Las Vegas. The three Timbers Girls ODP teams – ’96, ’97 and ’98 – all reached the semifinals for their respective age groups.
The Timbers Pre-Academy ODP Boys ’97 finished the tournament with a 2-2-0 record, including wins against the ODP teams from Alaska and Arizona. The Timbers Pre-Academy ODP Boys ’98 squad opened the tournament with a draw against New Mexico and a win over Nevada on their way to securing a 2-1-1 record during the regional competition.
The Timbers ODP Girls ’96 team tallied an impressive 11 goals in five games during the ODP Region IV Championship and reached the semifinals for their age group. After opening with a 6-0 win over Utah South, the ’96 Girls defeated Washington and also tied Nevada to reach the semifinal, where they fell 1-0 to Cal South.
With three straight shutouts to open the tournament, the Timbers ODP Girls ’97 went unbeaten at 3-0-1 in group play and faced Cal South in the semifinals. The ’97 Girls claimed victories over Arizona, Idaho and Utah and earned a draw against Cal North.
The Timbers ODP Girls ’98 also put together a strong defensive performance during the ODP Region IV Championship, allowing just one goal in four games. After defeating Alaska 3-0 in the opening game, the ’98 Girls recorded shutouts against Cal North and New Mexico in a pair of scoreless draws. Their only goal allowed in the competition was in double overtime of a 1-0 loss to Washington in the semifinal.
Timbers now enrolling youth players for Spring Break soccer camps
The Timbers are offering a special Spring Break youth soccer camp March 25-28 at JELD-WEN Field for players 5-13 years of age. It’s one of multiple camps currently being offered by the Timbers this spring. Click here for the complete list of youth soccer camps.
The Timbers’ camp program is one of the most popular soccer camp programs in the Northwest. Each camp offers a highly skilled coaching staff and a low coach-to-player ratio. Additionally, Timbers camps offer curriculum centered on age-appropriate exercises that will help develop a love for the game as well as teach the technical skills to become a better soccer player. For more information, visit www.portlandtimbers.com/youth.
