The final USSDA games of the season were played last Saturday for the Impact U18 and the Impact U16 teams.
Impact U18 on top
The U18 prevailed over Beachside SC in their last game, finishing first in the regular season general standings with a 22-2-2 record.
“I’m really proud of this group,” said Impact U18 head coach Jason Di Tullio. “It justifies the work that was done by the Academy staff over the last few years. Now, we have to go into the playoffs with class and quality to represent the club.”
Di Tullio’s players will start the first playoff phase on June 23. They will play three games in a four day span in Indianapolis, in the hopes of qualifying for the next phase.
The U16s end with a good performance
The Impact U16 did not succeed in making the playoffs, but they did end the season on a positive note, winning their last game 4-2 over Beachside SC, an opponent ranked second in the Impact’s division.
Impact U16 head coach Wilfried Nancy and his team will take part in the winter showcase tournament, also in Indianapolis, from June 22 to June 25.
Evaluation for the U13 and U14 teams
For the U13 and U14 teams, it was mostly a week of evaluations of the progress that was made in the group.
“We do these tests three times a year,” said U13 head coach Serge Dinkota. “It’s important for us to see the progress. These tests show us if we work well building our trainings.”
Both groups faced-off in an inter-squad game on Thursday to provide playing time to the U14 and to allow the U13 group to prepare for a friendly against CS Longueuil AAA U14. This game also helped in the evaluation process.
“The game approach was interesting since the players were put out of their comfort zones,” explained Dinkota. “Not having locker rooms and changing outside alters their preparation routine. The start of the match was affected, but we found our pace and in the second half, we were better on the field. We saw the game principles we worked on during the training week emerge and I was pleased with that.”
Ndiaye honoured
FC Montreal player Victor Omar Ndiaye was named to the USL Team of the Week for his good performance in the game against the New York Red Bulls II last weekend, in which he scored the tying goal in stoppage time.
