Loungin' Around

The ever-popular Players' Lounge is making another appearance here at Development Academy Finals Week. You better believe that the Gatorade Bar is there. Oh, and some video games? No brainer. Sweet tunes? Most definitely. Yes, the lounge at the Home Depot Center is undeniably awesome.

However, the newest addition in the lounge has been perhaps the most popular feature: Game DVDs. With the stakes high here at Finals Week, players have taken a keen interest in watching video of their games, and teams can be seen crowding around TVs as they dissect every move and play over 90 minutes. This afternoon the LAFC U-18s could be seen watching their 1-1 draw against the Columbus Crew in Group B play yesterday. The older LAFC team was along to support their U-16 clubmates in today's game, and with the replay of their game on in the lounge, they could be here all day. Who would have thought that video games would be the neglected activity in the tent?

College Soccer Education

This afternoon the eight Under-18 teams are getting the opportunity to find out what the next four years of their life could possibly be like while in college. Jay Vidovich, the head coach at Wake Forest University, will be talking to the 160 players about the best approach they should take as they move from high school and elite club soccer to the increased competition in college. Vidovich, who led the Demon Deacons to the national championship last year, knows what it takes to succeed at the college level, and that many times players come in unprepared. At one time, college soccer may have been a seasonal commitment, but now it's a year-long season and players need to approach the correct way if they want to continue to develop and contribute to their team's success.

We won't be there to check it out, but we did talk with U.S. Soccer Development Academy Technical Director John Hackworth who told us "to be a better player tomorrow, you need to put in the preparation today." Makes sense to us.

Later this week, Hackworth and U.S. Men's National Team head coach Bob Bradley will also be talking to the players about what it takes to make it all the way to the professional and full-team level. We've heard players talking among each other about this symposium and they are definitely giddy to hear from the head coach himself.

Just another of the great benefits of the DA...

Scout On

If the Development Academy players thought there were a lot of eyes on them during season games or at the Showcases, it doesn't compare to the amount of national team, college and professional coaches that will be seeing them this weekend. With only one match going on at a time (11 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. -- on most days), the scouts only have one game to choose from, and that means when you look out onto the field you see a ton of recognizable faces. At one game alone we saw DA Technical Director John Hackworth, Director of Scouting Dave Sarachan, U.S. MNT head coach Bob Bradley, Wake Forest University head coach Jay Vidovich, Development Academy Scout Raul Diaz Arce...we could go on but I think you get the picture - lots of decision makers keeping a close eye on the upcoming talent.

LAFC Homecoming

While there's been a good crowd for most of the matches here during the first couple days at Finals Week, one team is drawing more fans than any other. We'll give you one guess? That's right, the hometown club of LAFC, who actually have a team in both age groups (CASL is the only other club to pull off that feat). With so many fans able to come out and watch, it's definitely given LAFC a lift...or so it seems as their U-16 and U-18 sqauds pulled out victories during the first two days of games. While the older fellas didn't need much help as they cruised to a 6-0 win, the younger guys pulled off a remarkable come-from-behind victory by scoring two goals in extra time...maybe the 12th man pushing them on?? (Check out the highlights) We must admit, it's a pretty cool scene.

Universal Studios Tour

Even though the focus on this week has been matches and player education, it's not all business here in Carson for the participants. U.S. Soccer took a group to Universal Studios where they were treated to an hour-long backlot studio tour before hitting the rides. The Revenge of the Mummy Ride was a popular choice, along with the new Simpsons ride (which we admit is a personal favorite of the bloggers). All in all, a nice break from the action on the field for the guys. We'll be heading back tomorrow with a second group, so we'll try to get the candid photos of the kids freaking out on rides!

Special Spectators

Amongst the crowds gathering to watch the Finals Week matches have been a couple well-known spectators. U.S. national team midfielder Michael Bradley, who is in Los Angeles on break and getting ready for the upcoming season, has frequently wandered out to the fields to check out the action. Also making an appearance today was goalkeeper Brad Guzan, whose former club the Chicago Magic is competing for the U-15/16 title. "You have to remember where you came from," said Guzan, who was planning to visit with his old team later in the afternoon.

Media 101

There's been a handful of media that's made their way out to The Home Depot Center already these past few days, which means a number of players are getting the chance to test out their new skills...new skills you say? Well, during the first days of Finals Week when teams weren't playing games they went through a media training session, their first of a handful of educational symposiums they'll take part in during the week. Conducted by the U.S. Soccer Communications staff, the players were informed how to handle themselves in front of the media, what things they should say and shouldn't say and were given real life examples of good and bad examples from actual scenarios that occurred with some of their favorite MNT players.

So...did they pay attention? Well, read some quotes or watch some of the interviews and find out for yourself.

U.S. U-17 WNT

The five missing members of the group met the rest of the team at Marvin Lee Stadium, where the squad will play their Group A matches against Costa Rica, El Salvador and Trinidad & Tobago. The team trained within the Joao Havelange Centre of Excellence, but not on the turf field that is Marvin Lee Stadium.

Home team Joe Public F.C. was training as the team arrived, and continued almost through the end of the U.S. team's practice session.

U.S. U-17 Women Settle Into Trinidad

While the Development Academy Finals Week is unfolding at The Home Depot Center, the U.S. Under-17 Women's National Team has arrived in Port of Spain, Trinidad, ahead of the 2008 CONCACAF Under-17 Women's Championship. The U.S. team arrived in Trinidad sans five members, who were stuck in Miami after bad weather delayed their flights out of Atlanta, Ga. The four players - Kathryn Bennett, Cloee Colohan, Alexis Harris and Courtny Verloo - and goalkeeper coach, Amy Griffin, are scheduled to arrive just in time for the team's afternoon training session.

Group B Action

Day 1 is complete here at the HDC, and that means that Group B has just finished up out on the field. In the first mach, the Columbus Crew defeated CASL, 2-0, behind goals from Thomas Schmitt and Michael Green. The Crew got the best possible start to their Finals Week when Schmitt scored within 2 minutes. CASL had their chances, but ultimately the Crew iced the game with a late, well-taken goal from Mike Green.

The best team performance on the day came from LAFC, who dismantled Concorde Fire, 6-0 in the final match of the evening. Bolstered by vocal and riotous home support, LAFC wasted no time taking the game to their opponents, and goals from Robert Freiss, Carlos Alvarez (2), Cesar Barajas and Kevin Mejia, gave LAFC a 5-0 halftime lead. By then the result was never in doubt, and LAFC saw out the rest of the game easily. Their fans enjoyed every minute of it, including when Alvarez completed the hat trick in the 66th minute to account for the final 6-0 margin.

It was a great day to kick off Finals Week and there will be plenty more tomorrow as the U-15/16 division gets underway, with the first game beginning at 11 a.m. Don't forget to check ussoccer.com for all the latest results, and stay tuned for highlights from Saturday's action.

Finals Week Begins

Development Academy Finals Week is underway here at the Home Depot Center, and there are some results to report from the early set of games from the U-17/18 Group A

Four goals from Chris Agorsor spurred the Baltimore Bays to a convincing 4-1 victory over the Chicago Fire. Agorsor scored once in the first half, before completing a classy second half hat trick to seal all three points for the team from the Mid-Atlantic Conference. A late Andy Huftlain goal proved scant consolation for the Chicago Fire. The blog has also learned that Agorsor, Gatorade's High School Player of the Year for 2008, has been named to Dave Sarachan's U-18 Roster that will be traveling to Uruguay and Paraguay for four games at the end of July.

In the other Group A match, it was honors even between FC Westchester and Colorado Rush. Jonathan Gallagher's free kick in the 26th minute gave FCW a lead going into the half time break, but Colorado responded well in the second period. Eventually Rush's pressure paid off, and Zack Foxhoven equalized in the 64th minute. The Colorado sub latched on to a clever through ball from Morgan Sacco and buried the ball in the back of the net. Despite trading late chances, the two sides finished 90 minutes with a share of the points.

So after 1 match in Group A, the table looks like this:

1. Baltimore Bays 3 +3
2. Colorado Rush 1 0
3. FC Westchester 1 0
4. Chicago Fire 0 -3

We're off to watch this afternoon's games from Group B: CASL vs. Columbus Crew at 4 pm, followed by Concorde Fire vs. LAFC at 6 pm. Be sure to check back later for more results!

Fire Traveling West

The U-18 Chicago Fire punched their ticket to the DA Finals Week, courtesy of last week's victory over Scott Gallagher. With the victory, the Fire leapfrogged Chicago Sockers to earn the Mid-America conference berth to Finals Week in Carson, CA beginning on June 12.

See the full list of Finals Week participants here.