Development Academy: D.C. United, McLean Youth Soccer, Baltimore Bays Chelsea each win a pair

By Jimmy LaRoue

D.C. United, Baltimore Bays Chelsea, McLean Youth Soccer, Potomac, Virginia Rush and the Richmond Strikers were all in action in Development Academy play over the weekend, with United, McLean and Bays Chelsea each picking up a pair of wins, while Potomac went 0-1-1 on the weekend. Only Rush and Strikers lost both its games, but by close margins.

On Saturday, United’s U-18s defeated NJSA 04 5-2, with Denis Najar scoring twice, helping United rally from a two-goal deficit. United also got goals from Kennedy O’Shea, Patrick Foss and Jorge Calix in the win. Defender Lars Eckenrode, who appeared with United’s reserves in a 2-0 loss to Montreal today, played as a reserve in the academy match.  In the U-16 match, United beat NJSA 3-1 behind two goals from Bruno Zambrana and another from Graydon Hester.

McLean’s U-18s, meanwhile, won a tight, 2-1 game against visiting Virginia Rush, as Conor Nogueira and David Galdo scored in the first 10 minutes of the match, with Nogueira’s goal coming in the first minute. Rush’s Mason Duke cut the lead with an 81st minute goal, but was unable to get the equalizer. In the two teams’ U-16 game, McLean broke open a one-goal game with two goals from William Metzler to win 3-0. Cayln Clyburn scored the other goal for McLean.

Potomac, meanwhile, did not score in either matchup against FC DELCO but put forth a strong defensive effort nonetheless. FC DELCO scored a lone goal to win the U-18 matchup, while the two teams played to a scoreless tie in the U-16s.

On Sunday, Baltimore Bays Chelsea picked up a pair of 1-0 wins against visiting Richmond Strikers, with Yaw Amankwa scoring the lone goal in the U-18 game in the 27th minute, and Abdallah Bangura scored the only goal in the 38th minute in the U-16s win.