The Houston Dynamo Football Club added two more trophies to its trophy case this weekend as the Dynamo Academy claimed the Copa Rayados this weekend in the U-15 and U-17 categories.In addition to the two championships, each Dynamo Academy team that competed reached at least the semifinals of the tournament in its age bracket.
“Each year we look forward to the Copa Rayados tournament because our players really enjoy the competition with other top clubs from different parts of the country, right here in Houston. The tournament itself allows for each team to get a handful of matches, each of which presents a new tactical challenge,” Dynamo Academy director Paul Holocher said. “We are proud of how all the teams played.They showed strong teamwork and spirit throughout the week. We are especially happy for the U-15 and U-16 teams who were able to claim the tournament championships this year.”
After winning a pair of MLS Cups as a player, Clublegend Ricardo Clark earned his first trophy as a coachon Sunday after leadingthe U-16 team to the U-17 tournament title at Bear Branch Park. The U-16 team finished with three victories and one draw in group play before posting back-to-back 3-1 victories in the knockout rounds to claim the title. Joshua Jory and Richard Garcia III combined for 10 goals andshared the tournament Golden Boot award.
The U-15 group claimed the tournament championship with a 4-2 victory over the Dallas Texans on Sunday. A brace from Brian Alanis and goals from Luis Orozco and Parker Jackson gave the Dynamo the triumph after falling early in the match. Sunday’s final was the second consecutive come-from-behind victory for the U-15 group after defeating Dynamo Unidos in the semifinal. The U-15 team outscored their opponents 6-0 in the group stage and scored seven goals in the final two matches of the tournament.
The U-14 squad finished with one victory and three draws this weekend at the Copa Rayados. The Dynamo finished group play with a 1-0 victory over Deportivo Juniors to qualify for the knockout round and fell 1-0 to Dallas Texans in the semifinal.
The U-13 group won four games and were held to a tie in the semifinals of the Copa Rayados this weekend. The Dynamo fell in penalty kicks in the semifinals but finished the fall season undefeated in regular season play with 13 victories and two draws.
The U-17 and U-19 teams return to action this weekend to close the year on the road against Rio Grande Valley FC.
