By Daniel Robertson
FC Dallas Juniors join the Dallas Cup Super Group in 2010 becoming the second MLS Academy team(Toronto FC in 2009) and first American MLS academy team to participate in the Super Group. Playing at home in Pizza Hut Park, the Hoops have the added advantage of playing on the Stadium field where they have faced teams like the Houston Dynamo Academy before as well as playing on the outer PHP fields where their US Development Academy matches are played. Coached by former FC Dallas and Dallas Burn legend Oscar Pareja and former Dallas Sidekicks indoor player Chris Hayden , the U18 Juniors sit tied for second in the Texas Division of the US Soccer Development Academy tied with the Houston Dynamo and three points behind the Lonestar Aztex Academy from Austin.
The FC Dallas roster coming to Dallas Cup features a team full of exciting young talents with three players called into the 36-player Men's U18 National Team camp earlier this year and two other players in the 2010 U20 Men's National Team player pool. The team is led, however, by their dynamic goal scorer Ruben Luna. Luna, who has featured prominently for the FC Dallas first team in pre-season games this year, comes to Dallas Cup looking to strut his stuff against some of the biggest teams in the world after taking the Development Academy by storm in 2009. The U16 Development Academy national player of the year in 2009, Luna is a pure finisher who has scored 12 goals in 15 games for the Juniors in DA play this season.
The defense for the Juniors will be anchored by Jael Barrera who has started all 16 Academy games for the U18 Juniors and University of Wisconsin commit Jacob Gerondale. The outside backs for the Juniors will feature a mix of three US Youth Internationals in Michael Ambrose, Jack Coleman and Moises Hernandez Jr. In the center of the FC Dallas midfield is the heart of the team and their captain Victor Ulloa. Ulloa, a long haired box-to-box midfielder, is cool on the ball and rarely makes an errant pass while picking his spots to get forward well.
Along with Luna, the impetus behind FCD's attack will come from NC State commit Chris Figueroa and Cody Adams, an attacking winger with flair and a never say die attitude, who will play at the University of Denver in the fall. They will be looking to give service to both Luna and U16 Development Academy star Jonathan Top. Top has equaled Luna's goal scoring exploits at the U16 level notching an incredible 16 goals in 14 games for the Juniors this season.
FC Dallas will have a chance to show what they're made of right off the bat with one of the biggest games of the Super Group week, a Sunday afternoon Pizza Hut Park stadium showdown in front of their home fans with English Premier League giants Chelsea FC. After their tussle with Chelsea, they will face Los Rayados of Monterrey on Monday evening at 6 on PHP field #6 before finishing their group schedule vs LD Alajuelense from Costa Rica.
Stay tuned to the Dallas Cup Blog for the final five team previews as we have just 5 days left until the start of Dallas Cup XXXI on March 28!
Past Super Group Previews
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