Day One of Winter Showcase

The u16 and u18 Juniors arrived in Phoenix on Thursday for the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Winter Showcase and began play today. Both teams faced Cosmos Academy East, whose u16s and u18s were in first place in the Liberty Division with perfect 2-0-0 records entering the match.

The Sporting u18s kicked off first and came back to earn a 1-1 draw. After a scoreless first half, Luckas Throckmorton scored the Juniors goal on an assist from Shane Bowlen. The u16s followed with a draw of their own, tying the Cosmos 2-2. Derek Schrick twice gave the Juniors a lead, first on an assist from David Leichty and then later firing home his own rebound.

The u16 and u18 Juniors will play their second games tomorrow against another team from the East Conference, South Central Premier.

U18's goalkeeper Jon Kempin will have an extra match to participate in on Saturday, as he was selected for the 1992/1993 Academy Select showcase match. Out of all 78 Academy Teams in attendance at this weekend's event, Kempin is part of a very elite group of players identified for the game.

We'll have another post up soon about Kempin, who has been representing more than just Sporting Kansas City as of late.