Frisco, TX — Orlando City SC U17 lifted the MLS NEXT Cup trophy at Toyota Stadium on Saturday night, after beating Players Development Academy of New Jersey on penalties.
The U17 Final between Orlando and PDA finished 0-0 at the end of regulation time, but Orlando ended up champions after goalkeeper Isaac Delgado saved two penalties, helping them win the shootout 3-1.
Delgado made a fantastic penalty save to clinch the shootout, and immediately pointed towards the sky.
“I just tried to (wait to dive) until the last second, and the man up there is the one that helped me,” he said of his approach to the shootout.
Despite there being no goals in regulation time, both teams had a flurry of chances and both goalkeepers had stellar performances.
Orlando striker Ethan Subachan caused the PDA defense all sorts of problems with his runs in behind, however he could not beat goalkeeper of the tournament, PDA’s Rafael Ponce De Leon.
In the second half, Orlando right back Alex Freeman made a marauding run up from defense and found himself through on goal, but his tremendous effort hit the post.
PDA had lots of chances of their own, and the match was quite even. For both teams, especially the busy defenses and goalkeepers, the match was a grind.
“The game was 50-50 I think. We had to suffer as a team, throughout the whole game,” Delgado said. “For Orlando, winning this is amazing. We put ourselves on the map, for the first time in Orlando history. It’s just indescribable, this feeling.”
When lifting the trophy, the players sang “Vamos Orlando,” just as the club’s fans do for the first team. It was apparent that the team was proud to win for their city.
“I think it comes from the people themselves, in Orlando,” midfielder David Boccuzzo said on why he thinks Orlando has really taken to the club. “They’re hard working people, and people enjoy watching entertaining soccer, and that’s what we try to bring to the game.”
Also evident in the celebration was each player’s pride for their different heritage and family backgrounds. Many of the players wore different countries’ flags around their waist in the celebration, including Delgado who had the Colombian flag on his back.
“Diversity in soccer is very big. It helps the whole team,” Delgado said about the different nationalities in his team. “We have people from different parts of Africa, South America and the US itself. I feel like diversity bonds us together.”
After the match, head coach Javier Carrillo was full of praise for his young men.
“I think these guys, since the beginning of the season, have been very focused on what they wanted, which is to be champions here,” he said. “We come every single day to compete, and today they showed it. There were difficult times today in the game, but they were able to stick together and get through those situations.”