ODP South Results | ODP South Photos
North Texas Olympic Development Program (ODP) State Teams combined for 15 wins, eight losses and one draw while competing in the US Youth Soccer ODP Southern Regional Championships. Four North Texas teams advanced to the semifinals after completing group play, with the 2006 Boys reaching the championship game.
ODP State Teams from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, North Texas, South Texas and Tennessee converged in Auburndale, Fla., the weekend of January 24th – 26th to compete for the right to be crowned as ODP South Region Champions.
Group Recaps
2008 Girls (12-Under)
The 2008 Girls got off to a hot start as they defeated Louisiana in their first group play game, 4-1. In the next match, the 2008 Girls ran into eventual champions Georgia and despite their best efforts, fell 3-0. North Texas 08 defeated South Texas – El Paso 6-0 to secure a spot in the semifinals.
The semifinal game was a rematch against Georgia that was back and forth with many opportunities. Going into halftime the score was knotted at one apiece. The second half was much of the same with play bounding up and down the field but great defense on both sides kept the score locked. This was until the last 10 minutes of the game, where Georgia was able to find the back of the net and gain the lead. As momentum shifted into Georgia’s favor, the eventual champs were able to find the back of the net a few more times before the final whistle blew.
2008 Boys (12-Under)
The 2008 Boys asserted their dominance in group play early on with a 2-1 win over Florida – B. Next up was Louisiana, and in similar fashion the 08 Boys were able to take care of business, beating their neighbors to the east 3-1. North Texas wrapped up group play by taking down Alabama – II by a score of 4-1.
Like their female counterparts, the 08 Boys too faced Georgia in the semifinals. The 08 Boys were quickly under attack, but the North Texas side kept their opposing forwards at bay. Eventually Georgia was able to break down the defensive line and sneak a few past the keepers to ultimately end North Texas 08’s tournament run.
2007 Girls (13-Under)
Shortly after the opening whistle, the 2007 Girls were able to find an early lead over Tennessee in the first contest. Tennessee would respond by finding the back of the net a few times before the final whistle blew. Following the loss, the North Texas side bounced back and took down North Carolina by a score of 2-1. While North Texas missed out on a wildcard spot, they handled business in the consolation matches with a pair of 3-0 wins over Louisiana and South Texas – El Paso.
2007 Boys (13-Under)
The 2007 boys started off on the winning foot beating Florida – B by a 3-1 score on Friday morning. The North Texas side followed that up with a tough match with a quality Louisiana side that resulted in a 2-2 tie.
The semifinal against Georgia began as a defensive showcase as neither team could find a goal in the first half. Shortly after the intermission, Georgia was able to find a 1-0 lead. As the game progressed, the 07 Boys ramped up the pressure and were able to find the equalizer. Georgia would take the lead again shortly thereafter and ultimately secure a finals spot. The North Texas side would finish with a defeat in a consolation game against Florida – B.
2006 Girls (14-Under)
The 2006 Girls faced a tough opening match against eventual champions Florida – A. The North Texas side battled hard but in the end fell to the host state 1-0. North Texas 06 pushed forward and finished off group play with a solid 2-1 win over North Carolina, but ultimately missed out on a semifinal berth on based on goal differential. In the consolation games, the 06 Girls were able to pick up two more quality wins, taking down Alabama 4-0 before finishing the tournament by knocking off Georgia 2-1.
2006 Boys (14-Under)
The 2006 Boys stood out amongst their group, having failed to concede a single goal in their two group play games. In the opening match, North Texas 06 took an early 1-0 lead against eventual semifinalists Tennessee. Playing down a man for the last 15 minutes, the defense stood strong and held the 1-0 score line to secure the win. In following match, things went a bit smoother as the North Texas side handled Louisiana and was able to put five goals on the board, thus locking in their spot in the semifinals.
Things looked to be heading to extra time as both North Texas and Florida B had failed to score through the majority of the match. This was until the last five minutes of the game when a beautiful cross was headed into the back of the net to give North Texas 06 the lead. That’s all it took as the final whistle blew a few minutes later sending the 06 Boys to the final.
In the finals, North Texas 06 would face a Florida – A team that had outscored opponents so far in the tournament by a margin of 13-0. After trailing 1-0 at halftime, the ball was constantly in the Florida defensive half. With about 10 minutes left in the game, North Texas yet again scored via header when a free kick was redirected into the back of the net to bring the score to 1-1. Just a few moments later, another North Texas header struck the crossbar. With time winding down, North Texas continued to push for a winning goal, but Florida was able to find a game-winner off the counter. The final whistle blew just two minutes later as the 06 Boys finished as runners-up.