Whitecaps are Dallas Cup sensations

• by Soccer America , Apr 10, 2009

The sensation of the 2009 Dr. Pepper Dallas Cup XXX Super Group has been the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency, the Canadian club's equivalent to the U.S. Soccer Development Academy program. The Whitecaps reached Sunday's final in the Super Group with a 2-0 victory over Germany's Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday.

The Caps reached the knockout phase with a 1-0 win Andromeda SC U-18 Academy on Wednesday evening.

The loss eliminated Andromeda, the North Texas power that has won three U.S. Youth Soccer national championships in the last two years. Andromeda had tied River Plate of Argentina, 1-1, and beat Monterrey of Mexico, 2-1, to put itself in a position to advance to the final four. The Dallas Texans, Super Group champions in 2007, lost all three games.

Jamaican U-20 Dever Orgill's third goal in as many matches was the difference against Andromeda. Orgill and Keithy Simpson joined the program from clubs in Jamaica.

The Whitecaps' residency program also includes players from across Canada. The team's star is 18-year-old Calgary product Ethan Gage, who played for the Whitecaps senior team on its run to the 2009 USL-1 title.

Former U.S. U-17 Axel Lowry, who came on as a sub against Andromeda, left George Mason this inter to join the Whitecaps.

The Caps' residency team competes during the summer in the PDL.

The lone MLS representative in the Super Group, the Toronto FC Academy, lost all three games.

Whitecaps FC Residency Starters:
(vs. Andromeda)
Simon Thomas (Victoria United Metro, B.C.)
Antonio Rago (Edmonton Juventus, Alb.)
Keithy Simpson (Sporting Central Acad., Jamaica)
Ethan Gage (Calgary Villains, Alb.)
William Hyde (Oakville Blue Stars, Ont.)
Russell Teibert (Toronto FC Acad., Ont.)
Philippe Davies (FC Select South Shore, B.C.)
Gagandeep Dosanjh (Abbotsford Mariners, B.C.)
Sahil Sandhu (Whalley Celtics, B.C.)
Alex Semenets (Oakville Blue Stars, Ont.)
Dever Orgill (Progressive FC, Jamaica)