Chivas USA Academy: U-13s win Dallas Cup title

In addition to the silverware won by the U-23 team recently, another team in the Chivas USA development pyramid contributed silverware in recent weeks.

The Chivas USA U-13 team won the Dallas Cup title for their age group at the start of April, beating Oklahoma's TSC Hurricanes in the final to grab the championship. Misael Becerra scored the goal for Chivas in the 31st minute, and that was all it took to get the win and the Dallas Cup.

Chivas USA U-13/14 head coach Brian Kleiban discussed the achievement with The Goat Parade.

"The Dallas Cup was a massive accomplishment for the players and the organization since it is considered the most prestigious youth tournament in the United States," Kleiban said.

The Dallas Cup is an international youth tournament held annually, where teams from all over the world come to play other high-level sides. Though the U-13 level is the youngest age group participating at the tournament, the title certainly bodes well for CUSA's Academy in the coming years.

Kleiban elaborated on what set this particular team apart from the field.

"This group of U-13 boys is unique because of their professional mentality and experience," he said. "They have traveled overseas [to Spain] five times in the last five years and have acquired international experience against some of the top academies in the world.

"They've seen first hand what it takes to succeed at that level and realize the sacrifices, discipline, and mentality required to achieve their goals."

Though they may be several years away from realizing professional dreams, Kleiban compliments the youngsters for their dedication: "We refer to them as mini-professionals not only because of their great soccer attributes, but because of how they carry themselves off the field."

"Dallas Cup served as another test to confirm their quality on the field as well as their discipline off of it. The coaches, staff, and entire organization are very proud of the boys for representing the club at the highest level of youth soccer."

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