Earlier this week, the United States Soccer Development Academy announced its 2011-12 End of the Year Awards. The USSDA End of the Year awards names a Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, and position awards for each conference and age group.
Real Salt Lake – Arizona had five players named to the USSDA West Conference selection and were honored with two Player of the Year Awards in the U-15/16 and U-17/18 teams.
Maikon Orrellana was selected as the West Conference U-17/18 Player of the Year by USSDA. He started 24 of the 26 games as a Forward for RSL-AZ. Orrellana lead the team with 14 goals to help the RSL-AZ U-17/18 finish third in the West Conference and a garnered a wild-card bid in the USSDA 2011-12 National Tournament.
Jordan Allen was selected as the West Conference U-15/16 Player of the Year by USSDA by splitting time with the RSL-AZ U-15/16 and U-17/18 teams. Allen scored 7 goals as a Forward and started 24 of the 25 games played for Real Salt Lake – AZ. Allen was twice named USSDA Player of the Week for the 2011-12 season. In May 2012, Allen was selected to join the U-18 Men’s National Team as a Right Back. Jordan has verbally committed to the University of Virginia after his 2013 graduation from Grande Sports Academy.
Joining Orrellana and Jordan as players named to the West Conference team of the USSDA End of the Year Awards are U-17/18 Defenders Carlos Salcedo and Julio Alacron, and U-15/16 Forward Jose Navarro.
Salcedo and Alacron provided the stellar wall of defense that limited other divisional opponents to 14 goals and 34 goals overall.
Navarro assisted the U-15/16 team to a second place finish in the West Conference with his 18 goals for the season.
