SLSG Illinois' Clayton Pearson has been named to the Starting XI for the NPL Champions Cup. The list of comprised of players from 6 different age groups ranging from U13-U18. Pearson's inclusion to the list caps of a banner year in which he lead the '98 Pre-Academy with 19 goals. Seven of those goals came during the post-season and helped the team win SLSG Illinois' second national title in 3 years.
After sitting the first match of the NPL Champions Cup in Denver, Colorado due to illness, Pearson, who hails from Edwardsville, did not take long to find the back of the net finishing a second half equalizer from a Kuzain Wan Kamal service to pull SLSG even at 1-1 with Weston (Miami, FL). Pearson and Wan Kamal would combine again for the game winning goal over the Colorado Rush with just 12 minutes remaining in their final group game where a win was needed to secure advancement to the semi-finals.
"The relationship between Clayton and Kuzain was a key to our success this spring and throughout our national championship run," said head coach Blake Decker. "They compliment each others qualities extremely well. Clayton has the ability to play as a strong target and he has great feet and great ideas. This marriage of strength, technique and insight allows him to hold the ball up as well as play in combination which provides space for Kuzain to find the ball in between the oppositions lines. Kuzain's ability on the dribble, quickness on the turn and insightful passing provides spaces for Clayton to find the ball in behind the oppositions back four where he is clinically with his finishing."
Efficiency, according to Pearson, was the main factor in his ability to lead the team in scoring during the spring and in the post-season. "I felt that I took my chances much better as the spring progressed. I got great service all year from Riley (Patterson) and Hunter (Mudd) on the outside and Kuzain central. I always just tried to put myself in places near the box where I thought my teammates could get me the ball. In Denver, I don't know, as the weekend went on I just felt like if I was going to get 2 or 3 good chances in a game then I was going to score at least one of them. I was not doing anything different than normal, I was just fortunate to get into good spots and when my teammates got me the ball, I did my best to make the most of it."
Pearson certainly made the most of it in the championship rounds where he continued his scoring run into the semi-finals giving SLSG the lead by converting a penalty he earned after being taking down in the box. In double overtime, Pearson would provide the service for the game winning goal scored by Hunter Mudd. Pearson's efficiency in the National Championship match was no different as he gave SLSG the lead 8 minutes into the game after getting on the end of a Patterson cross and notched the insurance goal on a 3-1 victory after being slipped in by Ryan Stites with 5 minutes remaining in the national final.
According to SLSG Illinois Program Director, Dale Schilly, "The club wishes a huge congratulations to Clayton and his family for this tremendous honor. This distinction is certainly well-deserved and one which did not come easy. Quite to the contrary, it came with an enormous amount of work and sacrifice. Clayton choose not to play for his high school in the fall of 2012 in order to play with the '98 Pre-Academy as he wanted to ensure that he was in the best possible soccer environment in order to achieve his goals as a player. This is not an easy decision for a 14 year old to make, as anyone who has ever been 14 years old knows how heavily the social factors can weigh. With that said, the impact of the decision Clayton made last August to raise his level of commitment to becoming the best player he can coupled with the tremendous amount of work he's put in since was evident in his play this spring and has certainly been rewarded with this honor."
In the fall of 2013, Pearson will join the SLSG Metro 16 US Development Academy team which competes in the Mid-America Division of the Central Conference where he will look to continue his scoring ways when the team opens its' season versus the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park on September 7th.
All told, Pearson played in four matches at the NPL Champions Cup, scored in each of the 4 for a total of 5 goals during the event. Of those goals, he notched 1 game winning goal, 1 equalizer and 2 goals in the national championship final. Pearson also played provider turning in 2 assists on the weekend.
Efficiency is definitely an accurate description.
_______________________NPL Champions Cup Starting XI__________________________
AURORA, Colo. – Some of the best players in club soccer were in Colorado for the NPL Champions Cup. Some went home earlier than others, but all left a lasting impression.
Here are the 11 best performers in the Boys’ division:
F: Jalil Blalock, U15, PDA 1997 – Blalock scored eight goals in the tournament as he constantly and creatively beat defenders to the net. He also had the best celebration when he did a backflip after scoring the game-winner over Albertson SC 1997 in the semifinals.
F: Dantae Greer, U14 New York Red Bulls (N.Y.) - Greer was the most talented player in U14. He was a man among boys in speed, size and strength.
GK: Sean Caulfield, U16, West Florida Flames 96 (Fla.) – Caulfield made a highlight reel of saves to get the Florida West Flames to the title game. His teammates said over and over again they wouldn’t have had anywhere near the success at the tournament without the superb play of Caulfield.
M: Benson Sakala, U16, Chicago Magic PSG (Illi.) – Sakala had a game-winner, a two-goal game and a goal where he slid kicked the ball from under the goalie’s feet into the net. If anything, he was one of the most exciting players to watch.
M/F: Adam Eaton, U16 CZ Elite (Calif.) – Eaton scored the game-tying goal in the 74th minute of the finals before CZ Elite went on to win 3-2 to raise the cup. The day before, Eaton scored two goals in the semifinals proving the big stage is where he wants to be.
M/F: Josh Burnett, U13, PDA 1999 (N.J.) – Burnett consistently put PDA on his back to get them to the finals. And once it got there, he scored the only goal in the win over FC Dallas Pre-Academy to raise the cup.
GK: Hunter Pinho, U13 PDA 1999 (N.J.) – Pinho recorded back-to-back shutouts to end the tournament on top with a first-place trophy in hand. He played much bigger than his 5-foot-8 stature.
M: James Murphy, U15 PDA 1997 (N.J.) – The freshman is already being hassled by Division I colleges. He proved why with his pin-point touch and laser shots.
M/F: Clayton Pearson, U14 St. Louis Scott Gallagher (Illi.)– Pearson scored three goals in the final two games to help St. Louis raise the U14 Boys’ trophy.
GK: Scott Forbes, U15 PDA 1997 (N.J.) – Forbes made the only save in penalty kicks during PDA’s 2-1 win over the Chicago Magic. He allowed one goal and tallied three shutouts in his four starts.
Juan Ramirez, U16 CZ Elite (Calif.) – Ramirez always made the saves when he needed to the most. For instance, he made one clutch save after another late in the finals as CZ Elite rallied for the 3-2 win over the West Florida Flames.
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