The 40th Anniversary Dallas Cup continued on Wednesday for FC Dallas with final group game for the Academy U14s in the Super 14s and the Academy U19s in the Super Group.

The FCD U14s earned a hard-fought tie against Tigres, the club that won the Super 14s last year. The 19s - who's tournament has perhaps not gone as hoped - faced 2-loss Red Bull Brasil at the Cotton Bowl where they struggled defensively in a 4-3 loss.

FC Dallas Academy U14s.

This U14 side is looking like a pretty quality group. Last year, under the guidance of Peter Luccin - now an FC Dallas MLS assistant - this group of youngsters won the U13 bracket at Dallas Cup 39. This year they are now making a run at the Super 14s. The 1-1 tie against an always great Tigres side was a terrific, evenly matched affair.

The tie means both sides remain even atop the group with 7 points each and both teams advance to Thursday's Semi-Finals. FC Dallas, Group B winners on goal difference, will face German club Eintracht Frankfurt who finished second in Group A. Tigres as Group B runner-ups will face Group A winners LA United Fútbol Academy.

Diego Hernandez scored the lone goal for FC Dallas against Tigres off a cross from the left. The Tigres keeper knocked the ball down, but Hernandez was there to pounce on the loose ball and blast it home. Tigres scored in the second half to tie the game. FCD's Anthony Ramirez pinged one off the post late on a breakaway and almost took the game.

Lineups and Tactics

Dallas in the 4-3-3 with a holding mid and two 8s.

The FC Dallas U14s starting XI against Tigres in their third group game of Dallas Cup 40. (Buzz Carrick / 3rd Degree)

The Dallas Cup uses open subs at this level so I didn't track them. FCD did make a few but not as many as one might expect is an open sub game.

Thoughts and Observations

This U14 looks to be a really good group. I was impressed with literally everyone in the team. They all seem to be of high quality and played well as a team. I do have a few players that stood out above the overall outstanding performance against a high-quality opponent. Make no mistake, every player in this side looks quite good.

The FCD #8 Matthew Corcoran is terrific. Super calm and influential, patrolling and controlling the middle as the deep mid. He's got great range too. Mature and smart in his play. I found out afterward he's a 2006 and is actually playing up an age bracket with this team who are all 2005s. Playing up a bracket is really impressive at this younger age.

I also quite liked #41 Anthony Ramirez. He played as the center forward. He's quite skilled on the ball, looking today like he has the best pure ball skill on the team.

#36 Diego Hernandez has a decisiveness, a feistiness, about him that I really like. Good player, he made the difference today for FCD. Sharp, quick, and skilled.

#32 Nolan Norris I also enjoyed at left back. He's got lots of ball skill and looks to play forward in combination rather than back. Every time I expect him to go back he surprised me, changed direction, and played forward. Quite inventive.

#38 Jordan Jones showed well also. He didn't get on the score sheet - last game he had a hat-trick - but he did patrol the middle of the park and showed the ability to really cover lots of ground.

U14s Next Game

The U14 Semi-Finals are tomorrow (Thursday). FC Dallas faces Eintracht Frankfurt at 9 am on MoneyGram field 5. Tigres faces LA United Fútbol Academy immediately afterward in the same location at 10:30. Both games will be broadcast on Univision Deportes.

FC Dallas U14 #37 Lucas Siikala traps the ball against Tigres and Diego Hernandez looks on in the 2019 Dallas Cup. (4-17-19) (Buzz Carrick / 3rd Degree)

FC Dallas Academy U19s

Things haven't gone well for the FCD 19s in this tournament. In addition to being quite young, too many quality pieces have been signed into the pro side and are missing due to MLS action. This is part of the talent shuffle that Coach Luchi Gonzalez's play-the-youth movement has caused in the Academy.

Imanol Almaguer scored for FCD just as he did last year in the Dallas Cup at the Cotton Bowl, although that goal was much prettier than this one. With the ball bouncing around in the Red Bull penalty box, multiple FCD shots were blocked only for the ball to fall to Almaguer who took a touch and buried the ball in the right corner of the goal.

Lineup and Tactics

The usual FCD 4-3-3. Luis Hernandez playing as the deep 6, Imanol Almaguer as the linking 8, and Tanner Tessman as a 10 like playmaker. Dante Sealy returns to the U19s after the U17s were eliminated from the GA Cup.

The FC Dallas Academy U19 starting XI against Red Bull Brasil in Dallas Cup 40. (Buzz Carrick / 3rd Degree)

Dallas subbed on Valdo Etienne, Jesus Sosa, and Beni Redzic in the second half for Almaguer, Sealy, and Julian Hinojosa. The Redzic for Hinojosa change put FCD into a 3-4-3 as they chased the game. This shift worked well as FCD scored 2 goals late, almost tying the game.

Thoughts and Observations

It wasn't a great performance from FC Dallas. While they started fairly well, the wheels kind of came off after they went down 2-1 and were down 4-1 before they rallied in the final few minutes.

Michael Collodi made a spectacular PK save in the first half. Full laid out to his right, really well done. Beautiful.

Tanner Tessmann never really got ahold of the game. While he had some fantastic moments, he just didn't have enough help until really late.

Bryan Reynolds played 2/3s of the game at right back and the last 1/3 as the LCB in a 3 man back line. He was solid and earned a PK in the 90+ minute on a great run forward.

Johan Gomez was Johan Gomez. All he does is score goals. Two of them in this one.

All in all, this was a sloppy game. Red Bull even blew a 4 on 1 breakaway with an offside pass. They also couldn't take advantage of the empty net at the death when they caught the entire FCD side upfield, even keeper Collodi. It was just that kind of day. No real flow or rhythm. Frankly a mess of a game.

Next Game

The FC Dallas U19s are officially out of the Dallas Cup and will return to their DA schedule April 28th at Texas SC of Houston.

Dante Sealy races upfield against Red Bull Brasil in the 2019 Dallas Cup at the Cotton Bowl. (4-17-19) (Billy Johnston / Dallas Cup)