NEWTON, Mass. — On a chilly Sunday afternoon, IFA New England and Valeo traded blows in a tightly contested MLS Next U-17 matchup at Valeo Sports Plex.
IFA struck first late in the opening half when Michael Le finished off a beautiful sequence to make it 1-0. But Valeo never went away. The hosts embarked on a few frenzied runs, trying to find the equalizer.
However, Brayden Marta had other ideas. The skilled midfielder lofted a goal midway through the second half to put IFA ahead, 2-0. Although Valeo cut the deficit in half in the latter stages of the match, IFA held on to secure a 2-1 win and improve to 6-1-0 during the spring season.
While the temperature didn’t feel like spring, the match was filled with passion and high-quality play from both sides. Valeo, who failed to qualify for MLS Next Flex, played exceptionally well to keep the match close. And for IFA, the win marked another promising development in a successful start to the spring season.
Here are six standouts from the match:
