David Costa Leads National Championship Soccer Squad

Butler assistant men’s soccer coach David Costa has led Carmel United SC to a second consecutive national title.  The Butler coach guided his Carmel squad to a 1-0 victory over D.C. United to capture the 2009 U.S. Soccer Development Academy Finals Week U-17/18 Championship at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., on Thursday, July 16.

Costa guided Carmel United to the inaugural U-15/16 Championship a year ago.  In the two trips to the Academy Finals Week, Costa’s squads compiled a 6-0-2 record.

“This is a special feeling to win the championship again,” Costa said in a statement to U.S.Soccer.com after the championship match.  “This group of players has guys that have played together since they were 11 years old.  These kids have great chemistry.  There’s a lot of character in the entire team.  You mix in a couple of special players that have come along over the years, and I think you just get the right ingredients to make a successful team.”

Midfielder Nikita Kotlov scored the game-winner for Carmel United in the 29th minute.  The rest of the match was controlled by Costa’s squad, which limited D.C. United to just three shots on goal. 

Costa returns for his fourth season on the staff of Butler head coach Kelly Findley.  Last season, the Bulldogs compiled a 13-3-4 record, which matched the fourth-highest win total in school history.