23 States and 27 State Associations Represented in Field of 96 National Qualifiers
Games kicked off at the 2014 US Youth Soccer National Championships, presented by the National Guard, at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, Md. Excitement filled the air as teams made their first push to earn one of the 14 National titles that will be awarded this weekend. The field of 96 teams is comprised of the nation’s top players in the U-13 through U-19 Boys and Girls age groups.
Teams are seeking positive results throughout preliminary round play, which concludes Thursday. Three points are awarded for a win, one point for a tie and zero points for a loss. The top two teams in the U-13 and U-19 age groups will advance to the National Championship final on Saturday, while the top two teams in each group in U-14 through Under-18 play advance to their respective semifinals.
The event is estimated to bring $5 million to the local economy. In addition to the impact locally, the championships provide college coaches with a premier stage to evaluate future collegiate players, offering a tremendous impact to players and their families.
Today also marked another milestone for the championships with the first of its kind, full-production live broadcasts online of multiple youth soccer games. More than 80 games will be broadcast this week, including all championship finals.
All of the teams competing in Germantown earned their place in the National Championships via success in the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series or the US Youth Soccer National League. Stories, photos and videos are available following games. Real time scoring is available at http://championships.usyouthsoccer.org.
Tuesday’s Highlights:
Girls
Surf Academy (CA-S) defeated U-13 Girls team South Shore Select Elite (MA) with a strong second half performance. After 35 minutes of play both teams went into halftime scoreless. Mackenzie Simpson broke the stalemate in the 40th minute for Surf Academy and teammate Monique Landrum followed with another tally three minutes later. Surf kept the momentum going and finished the match with two additional goals by Cruz Claiborne and Sheila Kaiser in the final minutes for the 4-0 shutout.
Two second half goals helped Pride Predators 99 (CO) defeat fellow National League team Under-15 Girls team Futura Academy Forte (MO). Both teams battled it out in the first half but neither found the back of the net. Brianna Alger was able to score for Pride Predators in the 43rd minute, and Athena Kuehn got an insurance goal in the 73rd minute for the 2-0 win.
In a competitive U-15 Girls match, Eastside FC 98 Red (WA) came up on top with a 2-1 lead against Alliance Academy 99 Black (MI). Eastside got the first lead in the 35th minute with a Makaylie Moore goal but Madison Alexander helped Alliance recover quickly by scoring just four minutes later. In the second half the 1-1 score continued until the 59th minute when Makaylie Moore got a second goal which ultimately became the game winner of the match.
Fellow Cal South teams Carlsbad Elite and Legends FC 96 battled it out and ended their match with a 1-1 draw. The U-17 Girls game saw no goals in the first half. In the 70th minute Renee Gonsalves gave Carlsbad the lead, but it was quickly taken away when Michelle C Alozie found an equalizer in the 75th minute. Both teams continued to fight but ultimately the match ended with the tie.
Under-17 Girls team Kings Hammer Academy (OH-S) came back from a 2-0 deficit to tie DMCV Sharks Elite (CA-S). DMCV Sharks went into halftime up 1-0 after a Shelby Lee goal in the 29th minute. Julianne M De Armas made it 2-0 minutes upon starting the second half. Despite being down KHA continued to strive and they were able to get two goals in the last two minutes of play. Sydney Kilgore and Camille Williams scored in the 89 and 90th minutes respectively to tie the match 2-2.
Carlsbad Elite 99 (CA-S) tied Under-14 Girls Region III Champ Sting 00 Flanagan (TX-N). Their first preliminary match of the tournament saw lots of action but neither team was able to convert their opportunities. After the end of regulation and strong defenses on both sides the match ended in a 0-0 result.
Cleveland United White (OH-N) got a 3-0 shutout against Under-18 Girls BRYC 95 Elite (VA), which is without a pair of players wrapping up camp before heading to the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup with the United States. Jaycie Brown gave Cleveland a 1-0 lead at the half with her 39th minute goal. In the second half Kelly Novac found the back of the net in the 79th minute and Sydney Elinsky got a third tally in the 81st minute.
The Under-19 Girls Region II Champ, Team Chicago Academy Botafogo tied Region IV champ Legends FC (CA-S), 1-1. Brianna Singh gave Legends FC the lead in the 23rd minute of play. Minutes before the match concluded Zoe Swift recovered and got the equalizer for Team Chicago in the 85th minute.
Boys
Arlington SA Eagles Red (VA) held on for a 3-1 win over CSA 00 Lobos Rush Premier (TN) in Under-14 Boys action. Edison Giron gave Arlington a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute, and Nelson Flores Blanco doubled the advantage with a tally shortly after halftime. Walter Soefker pulled Lobos within one with a 63rd-minute goal, but Flores Blanco responded immediately when he found the back of the net for a second time to help Arlington to the 3-1 win.
After a quick start by both sides, Albion SC (CA-S) held off Delaware Rush 98 (DE) to win, 2-1, in Under-15 Boys play. Luis Rodriguez put Albion ahead with a third-minute goal, but Kevin Eriksen equalized 10 minutes later when he beat the keeper. It didn’t take long for the California side to regain the lead, as Luis Jay Baltazar found the back of the net in the 18th minute to put Albion up 2-1. The defense did the rest to slow down the Rush and help Albion to the important Day 1 win.
United FC Gold 98 (CA-S) and Solar Chelsea Red 99 (TX-N) met Tuesday in a National League Under-15 Boys Blue Division rematch. After the two sides played to a tie last November, their game in Germantown started in the same fashion as they headed to halftime in a scoreless tie. However, United managed to break through shortly after half when Kenneth Higgins found the back of the net. That goal proved to be the difference, as United held on for the 1-0 victory.
In Under-16 play, Chicago Magic Preacademy (IL) held 2013 National finalist Dix Hills Elite (NY-E) to a 1-1 draw on Tuesday. After a scoreless first half, Chicago took the lead when Jesus Perez found the back of the net in the 50th minute. It appeared that goal would hold up, but Dix Hills managed to score an equalizer in the final moments thanks to a header from keeper Joseph Tristano in the 80th minute. The draw gives each team a vital point in standings in the Under-16 Boys Group A.
A pair of goals by Jacob Anderson helped Under-16 FC Golden State Platinum (CA-S) to a 3-1 win over Houstonians FC 98 Red (TX-S). Anderson struck first for Golden State in the 26th minute, and teammate Manuel Chavez doubled the lead with a goal in the 43rd minute. Giovanni Sanchez pulled Houstonians within one with a 65th-minute strike, but Anderson added a late insurance goal to cap the 3-1 victory.
Manhattan SC PSG 96 (NY-E) and Chicago Fire Youth Soccer Club (IL) each earned a point in the standings on Tuesday, as they played to a 1-1 draw in their Under-17 matchup. Following a scoreless first half, Elias Leyva broke the deadlock when he scored in the 68th minute to give Chicago the advantage. Manhattan responded with pressure and equalized 10 minutes later with a Jeremy Barovick tally, as the tightly-contested game finished tied, 1-1.
Santa Clara Sporting 95 (CA-N) qualified for Nationals with a win on the final day of the 2013-14 National League, and it carried that momentum into a win on the opening day of Nationals. The Under-18 side from Cal North needed every second of the 90 minutes to come away with a 1-0 win over Region III Champion GSA 96 Premier (GA). Both defenses held strong before Sporting’s Bradley Bumgarner scored in the 90th minute to help his side to a 1-0 win and an important three points in the group standings.
After going down early, PDA Harkes (NJ) came back for a 3-2 win over Raytown SC BGFC 94/95 (MO) to start its pursuit of the Under-19 Boys McGuire Cup. Michael Panarisi gave Raytown a 16th-minute lead, but PDA responded with goals by Alec Neumann and Maximilian Kroschwitz to take a 2-1 advantage into halftime. Neumann extended the lead to 3-1 in the 62nd minute before Ethan Delaney recorded a 76th-minute goal to pull Raytown within one. That’s as close as it would get, as PDA held on for the victory.
Thursday’s Highlights:
Girls
Defending champs Under-14 Girls Legends FC 99 (CA-S) tied Sting 00 Flanagan (N-TX) in their final round robin match. Rachel Wasserman gave Sting the lead in the 18th minute, but Alexandra Jaquez recovered for Legends in the 42nd minute of the second half. Both teams were determined to break the tie but the match ultimately ended in the 1-1 draw. The undefeated Cal South side will face Cleveland FC (OH-N) in the semifinal.
First half action led to a 1-1 tie between Under-15 Girls Jacksonville FC 98/99 Elite (FL) and Pride Predators 99 (CO). Leila Azari scored for Jacksonville in the 20th minute, but Brianna Alger found the equalizer for Pride Predators in the 34th minute before halftime. Both teams played defensively in the second half keeping the 1-1 score. The result placed Jacksonville atop standings and Pride Predators at second place advancing both teams to the semifinal round.
YMS Premier Xplosion 98 earned a spot in the U-15 Girls semifinal after defeating Alliance Academy 99 Black (MI) 3-1. The scoring began when Murphy Agnew scored for YMS in the 13th minute, and the goal held up until halftime. At the start of the second half a foul in the box prompted Sadie Misiewicz to go up for a penalty kick and she recovered for Alliance in the 43rd minute. YMS Premier’s Murphy Agnew kept focused and she scored a second goal in the 66th minute for the lead. Andrea Amaro added an insurance goal in the 76th minute for YMS’s win. YMS enters the semifinal with no losses and looks to keep that streak alive against Pride Predators 99 (CO) on Saturday.
There will be a new National Champion in the Under-16 Girls age group after Eclipse Elite Black 97/98 (IL) came up short in Group B. The Illinois side entered the day in position to move on but played to a scoreless draw against group-winner Beach FC 97 Academy (CA-S). A win in the other Pool B contest by Tampa Bay United 97 Premier (FL), which beat Eclipse on Wednesday, bumped the 2013 champions to third place and put Tampa through to the semifinals.
A 1-1 tie against NSA Jaguars (IL) gave U-17 Girls Carlsbad Elite (CA-S) a second place spot in standings and a ticket to the semifinal. Carlsbad started the match with an early goal in the 9th minute by Samantha Haynie. NSA’s Erin Fitzgerald tied the match in the 30th minute, and while both teams tried to break the tie in the second half neither was able to find the back of the net. Carlsbad will take on defending champs DMCV Sharks Elite from Cal South in the semifinal.
KC Metro Dynamos (KS) claimed first place in the standings and advanced to the Under-17 Girls semifinal after defeating 2012 national champs, Legends FC 96 (CA-S), 4-2. The competitive match kicked off seconds after the starting whistle with a header by Dayna Garcia to give Legends the lead. Jamie Kutey brought KC Metro back in the 18th minute by curving a ball to the upper 90 for the 1-1 tie. Five minutes later it was Kutey again with the goal to give KC Metro the 2-1 lead. Legends leveled in the 29th minute when Desarae Felix slotted in a crossed ball. In the second half Jamie Kutey took control of the match for KC Metros with the tiebreaker and insurance in the 78th and 90th minutes respectively.
VSA Heat 96 Blue (VA) takes second place in Group B advancing them to the U-17 Girls semifinal against KC Metro Dynamos (KS) after a 2-2 tie against Kings Hammer (OH-S). Kristin Schnurr and Karina Lacey had VSA Heat up 2-0 at halftime with goals in the 22nd and 39th minutes. Kings Hammer drew even with two goals of their own in the second half with Caroline Mink’s goal in the 65th minute and Bayley Feist’s equalizer in the 81st minute.
Defending champs DMCV Sharks Elite (CA-S) get one step closer to the Under-17 Girls final after defeating Maitland 96/97 Florida Krush Black (FL) with two second half goals. Angelina Meriwether broke the deadlock in the 60th minute and uplifted DMCV’s spirits prompting a second goal in the 71st minute by Shelby Lee.
VSA Heat Blue (VA) scored three straight goals for the 3-1 win in a rematch of the 2012 National Championship Final against Under-19 Girls Legends FC (CA-S). Morgan Reuther opened the scoring with a strike in the 25th minute. Meghan Cox added a second goal to the VSA Heat score in the 67th minute, and Quincy Slora put them up by three in the 80th minute. Andrea Mensen put Legends on the board with a 90th minute goal but the late attempt was not enough and VSA took the win and the semifinal spot. VSA will face Team Chicago Academy-Botafogo (IL) in the semifinal for a rematch of the 2013 National Championship final.
Boys
Under-14 CSA 00 Lobos Rush Premier (TN) needed a win Thursday for a chance to advance, but it couldn’t stop the offensive firepower of United FA 00 Elite (GA). Antonio Thomas Donate gave United a 23rd-minute lead before U.S. National Team forward Andrew Carleton scored three consecutive goals to give the Georgia side a commanding advantage. United’s Carlos Reyes made it 5-0 before Lathan Spadafora scored for Lobos, as United FA secured a 5-1 win to finish first in Group A.
In a battle for second place in the Under-14 Boys Group A, Arlington SA Eagles Red (VA) came away with a 5-1 win over Sporting KC Academy (KS). Edison Giron and Will Socas each scored for Arlington within the first five minutes, and Giacomo Mecagni made it 3-0 with a 13th-minute strike. Giron added another goal for the Virginia side before Abdu Kikhia got Sporting on the score sheet with a 41st minute goal. Liincoln Kickbush found the back of the net in the final minutes to seal Arlington’s victory and place in the semifinals.
Under-14 Raiders FC (IL) earned a big win Thursday against Inner City Mana 00 (TX-S) but needed help in order to advance. Jesus Garibay scored in the early minutes of each half to give Raiders a 2-0 lead after 37 minutes. Isaiah Nieves pushed the Illinois side’s lead to 3-0 before Javier Lujan scored his first of two goals for Raiders. Hernan Delgado scored for Inner City, but Lujan’s second tally wrapped up the 5-1 Raiders win. However, Raiders just missed out on advancing out of Group B due to a tiebreaker.
In a matchup of Cal South squads, United FC Gold 98 (CA-S) edged out Albion SC (CA-S), 1-0, to finish first in the Under-15 Boys Group A. Guillaume Marneau beat the keeper in the 19th minute to spot United a first-half lead. That goal proved to be enough, as the United defense shut down Albion to record a clean sheet.
In Under-16 Boys play, a rematch of last year’s National final between Dix Hills Elite (NY-E) and Santa Barbara SC White (CA-S) once again saw little separate the two teams. Santa Barbara, which edged the New York side in overtime in the 2013 final, controlled possession for various portions of Thursday’s game. The Cal South side eventually broke through in the 75th minute, as Tanner Mees netted the game’s lone goal to give Santa Barbara a 1-0 victory — its third win this week.
FC Dallas Youth 97 Premier (TX-N) jumped to the top of the Under-17 Boys Group A with a 3-1 win Thursday against Fullerton Rangers 96 White (CA-S). Kamar Marriott put Dallas up just two minutes into the game when he found the back of the net. Sergio Lara doubled the lead with a 17th-minute strike, and Jeffrey Withers added a third Dallas goal shortly before halftime. Ronaldo Pineda scored his second goal of the week to pull the Rangers within two, but that’s as close as they got as Dallas held on for the victory.
A pair of early goals helped Waza FC East 96 Jrs. (MI) to a 2-0 win Thursday over Santa Clara Sporting 95 (CA-N) in Under-18 action. Ian Haskin opened the scoring in the 11th minute, and Neil Martorana doubled the Waza lead 10 minutes later when he found the back of the net. The win moved Waza into a tie in the standings with Sporting, and the two sides needed a shootout to decide who would advance. Sporting did well to convert its attempts from the spot, as it won the shootout and moves on to play Saturday.
Defending champion West Coast FC (CA-S) finished first in the Under-18 Boys Group B after a 3-0 win Thursday against GSA 96 Premier (GA). Andres Mendoza put West Coast in front in the 12th minute, and his side took that lead into halftime. Esen Harris pushed West Coast’s advantage to 2-0 with a 58th-minute tally before Nicolo D’Amato wrapped up the 3-0 victory with a goal in the 78th minute.
