Field of 10,000 Teams Narrowed to Final 96 for National Finals
The US Youth Soccer National Championship Series is the country’s most prestigious national youth soccer tournament.
“We are very happy and proud of the three Cal North teams heading to Nationals,” said Matthew Madeira, Cal North Executive Director. “They all have had a great run so far and have proudly represented themselves and the state. We are excited to see them take the next step as we cheer them on in Tulsa.”
Here is a preview of the three Cal North teams that will be competing in this year’s National Championship.
Boys U13: EC Real Galaxy FC 01 (CA-N), Head Coach: Juan Moreno
EC Real Galaxy FC 01 (CA-N) defeated SJ Earthquakes 02 PDA, 4-1, in the finals of the California North State Cup in order to advance to the 2015 US Youth Soccer Region IV Championships. EC Real proceeded to the quarterfinals while sporting a 2-1 record and went through a pair of Pateadores teams in Pateadores IER PDA (CA-S) and Pateadores LA 01 (CA-S) to secure a spot in the finals. EC Real then faced LVSA 02 Red (NV), who defeated EC Real, 2-1, on the first day of group play 2-1, in the finals. This time EC Real came out victorious with a 3-2 win thanks to Jerry Ayon‘s late game-winner.
Boys U14: SJ Earthquakes PDA 01, Head Coach: Jeff Jenkins
SJ Earthquakes PDA 01 took care of Alum Rock Scorpions to win its second consecutive Cal North State Cup title to advance to the 2015 US Youth Soccer Region IV Championships. A 2-0-1 record allowed SJ Earthquakes to advance to the quarterfinals, where they defeated West Coast FC Armour (CA-S) 3-2. SJ Earthquakes required a little less drama to defeat HSC Bulls Academy I 01 (HI), 6-0, in the semifinals to reach its second straight region final. After falling to eventual National Championships finalist FC Golden State PDA 01 (CA-S) in the finals last year, SJ Earthquakes were victorious this year against Sparta 01 JK (UT) in a match that was ultimately determined by a penalty kick shootout.
Boys U17: South San Jose PAC Indios, Head Coach: Francisco Lopez
South San Jose PAC Indios took out Santa Barbara’s 2014 regional finals opponent, SC del Sol 98 Colavecchia (AZ) in the quarterfinals before defeating DMS 11 Academy (CA-S) 1-0 in the semifinals. Although South San Jose PAC Indios fell 2-1 to Santa Barbara SC White (CA-S), due to Santa Barbara already qualifying through the National League, the boys advanced to the National Championships.
As members of Cal North, all three teams also received financial support to help with the costs of traveling to Tulsa, Oklahoma.
For all teams competing in the National Championships, the annual Player Luncheon will be held at the Cox Center in Tulsa. The luncheon serves as the kickoff to the weeklong event highlighting the achievements of these national qualifiers.
Teams will earn three points for a win, one point for a tie and no points for a loss. The teams with the most points at the conclusion of Thursday’s play in the Under-13 and Under-19 age groups will advance to play for the National Championship on Saturday, July 25. In the Under-14 through Under-18 age groups, the top two teams in each group move on to semifinals for a chance to earn a place in their respective National Championship final on Sunday, July 26.
The US Youth Soccer National Championship Series also provides the nation’s top collegiate and professional coaches with the premier stage to identify and scout the most coveted players in the country.
All live games will be available online at no cost and in high definition, with commentators calling the action to further showcase the nation’s top athletes.
