Youth Tournament News: US Youth Soccer National League 2104/15 Schedule
Girls Teams kick off year-long competition Nov. 20-23 and Boys Season starts Dec. 11-14
The schedule has been announced for the opening weekend of the 2014-15 US Youth Soccer National League season, as the Girls gather Nov. 20-23 in Wilson, N.C. National League Boys will kick off three weeks later, Dec. 11-14.
Youth soccer games will be played in conjunction with the CASL Showcase, creating another significant opportunity for the nation’s collegiate, professional and national team coaches to see National League players in an environment of meaningful play.
The games in North Carolina will be played at the Wilson Gillette Soccer Complex and Rocky Mount Sports Complex.
The National League features the top 160 teams in the Under-14 through Under-18 Boys and Girls age groups. With 16 teams divided into two divisions per age group, each team has had to earn their place in the league through their success in US Youth Soccer Regional Leagues and National Championship Series play.
Teams automatically qualify for the National League by finishing in the top two of their division the previous year, winning their respective Regional League or by winning their respective Regional Championship.
The National League provides a pathway for four teams per gender age group to qualify for the US Youth Soccer National Championships, sending the top two finishers in each division of the Under-14, Under-15, Under-16, Under-17 and Under-18 Boys and Girls age groups to compete for the National title.
The four National League representatives will join the four regional champions at the 2015 US Youth Soccer National Championships at the Mohawk Soccer Complex in Tulsa, Okla., July 21-26.
The eighth year of National League play is shaping up to be one of the most competitive yet.
Nineteen players competing in the 2014-15 National League have already been called into U.S. National Team camps in the month of October, and the pool of teams includes the following:
Boys
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Girls
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“With each team earning its way into the league, the National League provides the most competitive environment possible with quality play and meaningful games,” said Paul Luchowski, National League commissioner.
“In 2013-14, we had 54 National League teams qualify for the National Championships, and five of a possible 10 titles were won by National League teams. This season, we have 63 teams competing in the league that qualified for last summer’s National Championships, and we feel like 2014-15 will be one of the most competitive seasons to date.”
For the latest scores, schedules and standings, click here.
The National League is an extension of the highly successful US Youth Soccer Regional Leagues (US Youth Soccer Region I Champions League, Midwest Regional League, Southern Regional Premier League and Far West Regional League).
The National League provides an avenue for teams to play in meaningful matches against top competition from across the country for continued development and opportunities for exposure at the national team, collegiate and professional levels.
Since its inception, National League teams have captured a combined 31 of 48 possible National Championships.
For a list of past National League champions and history, click here.
After the Boys and Girls opening weekends in North Carolina, the National League will continue the season in December alongside the Disney Soccer Showcase in Orlando, Fla., with the Boys playing Dec. 27-29 and the Girls Dec. 31-Jan 2.
