Remaining titles decided at US Youth Soccer National Championships

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FRISCO, Texas (Via US Youth Soccer) — The remaining champions were crowned Sunday at the 2018 US Youth Soccer National Championships at the Toyota Soccer Center in Frisco, Texas. The country’s top teams in the 14U through 18 Boys and Girls age groups met to conclude the final stage of the 2018 US Youth Soccer National Championship Series. Sunday’s final matchups featured teams who earned the right to play for their respective National titles through success in group play and victories in their semifinal games.

2018 US Youth Soccer National Champions
13U Girls | San Diego Surf 05 Academy Select (CA-S)
13U Boys | CDA Slammers FC HB05 Elite (CA-S)
14U Girls | Michigan Jaguars 04 Green (MI)
14U Boys | Nationals Union 04 Black (MI)
15U Girls | Beach FC DPL (CA-S)
15U Boys | LVSA 03 Silver (NV)
16U Girls | SJEB Rush 02 Academy Blue (NJ)
16U Boys | Arlington SA 2002 Red (VA)
17U Girls | Rebels 2001 Elite (CA-S)
17U Boys | Galaxy 2001 Blue (IL)
18U Girls | Sunrise Sting 2000 (FL)
18U Boys | Baltimore Celtic SC 00 (MD)
19U Girls | NSA Shock (IL)
19U Boys | Baltimore Celtic SC Christos (MD)

Among the returning National Champions, only 18U Boys Baltimore Celtic SC 00 (MD) earned its second consecutive National Championship title when it defeated Downtown LVSC 00 Academy (NV), 3-0.

17U Boys Galaxy 2001 Blue (IL) defeated defending National Champions, Tampa Bay United (FL), after tying the game in the last minute of regulation and forcing overtime. In overtime, the Illinois team scored twice to earn a 4-2 victory and earn the 17U Boys National title.

+READ: First Four champions crowned at US Youth Soccer National Championships

On Saturday night, the 13U and 19U National Championship finals were played, as 19U Boys Baltimore Celtic SC Christos (MD) claimed the James P. McGuire Cup, making Baltimore Celtic the only club to leave the 2018 US Youth Soccer National Championships with two champions. A complete recap of last night’s games is available here.

Game replays, stories, photos and videos are available following games at http://championships.usyouthsoccer.org.

Highlights from Sunday’s final matches…

14U Girls: Philadelphia SC Coppa Swarm 04 (PA-E) 0-2 Michigan Jaguars 04 Green (MI)
The 15U Girls final was a match between two group winners who came into the final having allowed a combined total of just one goal against all event.

The first half was a great showing of that defense, but the Michigan Jagaurs began piling on the pressure towards the end of the first half and found its opening goal off a corner kick. Jaguars’ Lindsay Ramos whipped in an in-swinging corner that was met by the head of Meghan Oliver, who got up above her defender to nod home the goal to the bottom right corner.

Jaguars put on the pressure straight away in the second half and doubled its advantage just seconds into the half. The Michigan side got on a break up the right side and then Ella Janz played a searching cross into the box. Ella Alati ghosted into the area behind her defender and sprung to the ball to sweep it home for a 2-0 lead. The Michigan Jaguars held until the final whistle to earn its fourth clean sheet of the event and to claim the 14U Girls National Championship title.

15U Girls: Cleveland FC 03 (OH-N) 0-1 Beach FC DPL (CA-S)
It took double overtime for Beach FC DPL (CA-S) to earn the 15U National Championship crown over Cleveland FC 03 (OH-N). The two teams played an even match as it was scoreless for the full 80 minutes of regulation time and the first 15-minute overtime period. Cleveland FC had a couple close chances before the end of regulation, including a long free kick that Delaney Matriano launched towards to the top corner of the goal, but the ball flew just over the crossbar. The Ohio North side also created a promising build-up play when the ball was chipped over the defense and cut across the goal headed for Nicole Sidloski, but the Beach goalkeeper blocked her shot right on the goal line. Beach finally earned the game winner in the 105th minute as a long free kick from the left flank was sent into the mix of players in the 18-yard box, and Amanda Scott poked the ball into the net.

16U Girls: La Roca-FD 02 (UT) 1–2 SJEB Rush 02 Academy Blue (NJ)
After conceding an early goal, SJEB Rush 02 Academy Blue (NJ) tied it late and found a winner in overtime to defeat La Roca FD 02 (UT), 2-1, in the 16U Girls final. La Roca took an eighth-minute lead when Caroline Stringfellow netted her fourth goal of the week. Stringfellow brought down a long ball and fended off two defenders, as she made her way into the box. Once there, she slid her shot past the keeper to give La Roca a 1-0 advantage.

SJEB generated several threatening movements in its attacking half while looking for an equalizer. La Roca continued to clear the danger, but Rush finally equalized with just two minutes left in regulation. Alyssa Monti played in a driven ball from the right wing that carried to the far-side upper-90 — where it hit off the inside of the post and found the back of the net.

The New Jersey side grabbed a lead in the first overtime, as Erin Sullenberger received a diagonal ball in the box before placing her left-footed shot off the keeper’s fingertips and into the right corner of the net. La Roca’s Whitney Lopez nearly equalized shortly after, but her free kick from distance hit the woodwork and stayed out. SJEB held off the late pushes from La Roca to take the 2-1 victory and win the 16U Girls National Championship.

17U Girls: Rebels 2001 Elite (CA-S) 1-0 FCKC Academy Blues Elite (MO)
Rebels 2001 Elite (CA-S) claimed the 2018 US Youth Soccer 17U Girls National Championship after defeating FCKC Academy Blues Elite (MO). The two teams faced off in group play with FCKC winning 3-2. FCKC applied early pressure with early attempts on goal, including a shot from Madilyn Hamline just a minute in that was saved by the keeper to keep the game tied at zero. Early in the game FCKC controlled the tempo, earning a corner kick and another shot by Hamline that did not convert to keep the game knotted at zero. Rebels earned a free kick late in the first half that sailed high to send the game to halftime with a score of 0-0.

Early in the second half, the Rebels got a shot off that missed right and a free kick that missed high to keep the game at a scoreless draw. Lily Farkas of FCKC was able to get a shot on goal early in the second half after the ball found her foot, but the shot was saved to hold the tie. Rebels’ Rylie Curran was able to get a late shot on goal as the regulation was closing, but the keeper made a save to send the game in to stoppage time with zeros on the scoreboard. After coming in late in the game as an injury substitute, Rebels’ Ashley Herndon found the back of the net in the 96th minute off an assist from Emma Gaines-Ramos. With time winding down, FCKC did not go down without one last attack that the Rebels were able to hold off and earn the 1-0 victory to be crowned 17U Girls National Champions.

18U Girls: Campton United (IL) 2-3 Sunrise Sting 2000 (FL)
The 18U Girls final was a rematch of a day two match between Campton United (IL) and Sunrise Sting 2000 (FL) that finished 1-0 in the favor of the team from Illinois.

Campton started as the aggressors and almost took the lead early in the half when Claudia Najera was pulled down in the box while chasing after a long ball from Rachael Lutter. The penalty was all for naught as the ensuing penalty kick rang off the left post. Campton took the lead in the 19th minute off great pressure on a Sunrise goal kick. Victoria Thornton headed the goal kick back towards the box and Saydie Holland touched the floating ball beyond a defender and then slotted her chance beyond the keeper. The first half was all Campton as they took a 1-0 lead into halftime.

Campton increased its lead in the second half as some great 1-2 passing saw Hailey Rydberg play a pass to Hannah Rittenhouse behind the defense for a goal. The tide began to turn as Sunrise pulled one back in the 61st minute. Sunrise’s Samantha Wald swept in a ball rolling across the box to cut Campton’s lead to one. Time began to wind down but Sunrise’s Cydni Turner leveled the score in the 83rd minute. Turner was on the right end of a misplayed clearance by a defender. Turner spun and hit her shot from close range into the net to make it a 2-2 game.

As the last seconds began to tick off the clock, Sunrise’s Chloe Laureano headed a goal kick back towards the box and a misclearance bounced to Wald. Without looking up, Wald spun and hit a missile of a half volley from the top right corner of the 18-yard-box it into the upper right corner to take the lead. Sunrise held off any attacks to finish with a 3-2 scoreline and become the 18U Girls National Champions.

14U Boys: Real Jersey FC (NJ) 1-2 Nationals Union 04 Black (MI)
Nationals Union 04 Black (MI) defeated Real Jersey FC (NJ) to earn the 14U Boys National Championship. Real Jersey got an early lead with a goal from Cade McGrath in just the fifth minute of play with an assist from Braden Short. After giving up an early goal, Nationals gained its composure and earned chances of its own that they were unable to convert to keep the score at 1-0. McGrath had a chance to extend the lead early with another shot attempt that deflected off the defender and out of bounds. Real Jersey took the 1-0 lead to halftime.

Coming out of halftime, the even play continued as the teams fought for control in the middle of the field. McGrath missed an early shot left to keep Real Jersey’s lead at one. In the 57th minute, Nolan Miller netted the equalizer for Nationals off of a rebound. Nationals earned a corner kick in the 73rd minute where Jeremy Sharp found the back post directly off the kick for the game winning goal.

15U Boys: LVSA 03 Silver (NV) 2–0 Beadling Elite 2003 (PA-W)
A pair of goals from Abigay Gomez fueled LVSA 03 Silver (NV) to a 2-0 victory against Beadling Elite 2003 (PA-W) in the 15U Boys final. Gomez opened the scoring in just the seventh minute, as he received a well-weighted through ball and rounded the keeper before quickly sliding his shot into an open net. Beadling went down to 10 men early in the second half, but the PA West side did well to generate some dangerous chances as it looked for an equalizing goal.

Beadling came closest to leveling the score in the 65th minute, when it won a free kick deep in the right corner of the attacking half. The initial ball into the box was tipped off the crossbar and the follow-up attempt flashed across the face of goal but no player managed to get a touch to direct it in. LVSA managed to seal the game when Gomez received a ball at the top of the left side of the box and blasted a shot inside the near post to make it 2-0. The Gomez brace proved to be the difference, as LVSA hung on for the victory to clinch the National title.

16U Boys: 02 NCFC Elite Boys (NC) 0–1 Arlington SA 2002 Red (VA)
It took overtime for Arlington SA 2002 Red (VA) to earn a hard-fought 1-0 win against 02 NCFC Elite Boys (NC) in the 16U Boys final. The Virginia side came out strong in the opening half and generated some early chances as it looked for a breakthrough goal. NCFC’s Angelo Madrid intervened with a key sliding block to deny a 25th-minute Arlington chance, and Arlington’s Joseph Core sent a free kick header just over the bar shortly after.

NCFC created its share of chances in the second half, and Samuel Durand’s looping header in the 52nd minute went just over the crossbar. With neither side able to find the back of the net in regulation, the game moved to overtime.

Branden Johns netted the game’s lone goal 15 minutes into overtime to give the Virginia side the title. Johns made a near-post run and redirected a cross from the left wing just inside the left post to give his side the lead. Several late pushes by NCFC into the Arlington penalty area were cleared by the Virginia side, as Arlington held on for the 1-0 victory.

17U Boys: Tampa Bay United (FL) 2-4 Galaxy 2001 Blue (IL)
Galaxy 2001 Blue (IL) defeated the defending National Champion, Tampa Bay United (FL), 4-2 in overtime to claim the 17U Boys 2018 National Championship title. Earlier in the week, Tampa Bay defeated Galaxy, 3-1, in group play, but Sunday’s matchup was a different game. Galaxy struck first in the 10th minute when a long throw-in was flicked on by a Galaxy player and Cameron Strang was there to volley the ball in at the near post. The Illinois side did not have a lot of time to enjoy the lead as Tampa Bay served a long diagonal ball for Trevor Stanley six minutes later, and Stanley brought the ball down for a left-footed shot into the top right corner. Tampa Bay took control of the game and stole the lead when Brennan Breuer sent a low driven shot from inside the 18-yard box.

Just as Tampa Bay was about to win the game, in the 90th minute, the ball found its way to Galaxy’s Kyle Blasingame in Tampa Bay’s 18-yard box, and Blasingame took the open shot. Two minutes into the first overtime period, Galaxy regained the lead when the ball was played into the box, and Evan Lang was there to pass the ball into the goal. Galaxy sealed the win with a Nick Renfro goal as he redirected a corner kick into the net.

18U Boys: Baltimore Celtic SC 00 (MD) 3-0 Downtown LVSC 00 Academy (NV)
Baltimore Celtic SC 00 (MD) became back-to-back National Champions after defeating Downtown LVSC 00 Academy (NV), 3-0, in the 18U Boys final match. The Maryland side came out of the gates early by taking three shots right away, looking to break LVSC down with high pressure. While Celtic played the ball around in the first half, LVSC dictated a lot of the play in the second half, and John Lynam had a few solid looks at goal, nearly giving the Nevada side the lead.

As the full 90 minutes passed, the score still read 0-0, and the two teams headed into overtime. It was almost a different game, however, because Celtic immediately scored in the first two minutes of extra time as Benjamin Stitz slot the ball past the goalkeeper. Stitz went on to score another goal as he received the ball with a wide open goal in front of him and sent the ball to the top corner. To top off the match, 18U Boys leading scorer Justin Gielen notched his seventh goal of the week just before the end of the match. Gielen first dummied the ball for a runner behind him to cut the ball back to him, and Gielen lofted the ball into the goal.

2018 US Youth Soccer National Championships | Sunday Finals

The National Champions emerged on top in the tournament, which featured US Youth Soccer Regional Champions in the 13U through 19U Boys and Girls age groups, as well as the US Youth Soccer National League qualifiers in the 14U through 18U Boys and Girls age groups to complete the field of 96 teams.