US Club Soccer announces structure and details for 2021 NPL Playoffs and Finals

CHARLESTON, S.C. – US Club Soccer has announced its 2021 National Premier Leagues (NPL) Playoffs and Finals structure, dates and locations.

The 2021 NPL Girls postseason structure will remain the same as years past, with U-13 through U-18/19 age brackets participating in a single-stage post season event, the Girls NPL Finals, where qualifiers from member NPLs throughout the country will compete for the national title.

The 2021 Boys NPL postseason will have a different structure than previous years. Due to the significant growth of both the NPL and ECNL platforms, the two leagues have decided to participate in separate post season competitions.

This year’s boys NPL post season will be two-stages for U-14 through U-17 age brackets and include East and West Playoffs in late June followed by the Boys NPL Finals in mid-July. The U-13 and U-18/19 age brackets will have a single-stage post season.

The NPL Boys East Playoffs and NPL Boys West Playoffs will take place on June 25-29. The East Playoffs will be located at Manchester Meadows in Rock Hill, South Carolina, for U-13 through U-17 age brackets. The West Playoffs will be located at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado, for U-13 through U-18/19 age brackets.

This year’s Boys and Girls NPL Finals will be held at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado, July 8-12.

“We are excited for the opportunity to be back on the field and provide a national competition opportunity for the players,” said Leo Garcia, NPL General Manager and US Club Soccer Vice President of Competitions. “The long pause was not something we wanted and, even with a slightly new look to our league competitions this year, we are thrilled to once again be hosting the NPL Finals at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park and looking forward to seeing some of the top clubs in the country compete towards the ultimate goal of an NPL national championship.”

DICK’S Sporting Goods Park, featuring 22 grass fields and two turf fields, impressed in its US Club Soccer debut in 2019. The expansive complex serves as the home of Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids and the Colorado Rapids Development Academy, while also hosting various camps, clinics, national tournaments, and international events every year.

Colorado has become an annual reward for US Club Soccer families competing for national championships. Commerce City hosted the 2019 summer tournaments, and nearby Aurora was US Club Soccer’s championship home in 2013, 2016 and 2018.