18 teams qualify for 2012 Super Y-League North American Finals

The Super Y-League announced today 18 teams that have qualified for the 2012 North American Finals from December 7-11 at the world-class facilities of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Leading the way is Orlando-based FC America qualifying four teams out of the Southeast Division: U12 girls, U13 girls, U16 girls, and U17 boys.

Central Florida will be well represented at this year’s North American Finals as Orlando City SC, also out of the Southeast Division, qualified three teams: U12 boys, U14 boys, and U16 girls.

Always a force to be recommended with at the finals, the Ottawa Fury’s run through the New England Division this season secured places for three of its teams as their U14, U15, and U16 boys teams will head to south Florida in December. Vermont’s Nordic Soccer Club will send two teams to Bradenton as both the U16 girls and U14 boys teams each qualified for the finals. Also qualifying out of the New England Division is Lightning Soccer Club’s U15 boys team that posted a 7-4-1 record during the regular season.

The U13 boys teams from the Long Island Rough Riders and Match Fit Chelsea each qualified out of the Mid Atlantic Division while Kendall SC will send their U13 boys squad to the finals out of the Southeast Division. Rounding out the latest list of qualified teams are the Florida Fire Juniors U14 boys and the VSI West Florida Flames U13 girls.

In its 14th consecutive year, the SYL North American Finals has helped launched the careers of many notable U.S. soccer stars such as Jozy Altidore, Juan Agudelo and 2010 Gatorade National High School Player of the Year Mollie Pathman.

With 130 teams competing, the total daily attendance for December’s Super Y-League North American Finals is expected to exceed 15,000, and fill more than 7,000 hotel rooms in Manatee and Sarasota Counties. Earlier this year, IMG hosted the Super-20 Finals, the Super Y-League Olympic Development Program (ODP) National Camps for boys and girls, and the USL PRO Combine.

The world’s largest and most advanced multi-sport training and education complex, IMG Academy has already hosted a myriad of soccer team training camps in 2012, including clubs such as the Seattle Sounders, D.C. United, Columbus Crew, Sweden’s Malmö FF, as well as the U.S. Women’s National Team preparing for the London Olympic Games and the Antigua & Barbuda Men’s National Team preparing for World Cup qualifying. The Super-20 League North American Finals were also held in Bradenton from July 19-22.

Additional qualifying teams will be announced in the coming days.