Fourteen 2015 Florida Cup champions come out on top after challenging tournament

Fourteen teams representing 10 clubs clinched 2015 Florida Cup championships, May 9-10 at the Ocala Regional Sportsplex in Ocala, Fla.

The 12th edition of the Florida Cup, US Club Soccer’s state championship event open to U-12 through U-18/19 boys and girls age groups, tested participating teams with a competitive schedule that began in March.

Winning teams from the U-13 through U-17 age groups have qualified directly to the National Cup XIV Finals, which will be held July 17-20 at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind. The Finals, the culmination of US Club Soccer’s cup-based national competition, provides an opportunity for teams to win national championships.

The 14 title winners:

Orlando City Youth Soccer repeated as U-12 boys Florida Cup champions after winning the same bracket in 2014. The club also claimed U-12 and U-17 girls titles. “The 2015 Florida Cup was a great opportunity to be exposed to a high level of competition, which involved good teams from around the state,” Orlando City Youth Soccer U-12 girls coach Dan Nolan said.

FC Florida was the only other club to have teams win multiple age groups, as it clinched U-13 girls, U-14 girls and U-15 boys titles.

Florida Kraze Krush used a veteran team that won the U-14 girls championship last year to win the U-15 bracket in 2015.

For U-13 through U-17 champions, the focus now turns to national championship aspirations. “We are very excited and honored to represent Florida, as we move on towards the National Cup Finals,” Tampa Bay United U-16 girls coach Jim Cote said, who coached his team to a double overtime victory in the 2015 Florida Cup finals.