US Youth Soccer National League Boys N.C. Showcase Day 2 Recap

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WILSON, N.C. (Via US Youth Soccer) — The 2017-18 US Youth Soccer National League Boys season is in full swing after two days of play at the Wilson Gillette Athletic Complex and Rocky Mount Sports Complex in North Carolina. The season is shaping up to be a long fight for the divisional titles and automatic entries to the US Youth Soccer National Championships, and Saturday’s games should play a big role in separating some teams in the standings.

The competitive level of each game serves as a key factor in attracting college coaches to each National League weekend, and this week in North Carolina has been no different. More than 200 college scouts have been on hand during the first two days of play to see the teams compete in meaningful matches.

In addition to competing for league titles, the possibility of qualifying for the National Championships add intensity to each and every National League game.

+READ: US Youth Soccer National League Boys season kicks off in N.C.

“Having a chance to qualify for Nationals means everything. That’s what we talk about when we train,” 16U St. Louis Scott Gallagher SC Elite (MO) coach Tim Amlong said. “It’s about consistency. Every game has value. Every game means something. We prepare for that. By winning this, and getting a chance to go to Nationals, that takes a lot off your plate. Securing a spot through National League means a lot to us.”

National League teams earn their place in the league based on a proven track record of success in US Youth Soccer regional and national competitions and are among the nation’s best. Competing for a league title and a spot in the US Youth Soccer National Championships, each and every game will play into who represents the National League this summer in Frisco, Texas.

The National League is an extension of the highly successful US Youth Soccer Regional Leagues (US Youth Soccer Eastern Regional 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.

+READ: Nominees announced for U.S. Soccer Player of the Year awards

National League action will continue Saturday, Dec. 9, as the boys teams play their third game of the season. Complete standings, scores and schedules, including goal scorers and match information, can be found at the results page here. Click on the score of each game for more information.

Some highlights from Friday’s matches…

14U
In the 14U Blue Division, Nationals Union 04 Black (MI) has secured two wins to open its season and has a two-point lead atop the standings. Meanwhile, there is a three-way tie at the top of the 14U Red Division, as NM Rush 04 (NM), Soltilo FC Los Angeles (CA-S) and Sporting BV SKC Academy 04 (KS) have each picked up two wins.

15U
A back-and-forth match resulted in a 4-2 win for Beadling (PA-W) over Nationals Union 03 Black (MI) in the 15U Red Division. Beadling was the first side to get on the board as Jaxon Ervin sent a corner kick to the near post for Ethan Sanders to head the ball in. Despite Beadling’s goal in the fourth minute, both teams were still in the process of setting into the game and gaining a rhythm. Nationals began to pick up the pressure and earned the equalizer when Rene Robert ran onto a bouncing ball at the top of the 18-yard box and blasted it to the back right corner of the goal. With the momentum, Nationals grabbed the lead when Anthony Waller sent his shot soaring from 30 yards out and watched it dip under the bar. In the second half, Beadling came out with determination and tied up the game again when a cross from the right flank found Joseph Fonagy, who ran through the ball to put it in the net. In the 55th minute, Beadling gained the lead right back when the team forced Nationals to allow an own goal, and Anthony DiFalco netted a shot for an assurance goal three minutes later.

In another 15U Red Division matchup, La Roca S CS (UT) defeated Bethesda SC Blue 03 (MD), 3-1. Sheldon Sackey opened up the scoring for La Roca when he scored in the 20th minute, and it wasn’t until the second half that the Utah side increased its lead to two as Griffin Dillon netted a goal. Bethesda attempted to prevent La Roca from scoring again with help from goalkeeper Percy Magnus, who made a couple of exceptional saves. However, La Roca did gain another and topped off the game with a goal from Noah Robinson, who launched a long shot that sailed just below the crossbar. Bethesda managed to get on the board as Seni Joseph scored in the 69th minute, but La Roca walked away with the win.

16U
Chicago Magic Soccer (IL) picked up a significant shutout over ID Club Division 02 (TX-S) in 16U Red Division play. The Illinois side got the ball rolling in the fifth minute as Adrian Jurkowski placed his shot into the back of the net, and Chicago Magic earned its second in the 28th minute. In the second half, ID Club Division fought to cut into Chicago Magic’s lead, but it became a 3-0 game when Oliver Akintade drove down the line and sliced the ball across the goal for Adrian Jurkowski to pass into the goal. Just one minute later, Akintade earned a goal of his own, completing the final score for the match.

A second straight 16U White Division victory helped USA MP 02 Premier (SC) remain among the top teams in the standings after it beat Santa Clara Sporting 02 Green (CA-N), 3-1. The South Carolina side grabbed an early lead thanks to an own goal, as USA MP went up in the ninth minute. USA MP held that lead until the second half, when Kevin Wray doubled the advantage with a 56th-minute strike. Wray added even more breathing room in the 70th minute when he netted his second goal of the game to put USA MP up, 3-0. Santa Clara netted a late goal, but it wasn’t enough as the South Carolina side held on for the 3-1 victory.

17U
A second straight clean sheet kept Solar 01 Stricker (TX-N) on pace in the 17U Blue Division, as the North Texas side defeated 2016 National Champion Valparaiso United FC 01 JG (AZ), 3-0, on Friday. After a scoreless first half, Teren Tate broke open the game with a pair of quick goals in the 47th and 50th minutes to put Solar in front. Shay Adamson added to the Solar advantage when he found the back of the net in the 61st minute. The back line of Solar continued its stellar play, as it saw out the final half-hour of play to secure the 3-0 victory.

Sporting Omaha FC 01 Elite (NE) bounced back from a loss on Thursday to defeat Beadling (PA-W), 2-0, in 17U Red Division action. Duncan McGuire put Sporting ahead in the 12th minute of the match when he netted a goal. The score remained close at 1-0 through the first half, but Carlos Salazar-Sevilla earned a little breathing room for Sporting with his 60th-minute goal. Sporting finished the game strong and earned the shutout to get its first win of the season.

18U
After dropping its opening 18U Blue Division game, FC Dallas 00 Che (TX-N) picked an important three points on Friday with a 1-0 win over St. Louis Scott Gallagher Elite 2000 (MO). The Missouri side controlled possession early, while FC Dallas looked to strike on the counter attack. After withstanding a good amount of pressure from SLSG, FC Dallas nearly took a 35th-minute lead when Issomalia Dosso hit a right-footed blast from a tight angle that rattled the crossbar. Dosso didn’t miss when he got a second chance a breakthrough in the second half. The St. Louis keeper couldn’t handle a driven pass across the box, and Dosso pounced on the loose ball and squeezed a shot over the goal line — giving FC Dallas a 1-0 lead. St. Louis produced some late looks at goal, but the North Texas side hung on to earn the 1-0 win.

Fullerton Rangers 00 White (CA-S) and LVU 2000 Black (PA-E) are part of a four-way tie at the top of the 18U White Division after a scoreless draw on Friday. The Eastern Pennsylvania side held a large majority of possession throughout the second half, as it looked to produce a winning goal. LVU came close to going ahead in the 60th minute, as Euan Forrest hit a slicing shot from outside of the box that flew just over the bar. Fullerton did well to deal with several corner kicks and scrambles in the box, as LVU never got a clean look on goal despite spending much of the second half in the attacking half of the field. Saturday’s games will play a large role in creating some separation in the White Division standings.