US Youth Soccer National League Season Preview: 14U Girls
Scores, Standings and Schedules
Girls Age Group Previews: 15U | 16U | 17U | 18U
(Via US Youth Soccer) – The US Youth Soccer National League 2017-2018 season kicks off November 30 with the start of the girls’ event in North Carolina. Continue reading for a season preview of the 14U girls age group.
With all of the teams entering their first year in the National League, there are minimal opportunities to have previous experience on the national stage. However, 2017 US Youth Soccer National Championships finalist SDFC Yellow (NJ) has already shown it can compete with the best in the nation, which makes it a top contender in the 14U Girls Blue Division.
The New Jersey side outscored opponents, 20-to-5, on its way to capturing the US Youth Soccer Region I Championship. It carried that momentum into Nationals, where SDFC displayed some mental toughness to overcome a big opening loss to rebound and advance to the final. After coming up just short of the National title, SDFC should be hungry to win the Blue Division and punch its ticket back to the National Championships.
CDA Premier 04 (KY) could be another team to watch in the Blue Division after it came just one goal short of advancing to the National Championships. The Kentucky side won its group at the US Youth Soccer Region II Championships but fell, 1-0, in the final.
Other teams who made some noise at their respective Regional Championships are Michigan Jaguars 04 Green (MI) and PacNW 04 Maroon (WA), who each advanced to the semifinal round. Meanwhile, Beadling Elite 2004 (PA-W) put up a strong showing in the US Youth Soccer Eastern Regional League and will look to continue its success in league formats.
There is a lot of unknown in the 14U Red Division, as only time will tell how the young teams react to their first year in the National League. While there are plenty of questions left to be answered, one thing that’s certain is Arlington SA (VA) can string together some dominant performances.
Arlington advanced to the Region I Championships final in 2017 after outscoring opponents, 19-to-0, in its first four games. The Virginia side gave up some late goals in a tough 3-2 loss in the Regional final, so the players should be focused as they begin their National League season in North Carolina.
Pipeline SC Pre-Academy (MD) is another team that had success at the Region I Championships, as it advanced to the semifinals. While it didn’t blow away any opponents, it won its group with a 3-0-0 record and earned valuable experience in picking up victories in tight games.
Consistency across all seven games of league play is a key to finishing on top of the standings, and CCV Stars 04 (AZ) showed it can put together a streak of solid performances while winning the US Youth Soccer Far West Regional League’s Desert Premier Division. The Arizona side won all nine of its games while posting a plus-16 goal differential, and a similar performance in the National League could lead to a run at the Red Division title.
Mackenzie Albert (SDFC) – Best XI at the National Championships
Jadyn Liebman (SDFC) – Best XI at the National Championships
Alyssa Kenealy (Arlington) – Leading scorer at the Region I Championships with eight goals
2017 US Youth Soccer ODP Girls Thanksgiving Interregional – 2004 Roster
East Region – Isabella DaPra (Beadling Elite)
