US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup 2019 champions crowned

Schedule, Scores and Standings | Championship Game Photos
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MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (July 15, 2019) – After four days of play, champion teams were decided Sunday at the 2019 US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup finals in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

2019 US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup Champions

The winning teams were among 48 participating US Youth Soccer Boys and Girls teams in the 13U through 18U age groups that came from all over the country to compete for a national title.

Nine different State Associations were represented among the champions. The Midwest Region teams took home six titles with two winners from Illinois and one each from Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri and South Dakota. The South Region was represented by four champions with three from South Texas and one from North Texas. West had the final winners with a team from Cal South and one from Nevada.

Final Match Highlights:

13U Boys
After a close, 1-0, game in group play, Miners FC 06 (TX-S) outlasted Las Vegas Pros Futbol 06 (NV), 4-3, to claim the 13U Boys title. Vegas took the lead early as Alberto Perez scored a goal in just the fourth minute of play. The game was back and forth the entire match with Miners FC leveling thanks to Bryan Salas before Vegas once again took the lead, this time on a goal from Minor Josue Villegas Gillardo. Christopher Mendez scored his fourth goal of the event to make it 2-2 but Vegas pushed ahead as Alberto Perez found the back of the net. It looked like Vegas may take the victory, but Mendez scored his second of the match just before the final whistle to send the game to overtime. Salas scored his age group leading sixth goal in the 93rd minute of play to seal the title for Miners.

13U Girls
Sporting Stl Academy-Bryant (MO) claimed the 13U Girls National Presidents Cup title after defeating Real Colorado Olympico (CO) in kicks from the mark. Real Colorado was victorious in the two team’s first meeting in group play, but the two teams ended in a, 0-0, draw at the end of regulation. With neither side able to find a winning goal in overtime, the game headed to kicks from the mark. Sporting claimed the title as all of its kickers made their attempts. Real Colorado missed a kick high early and then Sporting’s Emily Sanabria made the final save to send Sporting to victory.

14U Boys
After a, 3-1, loss yesterday, Downtown LA SC 05 (CA-S) bounced back to defeat LG Celtics First XI 05 (IL), 4-0, to become the 14U Boys National Presidents Cup champions. Downtown took a, 1-0, lead into halftime on the back of a Randy Osorio-Flores goal in the 14th minute. LG Celtic’s searched for a game winner but Downtown shut the door with three goals in the final four minutes of play. Kevin Paniagua, Daniel Cruz and Brian Ruperto added Downtown’s late goals to shut the door on Celtics and to crown the Cal South side as champions.

14U Girls
With its fourth consecutive clean sheet at the event, DASC 05 (SD) defeated Century V East 05 (PA-W), 1-0, to become National Presidents Cup champions. Century V locked down its defense as it limited Hailee Christensen and Chloe Dondlingers opportunities for DASC. With neither team able to find a game winner, the game headed into overtime. DASC’s Christensen scored in the first minute of OT and that was all the goal scoring that was needed as the South Dakota side’s defense earned yet another shutout to send the team to victory. With the win, DASC bounces back after last year’s loss in the final to become National Presidents Cup champions.

15U Boys
After a scoreless game, the 15U Boys National Presidents Cup crown was decided by kicks from the mark as Chicago Rush Select (IL) outlasted R9 Ronaldo Academy (FL), 4-1, from the spot. Ronaldo Academy defeated Chicago, 2-1, in their group match but couldn’t get any scoring going as both teams were held scoreless through the final whistle. After a scoreless overtime period, the match headed to kicks from the mark. Rush’s kickers made sure they made their attempts while goalkeeper Luke Hawkins stepped up to make two massive back-to-back saves on Ronaldo Academy’s first two kickers to seal the 15U Boys title for Rush.

15U Girls
Sporting Iowa 2004 Academy 1 (IA) bounced back from a loss the day before to defeat Beach FC (CA-S), 3-2, in a rematch of the previous day’s game. Sporting Iowa took a lead into halftime as Avery Korsching found the back of the back of the net in the 14th minute. Beach battled back in the second half and leveled the score just five minutes into the second half with a goal from Sarah Amara. Sporting pulled ahead in the 60th minute with a goal from Brissa Para but Beach once again fought back to tie the match thanks to a goal from Phoenix Tucker. It looked like the game was destined for overtime until a great cross into the box from the left flank found Isabel Davis. Davis made no mistakes and finished her first-time chance beyond the keeper to give Sporting the lead with only a minute to play. Beach once again had the opportunity to tie the game, as a late foul in the box set it up with a penalty kick in the dying moment of the match. Sporting’s Braelyn Thomas made a spectacular read as she dove to her right to make the save and to send Sporting home as the 15U Girls National Presidents Cup Champions.

16U Boys
Sporting United 03 (TX-N) overcame an early deficit to defeat Heat FC 03 AS (NV), 4-2, to earn the 16U Boys title. Heat’s Zion Byrd scored the game’s first goal to give his team a, 1-0, lead in the 15th minute of play. Sporting’s Damian Castorena equalized before the halftime whistle as the teams entered the half tied, 1-1. Sporting pushed to a two-goal lead, scoring two goals within five minutes of each other with goals from Auden Quinonez and Alfredo Martinez. As the final whistle drew near, Luis Rosales pulled one back for Heat in the 73rd minute to give his team a hope of a comeback. Alexis Guevara made sure that Sporting left with the title, adding an insurance goal just a minute later to seal the, 4-2, victory for Sporting.

16U Girls
After earning a, 2-0, shutout in their group match, it took kicks from the mark for Three Rivers Rampage (MN) to defeat Solar 03 Wells (TX-N) to claim the 16U Girls title. Solar scored the lone first half goal as Shelbi Lafferty scored just over halfway through the first half. Three Rivers Rampage battled back in the second as it leveled early in the half with Cedar Jorgenson’s third goal of the event. With neither team able to score in the overtime period, the game headed to kicks from the mark. Despite saving one of Minnesota’s shots, Solar struggled from the spot as Three Rivers Rampage outlasted the North Texas side, 4-2, from the spot to claim the 16U Girls National Presidents Cup title.

17U Boys 
Players SC Elite 02 (NV) came back for a second straight, 5-4, victory over ZYSA 02 Green (IN) to earn the 17U Boys National Presidents Cup crown. The game entered halftime tied, 1-1, with Players’ Sebastian Romero starting the scoring before Julian Keough leveled the teams just before the halftime whistle. The game exploded in the second half with five goals scored in a 10-minute span. William Payton gave ZYSA a lead before two quick strikes from Josue Figureoa and Jose Morales put Players on top. Players’ lead didn’t last long, as ZYSA’s Alex Carr and Nicholas Pease put the Indiana side back in the lead. Players SC battled back as Morales scored his second of the game to once again bring the sides level. The game looked primed to head into overtime until Morales completed his hattrick in the 90th minute to seal the victory for Players SC.

17U Girls
After falling in a close, 3-2, game the day before, Chicago Fire Juniors West 2002 Red (IL) bounced back to earn a, 2-0, victory over LVSA 02 Red (NV). Chicago got started off hot, finishing a chance in just the opening minute of play thanks to a goal from Alex Tetteh. Age group leading goal scorer Nina Bradshaw added the second goal for Chicago midway through the second half to bolster Chicago’s lead and Chicago’s defense held off LVSA’s late presses on goal to earn the shutout and the 17U Girls title.

18U Boys
West Texas Rush Sharks White (TX-S) got redemption from its only loss of the event and claimed the 18U Boys National Presidents Cup title with a, 3-0, victory over Keliix Intra (MN). Sharks took a promising, 2-0, lead into halftime thanks to a brace from Quinton Brown. Keliix’s offense couldn’t get started in the second half with Sharks holding tight on the defensive end. Sharks added a second-half insurance goal as Jason Castillo found the back of the net in the 58th minute. The South Texas defense held through the final whistle to earn a clean sheet and send Sharks home with the 18U Boys National Presidents Cup title.

18U Girls
Rage FC (TX-S) defeated CC Aztecs/Coast (CA-S), 2-1, to become the 18U Girls National Presidents Cup champions. The two teams played to a scoreless first half, as neither offense was able to find the right connection in the final third to break the deadlock. Rage FC took the lead as Bianca Chacon scored in the 56th minute but Aztecs/Coast’s Cynthia Flores scored just two minutes later to keep the teams level. Chacon pushed Rage into the lead with what would become the game winning goal in the 67th minute. The Rage defense held the Cal South offense in check for the final 23-minutes to earn the, 2-1, win.

To view all of Sunday’s results, check out the schedule, standings and scores website.

Note:  The US Youth Soccer Presidents Cup is a separate series of events from the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series. For more information on the US Youth Soccer Presidents Cup, visit www.usyouthsoccer.org/presidents-cup.