The US Youth Soccer National League Under-15, Under-16, Under-17 and Under-18 teams will resume league play Dec. 27–Jan. 2 in Orlando, Fla., at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in conjunction with the Disney Soccer Showcase. The boys will compete Dec. 27-29, while the girls play Dec. 31-Jan. 2.
The schedule for Orlando features four of the eight teams per division in the Under-15 through Under-18 age groups, meaning 32 boys teams and 32 girls teams will take the fields to play the final three games of their National League season. Each matchup holds great importance in determining which teams will punch their ticket to the 2014 US Youth Soccer National Championships, held July 22-27 in Germantown, Md.
After both the boys and girls sides played competitive matches to open their seasons in Wilson, N.C., nearly every division has several teams in position to contend for the title. Just two boys teams escaped North Carolina with perfect 4-0-0 records, while eight girls teams have four wins after the first week of play.
The National League teams that do not compete in Orlando, including all Under-14 squads, will complete their season at the Players College Showcase in Las Vegas — with boys games held March 14-16 and girls games played March 21-23.
The National League features the top 160 teams in the Under-14 through Under-18 Boys and Girls age groups. With 16 teams divided into two divisions per age group, each team has had to earn their place in the league through their success in US Youth Soccer Regional Leagues and National Championship Series play. Teams automatically qualify for the National League by finishing in the top two of their division the previous year, winning their respective Regional League or by winning their respective Regional Championship.
The National League provides a pathway for four teams per gender age group to qualify for the US Youth Soccer National Championships, sending the top two finishers in each division of the Under-14, Under-15, Under-16, Under-17 and Under-18 Boys and Girls to compete for the National title. The four National League representatives will join the four regional champions at the 2014 National Championships at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, Md., July 22-27.
The league is an extension of the highly successful US Youth Soccer Regional Leagues (US Youth Soccer Region I Premier League, Midwest Regional League, Region III 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.
Keep up with the National League all season:
National League Home: USYouthSoccer.org/National_League
Schedule and results: http://tournaments.usyouthsoccer.org/events/2013-2014-National-League/
Twitter: @nationalleague
Facebook: Facebook.com/usyouthsoccer
Instagram: Instagram.com/usyouthsoccer
YouTube: YouTube.com/usyouth
About the United States Youth Soccer Association (US Youth Soccer) – US Youth Soccer - "The Game for ALL Kids!" is the largest youth sports organization in the country and largest member of the United States Soccer Federation, the governing body of soccer in the United States. US Youth Soccer registers more than 3 million players annually, ages 5 to 19, and over 900,000 administrators, coaches and volunteers in 55 member State Associations. US Youth Soccer programs provide a fun, safe and healthy environment for players at every level of the game. For more information, visit www.USYouthSoccer.org.
About US Youth Soccer National League - Formed in 2007, the US Youth Soccer National League was developed as a path of advancement for the top teams from the US Youth Soccer Regional Leagues. In addition to meaningful matches, development and identification, the league created a direct path to the annual US Youth Soccer National Championships. League play features the Under-14 through Under-18 age groups for boys and girls who are seeking to advance their college, professional and U.S. National Team aspirations. Learn more at USYouthSoccer.org/National_League/.
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