Schedule announced for 2013-2014 US Youth Soccer National League

The schedule has been announced for the opening weekend of the 2013-2014 US Youth Soccer National League season, as the boys gather Nov. 21-24 in Wilson, N.C. National League Girls will kick off two weeks later, Dec. 5-8. Games will be played in conjunction with the CASL Showcase, creating another significant opportunity for the nation's collegiate, professional and national team coaches to see National League players in an environment of meaningful play.

The games in North Carolina will be played primarily at the Wilson Gillette Soccer Complex and Rocky Mount Sports Complex, with a few select games also taking place at Barton College and Fike High School.

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 seventh year of National League play is shaping up to be one of the most competitive yet. Ten players competing in the 2013-2014 National League have already been called into U.S. National Team camps in the month of October, and the pool of teams includes the following:

Boys
2 National Champions
4 National Championship Finalists
5 National League Division Champions
15 Regional Champions
1 Dallas Cup Champion
2 Dallas Cup Finalists

Girls
5 National Champions
4 National Championship Finalists
5 National League Champions
15 Regional Champions

"With each team earning their way into the league, the National League provides the most competitive environment possible with quality play and meaningful games," said Paul Luchowski, National League commissioner. “In 2012-2013, we had 39 National League teams qualify for the National Championships and six of a possible eight titles were won by National League teams. This season, we have 49 teams competing in the league that qualified for last summer’s National Championships and we feel like 2013-2014 will be one of the most competitive seasons to date.”

For the latest scores, schedules and standings, visit http://tournaments.usyouthsoccer.org/events/2013-2014-National-League/.

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

Since its inception, National League teams have captured a combined 26 of 38 possible National Championships. For a list of past National League champions and history, click here.

After the Boys and Girls opening weekends in North Carolina, the National League will continue the season in December alongside the Disney Soccer Showcase in Orlando, Fla., with the Boys playing Dec. 27-29 and the Girls Dec. 31-Jan 2.

Keep up with the National League all season:

National League Home: USYouthSoccer.org/National_League

Schedule and results: Tournaments.USYouthSoccer.org/events/2013-2014-National-League/

Twitter: @nationalleague

Facebook: Facebook.com/usyouthsoccer

YouTube: YouTube.com/usyouth

Instagram: Instagram.com/usyouthsoccer

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 www.USYouthSoccer.org/National_League/.