Today we unveil our latest update to Grande TeamRank, the comprehensive ranking system for elite club soccer teams nationwide, releasing the latest standings for U16, U17 and U18 Boys. Next week, we will update the older age groups on the Girls side. We will update our National Top 25 for each age group at least once per month.

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Barely half of the teams in US Soccer’s Development Academy were in action on opening weekend, but there were a few teams that were quick to make a case for a higher ranking in the IMG Academy 150.

Philadelphia Union on the move early at U16

One of the newest clubs in the Development Academy had no trouble proving its worth on opening weekend, with former Penn Fusion striker Isaiah Young making a smooth transition into his new club. The Union’s wins over veteran Development Academy clubs Richmond Kickers and Richmond Strikers solidified their standing as a team to watch in the Atlantic Division at this early point in the season, and helped them climb from No. 7 to No. 5 in our standings. Young, the 38th ranked player in the IMG Academy 150 for the class of 2016 has an affinity for putting opponents in the hole early, scoring in the first three minutes of both games.

Baltimore Bays Chelsea breaks into the IMG Academy 150 at No. 25 after an opening weekend 2-1 win over a stacked DC United squad that is currently ranked at No. 9.

League play begins for U17s

Most leagues in the western and southern parts of the country have begun play in US Youth Soccer and US Club Soccer leagues, while the northeast and midwest concentrate on the high school soccer season. To that end, it is likely that last year’s US Youth Soccer National champion Smithtown Kickers Arsenal from Long Island will remain the unchallenged number one at least until the USYS National League begins play in November.

But GSA Phoenix Red from the Atlanta area is well on its way to a return to the national stage and to challenge No. 1 Smithtown by the end of the 2013-14 season. Our second-ranked team has continued to perform after finishing runner up at the 2013 USYS National Championships, and is currently undefeated in the Region III Southern Premier League and the Region III Premier League East.

On the west coast, No. 3 FC Golden State Diamond started the ’13-’14 season with a Surf Cup championship, toppling several ranked teams in the process, including No. 5 Sereno SC White and #8 Carlsbad Elite. FC Golden State is currently 1-0 in the Coast Soccer League’s premier division, and will begin play in the newly-formed Cal Regional League of the Far West Regional League in the coming weeks.

Bethesda-Olney starts strong at U18

Newly formed Bethesda-Olney didn’t take long to solidify its No. 3 position in Grande TeamRank, making a strong debut in the Development Academy with a 5-1 win over Continental FC Delco. Last season’s US Youth National Championship leading scorer and Duke commit Jeremy Ebobisse scored twice in his first Development Academy outing.

Indiana Fire had a more difficult time on opening weekend, falling to Crew Soccer Academy by a 2-1 margin, and slips from No. 8 to No. 11 in our standings. Grant Hollkamp, the No. 142 player in the IMG Academy 150 for the class of 2016, did well to put his team ahead early in his Development Academy debut, but the goal wasn’t enough to secure the win. Indiana Fire will look to redeem themselves against Vardar and Shattuck St. Mary’s in the coming weeks to remain high in the rankings.

Next Thursday: U16, U17, and U18 Girls

TeamRank is the comprehensive team-ranking system devised by TopDrawerSoccer.com to provide an objective and common-sense approach to determining which elite youth soccer teams are the best in the nation.

The rankings, updated monthly, are primarily results-based, with a nod toward the league and championship competitions that emulate how excellence is determined in leading soccer nations around the world.

Tournaments are also included but at a reduced value due to the many mitigating factors involving such events, including attrition and guest players.

A final layer of executive evaluation is provided to account for variables that often impact results, thus ensuring that the monthly lists are not subjective, but are not purely mechanical.

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