The ECNL playoffs are nearly here. Which means it’s predicting time.
The ECNL playoffs is, of course, the single biggest tournament on the league’s slate, and this year’s promises to be another enticing hullabaloo. With U.S. Soccer entering the girls club market this fall with the Girls Development Academy, this summer is essentially the last time the ECNL will own a cornered market on the elite girls development game. Don’t expect the league to waste the opportunity to own the showcase spotlight with some of the nation’s best players set to descend on Rockford, Ill. for the June 22 open date.
There are five age ranges in action in the coveted Champions League division, the loftiest and most prestigious available. The U14 and U18 ages will crown champs, while the U15, U16 and U17 brackets will send the top two out of each group to the national finals in California next month.
Suffice it to say, some of the best up-and-coming youth players in the country will be in action, and probably a future USWNT mainstay or two as well. Here’s a preview for each age group, including some predictions on how it’ll all shake out when the dust settles.
