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The Boys ECNL National Playoffs kick off on Saturday, July 3 at Bryan Park in Greensboro, N.C.

U13 through U19 age groups are set to contest action, with two ages crowning national champions and the other four advancing to the National Finals in St. Louis.

Preview each age group below.

Photo credit: ECNL Boys Instagram

U13

Teams: Louisville City, San Diego SC, Charlotte SA Academy, NEFC, MVLA, Albion Hurricanes FC, Eclipse Select SC, San Diego Surf, Seattle United, Concorde Fire Platinum, GSA, Dallas Texans Academy, Florida Kraze, Virginia DA, Pipeline SC, Utah Avalanche

Sixteen teams will contest a knockout tournament at the youngest age group, based off points per game seeding among the qualified teams. As they have throughout the country, most Texas teams have seen more games than other teams around the country, leaving plenty of statistical variance.

Louisville City top the seeding, having scored 73 goals, conceding four times and winning 12 conference games. There was a U13 and U14 showcase that Louisville traveled to, falling in one of those games against GSA, another side in the knockout rounds.

Regardless of that, it could be a wide-open affair as teams from North Carolina, California, Texas, Illinois, Washington, Florida, Maryland and Virginia duke it out at this age group. Texas sides AHFC and Dallas Texans played the most games, getting in 20 and 21 respectively. That could certainly be helpful as the tournament begins.

U14

Group A: Eclipse Select SC, Dallas Texans, Colorado Rapids, Charlotte Independence Pro

Group B: La Roca, World Class FC, Tennessee SC, Ohio Premier

Group C: San Diego Surf, Tulsa SC, United Futbol Academy, Florida Elite SA

Group D: Crossfire Premier, Pipeline SC, Pateadores SC, SLSG

Group E: Albertson SUSA, NCFC Academy, Oklahoma Energy FC, Washington Premier

Group F: Mustang SC, Albion Hurricanes, Heat FC, NTH-NASA

Group G: Florida Premier, Penn Fusion, Virginia Development Academy, Houston Dynamo Youth

Group H: Arlington SA, GSA, Louisville City, MVLA

A 32-team squares off at this age group, looking for a spot in the knockout rounds, and the final four, which will take place in St. Louis.

Judging simply by each side’s win-loss record, it is a deep pool of teams seeking to gain the advantage and a first-place finish. Group D looks quite tricky, with Crossfire Premier and Pipeline SC two teams that finished in the Top 10 and yet just one will survive. Two teams from San Diego finished among the top four, with both the Surf and San Diego SC both putting together strong seasons through the pandemic.

Other teams to keep an eye on in this group includes La Roca FC, Eclipse Select, Mustang SC, FL Premier and Arlington SA, among many others.

U15

Group A: Eclipse Select SC, GSA, Utah Avalanche, Charlotte SA

Group B: Pipeline SC, Richmond United, Heat FC, Rise

Group C: Charlotte SA Academy, World Class FC, Mustang SC, Pittsburgh Riverhounds

Group D: Real Colorado, FC Dallas, NTH-NASA, Eastside

Group E: Pateadores, La Roca FC, Houston Dynamo, Manhattan SC

Group F: Oklahoma Energy FC, NCFC Academy, West Coast FC, NEFC

Group G: Florida Elite SA, San Diego Surf, Seattle United, Charlotte Independence Pro

Group H: Crossfire Premier, Louisville City, FC Golden State East, Lonestar South

Group I: San Juan SC, Florida Premier, Legends FC, Sporting Delaware

Group J: Concorde Fire Platinum, Dallas Texans, Baltimore Celtic, FC Wisconsin

Group K: Albertson SUSA, Real Salt Lake-AZ, Concorde Fire Premier, Orlando City SC

Group L: Arlington SA, Slammers FC, Albion Hurricanes, Colorado Rapids

Group M: Michigan Wolves, CESA, STA, BVB International

Group N: Ohio Premier, FSA FC, Florida Kraze, Charlotte Independence South

Group O: Washington Premier, Penn Fusion SA, United Futbol Academy, Virginia Development Academy

Group P: Solar SC, Match Fit Academy, Crossfire Premier II, Chattanooga Red Wolves

Three mammoth playoff fields away for the U15, U16 and U17 age groups. The formula is similar within each group – the first-place team advances, with a knockout game whittling the field down to eight teams advancing to St. Louis.

Eclipse and Pipeline SC are the top two teams when broken down from a points per game perspective; Eclipse won all 11 games. They’ll be favorites in their respective groups to secure top spot. One of the highest scoring teams to make the playoffs, Strikers FC Irvine averaged a shade more than three goals per game, an offensive record that certainly makes them a team of note.

Several teams have enjoyed good seasons and will look to keep things rolling: Albertson SUSA, Ohio Premier, Charlotte SA Academy, Real Colorado, Pateadores, Arlington SA and Oklahoma Energy FC. With so many teams involved, plenty can – and will – happen in the group stages.

U16

Group A: Louisville City, Manhattan SC, Lonestar South, Atlanta Fire

Group B: San Diego Surf, Rockford Raptors, United Futbol Academy, Maryland United

Group C: FC Dallas, Real Colorado, Pateadores, Chattanooga Red Wolves

Group D: Richmond United, Match Fit Academy, Beach FC, Florida Kraze

Group E: Sporting Delaware, Alabama FC, Utah Avalanche, Charlotte Independence Pro

Group F: Crossfire Premier, Wilmington Hammerheards, STA, Pittsburgh Riverhounds

Group G: Florida West, CESA, Legends FC, SLSG

Group H: Davis Legacy, Tulsa SC, SC United, Real So Cal

Group I: NTH-NASA, MVLA, Pipeline SC, NCFC Youth

Group J: Colorado Rapids, Albertson SUSA, Ohio Premier, Charlotte SA Academy

Group K: Real Salt Lake-AZ, Pac NW, NCFC Academy, FC Wisconsin

Group L: Dallas Texans, Penn Fusion, Florida Premier, Concorde Fire Premier

Group M: Albion Hurricanes, Florida Elite, NEFC, GSA

Group N: Arlington SA, Eastside, Houston Dynamo Youth Soccer, Miramar

Group O: WNY Flash, FC Golden State East, Loudoun SC, Solar SC

Group P: FSA FC, NC Fusion, Slammers FC, Seattle United

Despite playing a somewhat limited season, look for teams from the Southwest to make an impact here. In smaller sample sizes of games played, Santa Clara Sporting, San Diego Surf, Strikers FC, Real Salt Lake-AZ and Davis Legacy all did enough to finish in the Top 11 on a points per game basis.

Louisville City FC is the No. 2 overall seed, bringing the best statistical defense to North Carolina, conceding five goals in 12 games. The team did struggle in two National Events, going 0-3-3 in six games back in January in Florida and down in Virginia in May.

Teams from Texas are going to be tough in every age group, and FC Dallas and Dallas Texans are two candidates in a long list of sides from the Lonestar state that made the playoffs.

U17

Group A: Lonestar SC South, Slammers FC, Charlotte Independence Pro, Concorde Fire Platinum

Group B: Ohio Premier, Washington Premier, Solar SC, Wilmington Hammerheads

Group C: San Juan SC, McLean Youth Soccer, Real So Cal, Penn Fusion

Group D: New Mexico Rush, Richmond United, LA Breakers, Palm Beach United

Group E: Del Mar, Colorado Rapids, Houston Dynamo Youth, Vardar

Group F: NEFC, Legends FC, Space Coast United, GSA

Group G: Crossfire Premier, Pateadores, FC Dallas, Connecticut FC

Group H: NTH-NASA, Manhattan SC, Heat FC, Crossfire Premier II

Group I: Florida Kraze, Albion Hurricanes, CESA, Maryland United

Group J: Charlotte SA Academy, Sporting Arsenal, Tennessee SC, Minnesota Thunder Academy

Group K: Davis Legacy, Florida Premier, Louisville City, NCFC Youth

Group L: Eclipse Select SC, Pac NW, Miramar, United Futbol Academy

Group M: STA, Florida West, FC Wisconsin, Atlanta Fire

Group N: Pipeline SC, NCFC Academy, Eastside FC, Pittsburgh Riverhounds

Group O: Dallas Texans, WNY Flash, Real Salt Lake-AZ, Virginia Development Academy

Group P: San Diego Surf, La Roca, Tulsa SC, FC Stars of Massachusetts

After stitching together a perfect season in conference play, Lonestar SC South looks to back up the No. 1 seed by winning the playoffs and U17 championship.

There’s a long list of quality teams, given the size of the playoff field. The tussle in Group N looks like one of the toughest on paper, as it includes a quartet of good club sides. That includes talented Pipeline SC and NCFC Academy teams.         

The field of 64 will be whittle down to just eight by the time the teams leave North Carolina. Charlotte SA Academy is a team to watch in this age group, and getting the chance to play in their home state is a nice bonus.

U18/19

Teams: FC Dallas, Richmond United, Alabama FC, Pac NW, Louisville City, Lonestar South, FC Wisconsin, FSA FC, San Diego Surf, Arsenal Colorado, GSA, Florida Elite, Charlotte Independence Pro, PDA, NCFC Academy, Real So Cal

Like the youngest age group, a champion will be crowned in North Carolina as 16 teams compete in a knockout tournament. FC Dallas scored a whopping 87 times this season, and are easily one of the contenders. However, it seems like a pretty wide-open competition.

Santa Clara Sporting, Louisville City, FC Wisconsin and Florida Elite have all had great conference seasons and will look to translate that during the knockout games. California club powers Real So Cal and San Diego Surf are two other names to know as things kick off this weekend.