(Scroll Down for Full Results and Age Group Standing)

OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS – The heat got very hot here at the U.S. Youth Soccer Nationals in suburban Kansas City. Pleasantly overcast conditions for the morning matches gave way to sunny and sauna-like environs by the time the mid-day matches were played at this beautiful complex.

With each match being played on field turf, the heat index got a little higher once the boiling started, but the highest temperatures were reserved for the engines of the teams trying to build national title runs. The format of the event, especially at the U15, 16 and 17 age groups, puts an undue emphasis on winning the first group stage match, so teams were going all out here to start on the right foot.

U14 Boys: Crossfire Premier 3, Lonestar SC 2
The best comeback of the day was probably produced by the team from Washington state. With coach Ralph Black missing out on the day due to a suspension picked up at the Region IV championship, the squad fell behind 2-0 early in the 2nd half and then stormed back for the win.

Sean Bubb’s Austin-area team were dominant early on. Michael Aoudou’s steal and shot would have put the team up in the opening minutes except for quick reaction by Crossfire goalkeeper Tyler Visten. The reprieve for Crossfire was only temporary however as sustained pressure allowed Harrison Heath to set up Lonestar’s Brandon Mendoza for a close-range finish and the Texas side led 1-0.

Visten came up big for Crossfire again, denying Malik Morgan on a 1v1 effort midway through the half. Crossfire began to show some signs of life as the half wore on, but the Lonestar central defensive pairing of Marcus Cole and Tanner Charest looked very strong in the back and nothing was getting through.

Things seemed to go from bad to worse for Crossfire early in the 2nd half as Lonestar doubled its lead. Sean Taylor put in a serve from wide right, and Zachary Wright redirected the effort off the far post and in to make it 2-0.

In hindsight, this seemed to spark Crossfire rather than demoralize them. They cut the lead to 2-1 on a lovely goal. Julian White put in some good work on the right before rolling in a cross. David Olsen administered an exquisite dummy to leave Henry Wingo with an open chance that he buried from the edge of the 6-yard box.
Wingo helped set up the next goal by drawing a free kick wide left. Adrian Simental sent in a drive that appeared to be on frame, but a Lonestar defender was unfortunate to deflect the ball past his own goalkeeper for a 2-2 score.

Crossfire were starting to keep the ball better and knock it around pretty nicely by this point. Marc Kaizu-Lutu came close with a drive and then Olsen had a well-struck shot stopped by Lonestar keeper Christopher Beckley.

Lonestar attempted to rally and a free kick by Mendoza was tipped over the bar by Visten. From the ensuing corner, Marcus Cole headed just wide.

Crossfire then mustered one last burst of offense. David Olsen again had a shot stopped by the goalkeeper, and also hit the post in the same sequence. Julian White then had a shot that appeared goalbound. It was cleared off the line by a defender, but in another dose of bad luck for Lonestar, the clearance hit the goalkeeper and ricocheted back into the net for an improbably winner for Crossfire.

U16 Girls: Solar Red 3, Minnesota Thunder Academy 1
Adrian Solca’s Solar team looked to be in fine form for most of this contest and ran out deserved winners. National team forward Taylor Smith adds an unquestionable extra dimension to the team’s attack with her acceleration, the group is well-rounded and deep.

Smith missed an early chance after running past the defense, but Thunder goalkeeper Tori Fuglister is alert and agile between the sticks and denied the chance.

Solar kept coming forward and a corner resulted in the game’s first goal. Quinnie Truong, Solar’s Rice-bound midfield technician, hit a good corner that made its way out to defender Jade Dapaah, who took her chance like a striker, drilling a bolt from the edge of the penalty area into the back of the net to make it 1-0 for the Dallas-area side.

Smith had another effort saved by Fuglister before Minnesota created its first chance, with Kylie Schwarz setting up Hannah Werth for a chance that Solar goalkeeper Jennifer Jasper rushed ot to save at point blank range.

Solar doubled its lead with a well-worked goal. Loudell Crumpler played a good ball to spring Smith down the left. The speedy forward had a cross blocked and then played it back to Erika Clarke, who rolled a pass across the area and into the path of Truong who blasted a drive into the back of the net to make it 2-0.

Thunder then struck back somewhat surprisingly, with Bianca Diaz playing a perfectly-timed through pass for Lauren Nash, who controlled the ball well and calmly fired past the keeper to make it 2-1.

Solar’s Lauren Heller was denied by Fuglister after a weaving run through the defense, and a header from Jazmyne Simmons was cleared off the line by Minnesota’s Rebecca Roberts to keep the score at 2-1 going to halftime.

Taylor Smith had another chance to score early in the 2nd half with a brilliant run through the middle, but Minnesota defender Brianna Stelzer continued the strong game she was having by keeping up with Smith and clearing.

Smith was going to score sooner or later and she was put behind the defense by a beautiful through pass from Mckenzie Hightower, finishing well to make it 3-1.

Solar kept attacking and the impressive Heller had a shot from up close cleared off the line by a sliding effort from Jillian Richgel. Richgel then nearly set up a goal on the end for Minnesota with a run down the left followed by a cross, but Hannah Werth’s drive was blocked on the goal line by Solar’s Simmons. Mallory Getchell then had a last-gasp effort to pull a goal back, but her good shot was saved by Jasper and Solar won 3-1

U17 Girls: Syosset Sting 3,  Real So Cal 0
Joe Agioto’s New Yorkers weathered a 1st half storm from the Southern Californians, but took maximum advantage of their own chances in winning 3-0.

Katie Speidel made a strong run and shot for Real before Syosset goalkeeper Katharine Marcy tipped the ball onto the bar. The industrious and quick Jamia Fields created three chances for herself in the half but Marcy was on hand to deny her each time.

But Sting scored on their best chance of the half. Alissa Bianculli sent in a curving corner to a dangerous place in the 6-yard box and it was turned into the net by an unlucky Real defender to make it 1-0, which was the halftime score.

Real’s Shayda Ansar came close early in the 2nd half to tying the game, but Marcy was again there to make the save. Left back Bridget Berman was getting forward effectively for Kristy Walker’s team, while Riley Ridgik was playing effectively in midfield, still Real could not break through.

Instead, Syosset doubled its lead. A long bounding ball in the forward third was corralled by a charging Emily Banes, who deftly chipped the onrushing goalkeeper and into the back of the net from 35 yards to make it 2-0.

Real kept pressing ahead but as the afternoon sauna intensified, it seemed sap the energy from the Californians. What attacking play they did muster seemed to always founder on the fortress of a Syosset defender known as Gabrielle Charno. The UConn verbal cleaned up everything in the back line before leaving late in the match with what seemed like heat-related duress. By then the outcome was no longer in doubt however, as Amy Marron ran onto another long ball and hit a bomb from 25 yards for a final score of 3-0.


Wednesday Results and Age Group Standings

U14 Boys
Eclipse Select 2, Lehigh Valley United 0
Crossfire Premier 3, Lonestar SC 2

Team – Matches Played - Points
Eclipse Select – 1 – 3
Crossfire Premier – 1 – 3
Lehigh Valley United – 1 - 0
Lonestar SC – 1 – 0

U14 Girls
Dallas Sting SC 1, SAC United 0
MVLA Lightning 1, Michigan Hawks 0

Team – Matches Played - Points
Dallas Sting SC – 1- 3
MVLA Lightning – 1-3
SAC United – 1 - 0
Michigan Hawks  - 1 - 0

U15 Boys
Baltimore Bays 4, Concorde Fire 3
Vardar 0, Mt. Hamilton Tigres 0
Lemont Raiders 1, Albion White 1

Team – Matches Played - Points
Baltimore Bays – 1 – 3
Vardar – 1 -1
Mt.Hamilton Tigres – 1 -1
Lemont Raiders – 1 -1
Albion White – 1 -1
Concorde Fire – 1 - 0

U15 Girls
Scorpions 6, Dallas Texans 3
Dallas Sting 7, Beadling SC 0
JB Marine 2, Real Colorado 2

Team – Matches Played - Points
Scorpions – 1 – 3
Dallas Sting – 1 - 3
JB Marine – 1 – 1
Real Colorado – 1 -1
Dallas Texans – 1 -0
Beadling SC – 1 – 0

U16 Boys
Grand Rapids Crew 1, Blast FC 0
RSL Florida 2, PSC Coppa 1
Slammers FC 1, WAZA FC 0

Team – Matches Played - Points
RSL Florida 1 – 3
Slammers – 1 – 3
Grand Rapids Crew – 1 -3
WAZA FC – 1 - -0
PSC Coppa – 1 – 0
Blast FC – 1 - 0

U16 Girls
Solar Red 3, Minnesota Thunder 1
Colorado Rush 2, McLean Strikers 1
Naperville SA Fury 1, NASA Elite 1

Team – Matches Played - Points
Solar Red – 1 – 3
Colorado Rush – 1 – 3
Naperville Fury – 1 – 1
NASA Elite – 1 – 1
Mclean Strikers – 1 – 1
Minnesota Thunder – 1 - 1

U17 Boys
GSA Phoenix 2, Penn Fusion 0
St. Louis Scott Gallagher 2, West Coast FC 1
Alpharetta Ambush 3, Hicksville Strikers 2

Team – Matches Played - Points
GSA Phoenix – 1 – 3
Alpharetta Ambush – 1 – 3
St. Louis Scott Gallagher – 1 – 3
Penn Fusion – 1 – 0
West Coast FC – 1 – 0
Hicksville Strikers – 1 – 0

U17 Girls
So Cal Blues 3, Slammers 0
Syosset Sting 3, Real So Cal 0
D’Feeters 1, Michigan Hawks 0

Team – Matches Played - Points
So Cal Blues – 1 – 3
Syosset Sting – 1 – 3
D’Feeters – 1 – 3
Michigan Hawks – 1 – 0
Real So Cal – 1 – 0
Slammers – 1 – 0

U18 Boys
YMS Xplosion 2, Triangle United 1
Shattuck St. Marys 1, EastSide United 0

Team – Matches Played - Points
YMS Xplosion – 1 – 3
Shattuck St. Marys – 1 – 3
Triangle United – 1 – 0
EastSide United – 1 – 0

U18 Girls
Laguna Hills 1, McLean Dragons 0
Eclipse Select 3, AFC Lightning 0

Team – Matches Played - Points
Laguna Hills Eclipse – 1 – 3
Eclipse Select – 1 – 3
AFC Lightning – 1 – 0
McLean Dragons – 1 – 0

U19 Boys
FC DELCO Hammerheads 1, Westside Metros Internationals 0
Andromeda Navy 0, Crew Juniors 0

Team – Matches Played - Points
FC DELCO Hammerheads – 1 – 3
Andromeda Navy – 1 – 1
Crew Juniors 1 – 1
Westside Metros Internationals – 1 - 0

U19 Girls
Lonestar SC 3, Alameda County Northstars 2
Eclipse Select 2, FC Bucks 0

Team – Matches Played - Points
Eclipse Select – 1 – 3
Lonestar SC – 1 - 3