Today we take a look at the U13, U14 and U15 Boys in our monthly Grande Sports Academy TeamRank Top 25 update. Keep following us throughout the season as we track the best teams in the country.

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Tournament play boosts rankings at U13

Holiday tournaments enliven the break in league action at this youngest age group. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, two teams whose level of league play did not yield enough points to put them in the top 25 in the fall, fared well enough against top 25 competition in tournament play to enter the rankings for the first time.

Concorde Fire Central Elite finished first in Georgia Youth Soccer’s state league fall season, then traveled to the Disney Soccer Showcase and captured the prestigious crown over No. 8 CASL Academy Jrs., No. 11 Chicago Fire Academy 2002, and No. 19 Baltimore Celtic Darby, finishing the year at No. 24 in the Grande Sports Academy TeamRank Top 25.

Raiders FC Premier finished on top of its Midwest Regional League first division standings, and progressed to the final match at Disney where it lost to Concorde Fire. The Raiders run, however, was good enough to earn a spot at No. 25.

Light slate at U14

Most teams in this age group are on a break from regular Development Academy play, but of those that had league matches in December, Dallas Texans, BW Gottschee, and DC United all bettered their records and their standing in the top 25. Texans and BW Gottschee each earned a point in recent matches and move up one spot to No. 5 and No. 10, respectively. DC United came away with a decisive 11-0 win against Baltimore Bays Chelsea to move ahead of Bethesda-Olney to No. 17.

MORE: Dev. Acad. U14 scoreboard | IMG Academy 150 rankings | USYS National League begins

National League leaders climb at U15

US Youth Soccer’s top league began in December, with several teams off to a promising start in the first weekend in North Carolina. Concorde Fire Elite and Fullerton Rangers White went undefeated on the weekend, with Concorde currently second in the NL Red, and Rangers first in NL Blue. When taken into consideration Concorde’s second place finish in the Southern Premier League and first in Region III Premier League East, the Fire rises from No. 9 to No. 5. The Rangers remain undefeated in the SCDSL standings and climb from No. 11 to No. 6.

A newcomer this month is South Carolina United FC Elite. Rob Strickland’s squad was overshadowed in the fall regional league season by the likes of No. 1 United FA Premier and the aforementioned Concorde Fire, finishing mid table in the Southern Premier League, but South Carolina United forward Grayson Barber had an outstanding weekend in the National League, scoring 10 of his team’s 12 goals to lead the league and his team to the No. 21 spot in the Grande Sports Academy TeamRank Top 25.

Next Thursday: U13, U14, and U15 Girls

Grande Sports Academy TeamRank Top 25 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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