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

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With almost half of our ranked teams idle since last month’s update, some were able to take advantage and move up the rankings with good performances in league play and at the Dallas ECNL Showcase.

 

McLean MPS breaks into the Top 25 at U16

McLean Youth Soccer’s U16 ECNL squad has been on an 8-0 run in the months of February and March and has climbed into second place in the ECNL Midatlantic Conference standings and #23 in the TeamRank Top 25.  They’ll have a rematch against conference leader and #12 Ohio Elite on March 16.

Though not yet ranked, there are other teams to watch in this age group, including Internationals ECNL squad and Del Mar Carmel Valley Sharks. Northern Ohio-based Internationals is in its first year in the ECNL and is just getting to full speed in league play, but they have already shown that they can compete.  DMCV is currently in 1^st place in the US Youth Soccer National League’s blue division and is fighting #19 Kings Hammer Academy for a bid to the US Youth Soccer National Championships when league play concludes this weekend. The month of March will be important for these two to break into the Top 25.

Freestate SA ECNL cracks the Top 10 at U17

Freestate’s only losses on the season so far have been to #2 Lonestar and #3 Sporting Blue Valley. And with a perfect 8-0-0 conference record, Coach Shannon Cirovski’s squad moves from #13 to #9 in our standings.

Sereno SC takes the last spot in the Top 25 this month aided by prolific scorers Brenna Leftwich, with 11 goals on the season and Gabriella Stoian, with 9.

Teams to Watch: Match Fit Chelsea Beat and Internationals ECNL are both on the cusp of our Top 25. Match Fit Chelsea currently leads the US Youth Soccer National League’s blue division and is just starting Region I Premier League play, while Internationals, just like its U16 counterparts, is in the midst of the ECNL regular season and sits in 2^nd place in the Midatlantic Conference.

 

Cruise Control at U18

Most of the teams at this age group seem to be cruising through their final seasons in youth soccer. Carolina Elite SA Premier ECNL finished its season strong, going 3-0 at the Frisco Showcase, and moves from #13 to #12. Utah Avalanche moved into first place in the Mountain West Conference, and climbs from #19 to #16 in our standings.

Next Thursday: U13, U14, and U15 Boys

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.