Group A Preview

All 15U Boys teams are newcomers to the US Youth Soccer National Championships, so there should be plenty of motivation and excitement once the teams kick off play in Frisco, Texas. Boca OC 02 White (CA-S) enters Group A play with a lot of momentum after a crucial final weekend of the National League season helped it take first place in the Blue Division. The same can be said for St. Louis Scott Gallagher SC Elite (MO), which went undefeated in National League play and finished with a big win against a fellow National Championships qualifier on the season’s final day. Meanwhile, Tuzos Academy 02 (AZ) showed it can handle the tournament format by making a run to capture the Region IV crown. The same can be said for ID Club Division 02 (TX-S), which is the Region III representative after it made a run to Southern Regional title game.

Group B Preview

Thought 15U Boys Group B teams are all new to Nationals, many come from clubs who are very familiar with this stage. National League Red Division winner Midwest United FC 02 Royal (MI) should be confident after strong showing in both the league and the Region II Championships. Similarly, Solar Chelsea Red 02 Stricker (TX-N) qualified through the National League and followed that with a Region III Championships, so it should be ready to play for the National title in front of a local crowd in Frisco, Texas. Region I Champion BRYC 02 Elite (VA) showed an ability to win tight games in Virginia, and NFC 02 Blue (NE) finished its Region II Championship run with a win over a National League qualifier in the final. After coming out on top in several strong competitions, each Group B side will be ready to make a run at the National title.

Region I: BRYC 02 Elite (VA)

How they got to Nationals
Strong defense and timely scoring helped BRYC 02 Elite (VA) win the Region I Championship in its home state. The Virginia side outscored opponents 8-to-1 while going 3-0-0 in the Group D. BRYC faced a tough test in the semifinal round, when it needed an overtime goal to hold off Ironbound Fever (NJ) and move on to the finals. In the championship game against DE Rush 02 (DE), BRYC scored early but needed a late winner in the 70th minute to claim a 2-1 victory and the Region I title.

National Championship Series History
State Finals: 2017
Region Champs: 2017

Player Accolades
State ODP: Harrison Tun, Georges Richard, Alex Asady-Kany, Jordan McMillen
2017 Region I Champs Top Scorers: Brennan Kenny (2nd)

Coach
Brian Welsh

Region II: NFC 02 Blue (NE)

How they got to Nationals
Thanks to a 2-0 win against Sporting Iowa (IA) on the second day of play in South Dakota, NFC 02 Blue (NE) managed to advance out of Group C at the Region II Championships with a 2-1-0 record. Several tight group play games prepared NFC for its semifinal, in which it scored in the second minutes and held on for a 1-0 win over Club Ohio Green 1 (OH-S). The Nebraska side followed that with a 3-0 win over National League Red Champion Midwest United FC 02 Royal (MI) to claim the Region II Championship.

National Championship Series History
State Champs: 2016, 2017
Region Champs: 2017

Player Accolades
2017 Region II Top Scorer: Charles Howard (T-1st)

Coach
Dave Amdor

Region III: ID Club Division 02 (TX-S)

How they got to Nationals
Following a US Youth Soccer South Texas State Cup title, ID Club Division 02 (TX-S) went 2-1-0 during preliminary play in North Carolina to finish second in Group B. ID Club gained some momentum with a 4-0 victory in the quarterfinals, and it won, 3-2, in a tight semifinal match against 02 CASL Red North (NC). The South Texas side came up short in the final against Solar Chelsea Red 02 Stricker (TX-N), but with Solar advancing to Nationals as the National League Blue Division Runner-up, ID Club earned a trip to Frisco, Texas, as the Region III representative.

National Championship Series History
State Champs: 2017
Region Finals: 2017

Player Accolades
2017 Region III Champs Top Scorers: Luis Guzman, Edgar Renteria Salto, Roberto Rodriguez (T-4th)

Coach
Jesus Yerena

Region IV: Tuzos Academy 02 (AZ)

How they got to Nationals
Early success in 2017 saw Tuzos Academy 02 (AZ) win its Far West Regional League division and finish second in the Arizona State Cup. It carried that momentum to Seattle, where it finished second in Group C to earn a quarterfinal berth. A 5-1 win over Heat FC 02 (NV) and 1-0 semifinal win against Eastside Timbers 02 Red (OR) set up a rematch of the State Cup final with Excel Soccer Academy 02 (AZ). Tuzos made up for its earlier loss to Excel with a 2-0 shutout in the Region IV final to claim the title and a berth to the National Championships.

National Championship Series History
State Finals: 2017
FWRL Champ: 2017
Region Champs: 2017

Player Accolades
2017 Region IV Champs Top Scorer: Jason Villalba (1st)

Coach
Jesse Cadena

National League Blue 1: Boca OC 02 White (CA-S)

How they got to Nationals
It came down to the final day of the 2016-17 National League season for Boca OC 02 White (CA-S) to punch its ticket to the National Championships. The Cal South side picked up five points from its four games in North Carolina and entered the final weekend knowing it most likely needed all nine remaining possible points. After winning its first two games in Las Vegas, Boca entered its final match needed a win against group leader Solar Chelsea Red 02 Stricker (TX-N). The Cal South side came out firing and grabbed a 5-0 victory to jump into first place and earn a berth to Nationals.

National Championship Series History
State Semifinals: 2017
2016-17 National League Blue: Champions (4-1-2)

Player Accolades
State ODP: David Mitzner, Sebastian Romero, Andrew Resendiz, Michael Sedano
Region ODP: David Mitzner
2016-17 National League Top Scorer: Andrew Resendiz (T-3rd)

Coach
Jimmy Obleda

National League Blue 2: Solar Chelsea Red 02 Stricker (TX-N)

How they got to Nationals
After just missing out on the knockout rounds at the 2016 Region III Championships, Solar Chelsea Red 02 Stricker (TX-N) rebounded with a quick start to its first National League season. The North Texas side picked up seven points in North Carolina and won its first two games in Las Vegas to secure a top-two finish. It fell in its last National League game to finish second in the Blue Division, but picked up some serious momentum at the 2017 Region III Championships. Solar won all six games in Greensboro, N.C., and outscored opponents, 20-to-1, on its way to the Regional title.

National Championship Series History
State Champs: 2016, 2017
Region Champs: 2017
2016-17 National League Blue: Runner up (4-2-1)

Player Accolades
Region ODP: Ethan Orozco
2017 Region III Champs Top Scorers: Riley O'Donnell (1st), Harvey Castro (T-2nd)
2016-17 National League Top Scorers: Ilean Castorena, Riley O'Donnell (T-3rd)

Coach
Chris Stricker

National League Red 1: Midwest United FC 02 Royal (MI)

How they got to Nationals
Six straight wins to open its National League season allowed Midwest United FC 02 Royal (MI) to secure the Red Division title and punch its ticket to the National Championships. Forward Noah Brumels led the Michigan side with a league record 15 goals scored to help Midwest compile a plus-17 goal differential over its seven National League games. Despite having its place at Nationals secured, Midwest traveled to South Dakota for the Region II Championships, where it gained more experience in a run to the final — finishing in second after coming up short against NFC 02 Blue (NE).

National Championship Series History
State Champs: 2015, 2016, 2017
Region Finals: 2017
2016-17 National League Red: Champions (6-1-0)

Player Accolades
State ODP: Josh Williams, Josh DeVelder, Ethan Jansen
Region ODP: Josh Williams, Josh DeVelder, Ethan Jansen
2017 Region II Champs Top Scorer: Noah Brumels (T-1st)
2016-17 National League Top Scorer: Noah Brumels (1st – League Record [15])

Coach
George Moni

National League Red 2: St. Louis Scott Gallagher SC Elite (MO)

How they got to Nationals
Just one of two National League teams in its age group not to lose a game, St. Louis Scott Gallagher SC Elite (MO) picked up five wins and two draws to finish second in the Red Division. The Missouri side picked up 10 points from four games in its first week of play to put it in prime position to finish in the top two in its division. After a win and a tie to open its final weekend in Las Vegas, SLSG ended on a high note, as it handed Red Champion Midwest United FC 02 Royal (MI) its only loss of the season on the final day of play. SLSG showcased a balance of offensive prowess and stingy defense that should make it a tough team to deal with at Nationals.

National Championship Series History
State Champs: 2016, 2017
2016-17 National League Red: Runner up (5-0-2)

Player Accolades
2016-17 National League Top Scorer: Adam Lucas (T-2nd)

Coach
Tim Amlong