Group A Preview

Group A contains the only two teams in the age group with experience at the US Youth Soccer National Championships – OP Green (OH-S) and UFA 99 Premier (GA). Last year OP Green went a perfect 3-0 through the group stage and then fell in the semifinals. United FA is competing in its fifth straight National Championships. United FA claimed the National title in 2014 but hasn’t made it beyond the semifinals the last two years. The two newcomers, WPFC 99 Black (WA) and Baltimore Celtic SC Christos (MD), will be looking to make a mark in their first appearances on the largest youth soccer stage in the country.

Group B Preview

Group B will be exciting to watch as all the teams are competing at the US Youth Soccer National Championships for the first time. West Coast 99 Wyss (CA-S) finds itself in a group with three teams that competed in the 2016-17 National League season but will be confident with the amount of success they found at Region IV Championships. With 25 goals scored through six games, West Coast's offensive firepower could be the difference. CUP 99 Gold (OH-S), and BRYC 99 Elite (VA) both advance via the National League while LTSC Union Showcase 99/00 (IL) finished just two places behind CUP in the White Division. LTSC used two kicks-from-the-mark wins to earn the Region II title and may need that experience come knock out rounds.

Region I: Baltimore Celtic SC Christos (MD)

How they got to Nationals
Baltimore Celtic SC Christos (MD) finished fourth in the National League Blue Division but it had advanced to the Region I Championships as the Eastern Regional League representative. Celtic went 3-0-0 through group play scoring 15 goals while allowing just one. Celtic earned a close 1-0 win in its semifinal match and then defeated 2016 National Championship finalists Dix Hills Hurricanes (NY-E) in the final.

National Championship Series History
State Champs: 2016
2015 Region I Championships: Group (1-1-1)
2016 Region I Championships: Semifinals
2017 Region I Champs
2014-15 National League Blue: 6th (1-4-2)
2015-16 National League Red: 5th (2-1-4)
2016-17 National League Blue: 4th (3-2-2)

Player Accolades
2017 Region I Championships Top Scorers: Samuel Solomon (tied for 2nd)
2015 National Championships Golden Glove: Quantrell Jones

College Programs
Alejandro Arbelaez – University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Matthew Baquero – University of Delaware
Nicholas Blassou – University of Kentucky
Franco Baltabiano – Catholic University
Paul Frendach – University of Maryland, College Park
Quantrell Jones – University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Jon-Nicholas Muller – Binghamton University
Dylan Poetzel – University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Randolph Putnam – Frostburg State University
Samuel Solomon – University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Coach
Brian Rowland

Region II: LTSC Union Showcase 99/00 (IL)

How they got to Nationals
LTSC Union Showcase 99/00 (IL) advanced to the Region II championships via the Midwest Region League. In group play the Illinois side went a perfect 3-0-0 and then needed kicks from the mark to advance through the semifinals. LTSC faced fellow 2017 National Championships qualifier OP Green (OH-S) in the final, and claimed the Region II Championships title in yet another shootout.

National Championship Series History
Region Champs: 2017
2014 Region II Championships: Group (1-1-1)
2016-17 National League White: 3rd (4-3-0)

Player Accolades
2017 Region II Championships Top Scorer: Jack Richards
2017 Region II Championships Top Scorer: Nathan Rusk (tied for 2nd)

Coach
Paul Murphy

Region III: UFA 99 Premier (GA)

How they got to Nationals
UFA 99 Premier (GA) is advancing to its fifth National Championships after winning the 2017 Region III Championships title. UFA went 3-0-0 through group play while putting up 10 goals and allowing just one. It earned a 8-1 quarterfinal victory and then won a close game in kicks from the mark against FC Dallas 99 Premier (TX-N). UFA sealed the deal with a 2-1 final win against Arkansas Comets 99 Premier (AR).

National Championship Series History
State Champs: 2013, 2014, 2016
Region Champs: 2013, 2014, 2017
National Champs: 2014
2015 Region III Championships: Finalists
2016 Region III Championships: Semifinals
2013 National Championships: Group (0-1-2)
2015 National Championships: Semifinals
2016 National Championships: Semifinals
2013-14 National League Red: Champs (6-1-0)
2014-15 National League Blue: 2nd (5-1-1)
2015-16 National League Red: 2nd (4-1-2)
2016-17 National League Blue: 2nd (4-3-0)

Player Accolades
2013 Region III Championships Top Scorers: Carlos Reyes (3rd)
2014 Region III Championships Top Scorer: Carlos Reyes
2014 Region III Championships Top Scorers: Joshua Elizalde (tied for 4th)
2016 Region III Championships Top Scorers: Dalton Seckinger (tied for 3rd)
2015 Region III Championships Top Scorer: Carlos Reyes
2015 Region III Championships Top Scorers: Thair Britton (2nd)
2013 National Championships Top Scorers: Jose Arellano (tied for 6th)
2014 National Championships Top Scorers: Carlos Reyes (tied for 2nd)
2015 National Championships Top Scorers: Auston Rodriguez (tied for 2nd)
2016 National Championships Top Scorers: Dalton Seckinger (tied for 1st)
2016 National Championships Top Scorers: Thair Britton (tied for 2nd)
2013-14 National League Top Scorers: Carlos Reyes (tied for 3rd)

College Programs
Luke Biasi – University of Memphis

Coach
Jose Pinho

Region IV: West Coast 99 Wyss (CA-S)

How they got to Nationals
West Coast 99 Wyss (CA-S) is advancing to Nationals after winning in its first shot at a Region IV Championship. West Coast went 2-1-0 through group play while scoring an impressive 16 goals while allowing just three. West Coast earned a 2-0 victory in quarterfinals and then a 3-1 victory in the semifinals. In the final, the Cal South side faced off against the team that dealt it its only loss in group play, WPFC 99 Black (WA). West Coast got the better of the Washington team in the final claiming a 4-0 victory.

National Championship Series History
Region Champs: 2017

Player Accolades
2017 Region IV Championships Top Scorer: Nicholas Cirrito
2017 Region IV Championships Top Scorers: Brett Jones (2nd)
2017 Region IV Championships Top Scorers: Lukas Ryan (tied for 4th)
2017 Region IV Championships Top Scorers: Ryan Bishop (tied for 5th)

College Programs
Ryan Bishop – Loyola Marymount University
Michael Bogart – California State University, Fullerton
Nicholas Cirrito – University of California, San Diego
Rhett Cook – Colorado Mesa University
Trevor Denny – University of San Diego
Brett Jones – University of California, San Diego
Michael Oakson – California State University, Fullerton
Brian Piscopo – University of Washington
Alberto Torres – California State University, Dominguez Hills
Braden Zines – California Polytechnic State University­­­­

Coach
Oliver Wyss

National League Black: OP Green (OH-S)

How they got to Nationals
OP Green (OH-S) fell in kicks from the mark in the Region II Championships, but had already qualified for the National Championships via a first place finish in the National League Black Division. OP Green claimed its first National League title with a 5-0-2 record.

National Championship Series History
State Champs: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Region Champs: 2016
2013 Region II Championships: Finalist
2014 Region II Championships: Semifinals
2015 Region II Championships: Semifinals
2017 Region II Championships: Finalists
2016 National Championships: Semifinals
2013-14 National League Red: 6th (2-5-0)
2015-16 National League Blue: 4th (3-3-1)
2016-17 National League Black Champs

Player Accolades
2013-14 National League Top Scorer: Luke Kiley
2015-16 National League Top Scorers: Luke Kiley (tied for 1st)
2015-16 National League Top Scorers: Ryan Burke (tied for 3rd)
2013 Region II Championships Top Scorer: Luke Kiley
2014 Region II Championships Top Scorers: Luke Kiley (tied for 2nd)
2015 Region II Championships Top Scorers: Luke Kiley (tied for 4th)
2016 Region II Championships Top Scorers: Luke Kiley (tied for 1st)
2017 Region II Championships Top Scorers: Chris Dowling (tied for 3rd)
2016 National Championships Top Scorers: Luke Kiley (tied for 1st)
2016 National Championships Top Scorers: David Brown (tied for 2nd)

College Programs
Mitchell Hughes – Bowling Green State University
Luke Kiley – Georgetown University
Zach Lantzy – Northern Kentucky University
Colin McCort – Bowling Green State University
Brant Pratt – Indiana University, Bloomington
Ashton Pullie – Tiffin University
Benjamin Sobotka – Ohio Wesleyan University
Matthew Walters – Bowling Green State University

Coach
Travis Wall

National League Blue: BRYC 99 Elite (VA)

How they got to Nationals
BRYC 99 Elite (VA) advanced to the Region I Championships after winning the Virginia State Cup but bowed out of the Region I Championships in the group stage. BRYC will still advance to Nationals as the Virginia side narrowly topped UFA Premier (GA) by one point to claim the National League Blue Division title.

National Championship Series History
State Champs: 2016
2016-17 National League Blue: Champs

College Programs
William Boinest – American University
Jordan Gamarra – American University
Ryan Moore – John Hopkins University

Coach
Brian Welsh

National League Red: WPFC 99 Black (WA)

How they got to Nationals
WPFC 99 Black (WA) fell in the finals of the Region IV Championships but had already clinched a spot in the National Championships as it earned the National League Red Division title. WPFC had a solid National League season, going 5-1-1 and scoring 14 goals while allowing just four against.

National Championship Series History
State Champs: 2013, 2016, 2017
2017 Region IV Championships: Finalists
2015 Region IV Championships: Group (1-1-1)
2014 Region IV Championships: Semifinals
2013 Region IV Championships: Quarterfinals

Player Accolades
2017 Region IV Championships Top Scorers: Jacob Baker (tied for 3rd)
2016-17 National League Top Scorers: Mario Vukic (tied for 6)

College Programs
Jacob Baker – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Prescott Campus
Rudy RJ Stretch – University of Portland

Coach
Jason Prenovost

National League White: CUP 99 Gold (OH-S)

How they got to Nationals
CUP 99 Gold (OH-S) made the most of its return to the National League by winning the White Division with an undefeated 6-0-1 record. With 13 goals for and only one goal allowed through seven games, CUP made its case for being one of the most defensively sound teams that will be competing at National Championships.

National Championship Series History
2016-17 National League White: Champs
2013-14 National League Blue: 4th (3-3-1)
2017 Ohio South State Cup Finalists
2015 Ohio South State Cup Finalists
2014 Ohio South State Cup Finalists

Player Accolades
State ODP Players: Cody Busum, Linden Eberle, Nick Mishu, Paul Schmelzer, Erik Sigman, Philip Springsteen and Ben Wendell
Regional ODP Players: Cody Busum and Erik Sigman

College Programs
Cameron Bell – Xavier University
Wesly Coleman – Capital University
Nathan Ekberg – Case Western Reserve University
Matthew Fickenworth – Xavier University
Bailey Lach – Wright State University
Nate Logan – Xavier University
Nick Mishu – Wright State University
Dakota Penquite – Marietta College
Michael Samways – Wright State University
Matthew Scheper – Capital University
Erik Sigman – Drake University
Adam Sweeney – University of Southern Indiana
Diego Vallota – Wright State University
Ben Wendell – University of Cincinnati

Coach
Scott Bower