2024 USYS National Championships kick off July 23

FRISCO, Texas (July 17, 2024) — In less than a week, 174 of the best youth soccer teams in the country will be competing at the 2024 US Youth Soccer National Championships, presented by New York Life, in Orlando, Fla.

Among the teams heading to Florida, 161 teams competed in the USYS National League during the 2023-24 season.

The USYS National Championships crown the top youth soccer team in each of the 13U, 14U, 15U, 16U, 17U, 18U and 19U age groups for both boys and girls. The action kicks off with group play July 23-25, followed by the 13U title games on July 26. The 18U title games take place July 27, when the remaining age groups play semifinal games. The 14U, 15U, 16U, 17U and 19U champions will be crowned on July 28.

National League teams have historically captured a large majority of the National Championships, and the sides set to compete this year will be aiming to add to that legacy.

While a treble-winning season is commonly lauded in the soccer world, three National League teams are aiming to complete a quadruple of sorts at Nationals. Those sides — 15U Girls MIFC 2009 NL (FL), 16U Boys Toca FC 08B Elite 64 (KS) and 17U Boys Hoosier FC 2007 Elite Wolves I (IN) — have already won their regular season division, National League P.R.O. bracket and respective Regional Championship.

MIFC finished first in the Premier 1 division of the Sunshine Conference and won the champions pool at National League P.R.O. in Tampa — keeping three clean sheets during the Florida event. A potent attack combined with its stifling defense in June when MIFC claimed the Southern Regional Championship by outscoring opponents, 25-to-3.

Toca won a strong Midwest division of Elite 64 that featured three different teams that qualified for the 2024 National Championships. The Kansas side also came out on top in the champions pool at National League P.R.O. in Tampa, and it kept clean sheets in four of five games at the Midwest Regional Championships to win that title.

Hoosier FC used an unbeaten campaign to finish in first place in the Elite 64 Regional League Great Lakes. Its strong play in the spring translated to National League P.R.O. in Oceanside, where it won the champions pool title. Hoosier carried its good form into the Midwest Regional Championships, as it won the 17U title.

Several other teams have shown their talent and winning ways across multiple National League competitions this season. Thirty teams won both their regular season division and their National League P.R.O. bracket, with each level of pools at the P.R.O. events well represented.

Teams that won their league and the champions pool at National League P.R.O. (13): Columbus United 10G Lions (OH), Las Vegas Surf SC 09G Elite 64 (NV), MIFC 09G NL (FL), Ambassadors FC 08G (OH), Nationals Union 07G Black (MI), Utah Surf 07G Hale (UT), DASC 05G Black (SD), Los Angeles SC 09B Elite 64 (CA-S), Sporting PA 09B (PA-E), Kansas Rush Academy 08B (KS), Toca FC 08B Elite 64, Hoosier FC 07B Elite Wolves I (IN), Indiana Fire 05B NL (IN)

Teams that won their league and the silver pool at National League P.R.O. (6): MS Rush United 09G Premier (MS), PCU 08G Red 1 (OR), Western United Pioneers FC 07G Elite (MA), Elite 09B Black (FL), LEGENDS FC 08B Elite 64 (TX-S), Spire FC 06B (OH)

Teams that won their league and the wildcard pool at National League P.R.O. (11): Lobos Rush 10G Elite 64 (TN), Utah Soccer Alliance 10G Elite 64 (UT), Utah Surf 10G JR (UT), FIERCE 09G (TX-S), Cook Inlet S.C 07G Elite (AK), Revolution Premier SC 06G Red Zuazua (TX-N), NW United 10B Elite 64 (WA), Strikers Miami FC 09B Elite (FL), Stony Brook LGN Wildlings Blue 08B (NY-E), CCV STARS 07B Orange (AZ), Miami Breakers FC 06B Black (FL)

The National League teams that are preparing to compete at the National Championships represent all areas of the country. All 13 conferences and every Elite 64 division are represented, while the Elite 64 Regional League has several representatives and the National League Qualifier divisions have one team competing in Orlando.

The Elite 64 Midwest leads all divisions with 16 total teams, while the Premier 1 and Premier 2 divisions of the Midwest Conference also combine to have 16 teams that have qualified for Nationals.

Within Elite 64, the Northwest is the second-most represented division, as it has 11 teams heading to Florida. Among the conferences, the Midwest is followed by the Mid Atlantic (11 teams), Mid South (11 teams) and Desert (10 teams) for the most teams going to Nationals.

League play within the National League also proved to be a good indicator of success on the national stage, as nearly half of the National League teams playing in Orlando finished in first place during their league season. In all, more than 125 of the 161 National League teams finished in the top 3 of their National League division.

Half of the teams that won National titles in 2023 are back again in 2024, and each of them played in the National League during the regular season. See the pathway each team took in 2023-24 to return to Orlando for a chance to defend their titles:

• Columbus United 10G Lions (OH) — Finished in first place in the Premier 1 Great Lakes division and won the champions pool at National League P.R.O. in Tampa.
• DASC Girls Black (SD) — Last season’s 17U Girls champs won the 19U Premier 1 Desert division and claimed the champions pool title at National League P.R.O. in Oceanside.
• NOSC Blast 05 Girls – Sahara (MN) — Seven players return from the club’s 19U title-winning side from last year. After a second-place finish in the Premier 2 Great Lakes division, NOSC won the Midwest Regional Championship.
• Club Ohio 09B National (OH) — Finished in first place in the Elite 64 Great Lakes division and won the Midwest Regional Championship.
• Utah Celtic FC 08B (UT) — Followed a second-place finish in the Premier 1 Desert division by winning the silver pool at National League P.R.O. in Tampa.
• La Roca FC J Milla (UT) — After a second-place finish in its Premier 1 Desert division, La Roca won the champions pool at National League P.R.O. in Tampa.
• Libertyville FC 1974 Boys Elite (IL) — Last year’s 18U title winners won the Elite 64 Midwest 19U division and earned a trip back to Nationals as the Midwest Regional Championships representative following a run to the regional final. The Illinois side is attempting a rare 3-peat after winning the 17U title in 2022 and pursuing an overall fourth National title in a stellar run that began with a 14U title in 2019.

Additionally, five teams that finished as runners-up at Nationals in 2023 are back in the field for the 2024 National Championships. Each returning finalist earned its place in Orlando by winning its respective bracket at National League P.R.O.

• Ponys FC 10B (IL) — Silver pool winner (Tampa)
• Germantown Legends Lady Legends 08 Black (TN) — Champions pool winner (Tampa)
• Utah Surf 07G Hale (UT) — Champions pool winner (Oceanside)
• Miami Breakers FC 06B Black (FL) — Wildcard pool winner (Oceanside)
• Raiders FC 05B (IL) — Champions pool winner (Oceanside)

Who’s Next?