The knockout stages have officially commenced at the US Youth Soccer Eastern Regional Championships, with five New Jersey Youth Soccer teams advancing to the next stage of the tournament. New Jersey teams that are still in pursuit of an Eastern Regional Championship include The Football Academy Black (12U Girls), The Football Academy Black (13U Boys), Torpedoes Red (16U Boys), Ironbound SC NAL Raiders (17U Boys) and Cedar Stars North Elite 64 (19U Boys).
The Football Academy Black (12U Girls) won their fourth consecutive match at the Eastern Regional Championships on Monday, defeating Loudoun Pre-ECNL G12 Red (VA) to secure their spot in the 12U Girls Final on Monday. Prior to the semifinals, the Football Academy Black won all three group matches to earn the top spot in their bracket, finishing with nine points (3-0 record) and a 12-2 goal differential. Next up is Penn Fusion SA 2012 Elite (PAE) in the championship game on Tuesday morning.
The Football Academy Black (13U Boys) will play in a semifinal matchup against TAKOMA PARK 2011 BOYS (MD) on Tuesday, earning their spot in the next round after scoring a 3-0 win over Coppermine SC Boys 2011 Elite 64 (MD) in the quarterfinals. At the group stage, The Football Academy Black won their bracket on nine points (3-0 record) while outscoring the opposition, 11-3.
Advancing to the final in their age group is Torpedoes Red (16U Boys), who defeated Stony Brook LGN SC Wildlings Blue B2008 (NYE) in a highly contested semifinal on Monday, 3-2. Torpedoes Red arrived at the elimination rounds after winning their group on nine points (3-0 record) and a dominant 15-1 goal differential. They will now play SDA 2008B (NYW) on Tuesday with an opportunity to raise the 16U Boys Trophy on the line.
Ironbound SC NAL Raiders (17U Boys) punched their ticket to the semifinal round after blanking SDA 2007B (NYW) in the quarterfinals, 3-0. Prior to the knockout stage, Ironbound SC secured nine points (3-0 record) and an 8-1 edge in goals during group play to win the top seed in their bracket. Next on the docket is a semifinal reservation with WVFC 2007 Boys Black (WV) on Tuesday.
Playing in the championship match for their age group on Tuesday will be Cedar Stars North Elite 64 (19U Boys), who earned a hard-fought 2-1 result over Seacoast United 2006/05B NL Elite (ME) on Monday in the semifinals. They claimed their spot in the elimination rounds by recording nine points (3-0 record) and outscoring their opponents in group play, 15-4. Next up is a meeting in the 19U Boys Final with Eagle FC 05/06B Black (PAE).
USYS Eastern Regional Championships – Tuesday Matches
12U Girls Final: The Football Academy Black vs. Penn Fusion SA 2012 Elite at 9:00 AM
13U Boys Semifinal: The Football Academy Black vs. TAKOMA PARK 2011 BOYS (MD) at 8:00 AM
16U Boys Final: Torpedoes Red vs. SDA 2008B (NYW) at 12:00 PM
17U Boys Semifinal: Ironbound SC NAL Raiders vs. WVFC 2007 Boys Black (WV) at 10:00 AM
19U Boys Final: Cedar Stars North Elite 64 vs. Eagle FC 05/06B Black (PAE) at 8:00 AM
New Jersey teams that advanced to the elimination rounds of the USYS Eastern Regional Championships but unfortunately saw their run come to a close are Torpedoes Red (13U Boys), Torpedoes Red (14U Boys), Princeton Barcelona (18U Boys) and Medford Strikers (18U Boys).
Winners at the USYS Eastern Regional Championships will move onto the USYS National Championships in July at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. The USYS National Championships Presented by New York Life is the country’s most prestigious national youth soccer tournament. The competition provides winners from each state with the opportunity to showcase their soccer skills against the best competition in the nation while emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play.
