The 2023 US Youth Soccer Southern Regional Championships have officially concluded in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with the State of Tennessee making an incredibly strong showing at the regional event. Four Tennessee State Soccer Association (TSSA) teams advanced to the finals of the tournament, with 2007 Lady Lobos Rush E64 (16U Girls) and 2004/05 Lady Lobos Rush E64 (19U Girls) each raising the championship trophy for their age groups.
Both Lady Lobos Rush teams had perfect runs at the regional competition, winning all six of the matches they played. Over the course of six consecutive wins, 2007 Lady Lobos Rush E64 outscored their opponents, 15-2, while 2004/05 Lady Lobos Rush E64 paced their opposition with a goal differential of 19-4. In the championship round on Thursday, 2007 Lady Lobos Rush E64 defeated MS Rush United 07G Premier (MS), 1-0, and 2004/05 Lady Lobos Rush E64 was victorious over Cajun Rush 04G Academy (LA), 4-2.
USYS Southern Regional Championship Finals
15U Girls – MS Rush United 08G Premier (MS) Defeated Chattanooga Red Wolves 08G, 2-0
16U Girls – 2007 Lady Lobos Rush E64 Defeated MS Rush United 07G Premier (MS), 1-0
17U Girls – Solar South 06G Adames (NTX) Defeated NUSA 06G Maroon, 5-4
19U Girls – 2004/05 Lady Lobos Rush E64 Defeated Cajun Rush 04G Academy (LA), 4-2
By winning their respective tournaments, 2007 Lady Lobos Rush E64 and 2004/05 Lady Lobos Rush E64 officially booked their tickets to the 2023 US Youth Soccer National Championships, which will be hosted from July 17-23 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. Additionally, NUSA 06G Maroon is headed to Orlando after qualifying through USYS National League P.R.O. The Chattanooga Red Wolves 08G also made Tennessee state history in Baton Rouge, becoming the first team from the Chattanooga Area to reach the finals of the Southern Regional Championships.
Joining the three teams mentioned above at the USYS National Championships will be Germantown Lady Legends 08 Black, Pateadores 2009 Blue and Chattanooga Red Wolves 06G. This trio of teams did not participate in the Southern Regional Championships but had already earned their spot in Orlando through USYS National League P.R.O.
Entering the elimination rounds of the Southern Regional Championships, which features the most accomplished US Youth Soccer teams in the Southern Region, Tennessee saw 15 TSSA teams advance past group play and eight of those teams continue onto the semifinals. The USYS National Championship Series is the country’s most prestigious national youth soccer tournament, providing winners from each state the opportunity to showcase their soccer skills against the best competition in the nation while emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play.
