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National League Girls play resumes Dec. 31-Jan. 2 in Orlando, Fla.


WILSON, N.C. (Dec. 5, 2010) – After four days of play, the US Youth Soccer National League Under-15, 16 and 17 Girls have solidified their spots until they meet again Dec. 31 – Jan. 2 at ESPN Wide World of Sports®, where they will continue competing for their ticket to the 2011 US Youth Soccer National Championships in Phoenix, Ariz., July 26-31.

""If you want to be one of the top teams in the country you have to compete against the best, and I think that's what this platform is doing for us,"" said Iggy Moleka, coach of United FA 94 Elite of Georgia, runners-up at the 2010 US Youth Soccer Region III Championships. ""Each team here is one of the best in the country and it's not just where you come from or who your club is, each team has proven that they are among the best in their age group. I have not seen a weak team yet. We've played three games and each team is as good as the other. My kids are about to embark on the college journey and if you want to be prepared you've got to play against the best and that's what National League is providing for us.""

The first weekend of National League Girls' play welcomed 40 of the country's top teams to Wilson, N.C, where 80 games were played, all of which held great significance and meaning as teams were competing for a strong position in the standings and an eventual chance at earning advancement to the National Championships. Demonstrating the competitiveness of the National League, over half of the games played over four days were decided by one goal or less, with only three teams exiting with a perfect record.

Adding to the exposure of the league's premier talent, games were held alongside the NCAA Women's College Cup and the CASL National Soccer Series college showcase, drawing over 175 college and National Team scouts from across the nation.

A snow storm dropped an inch of snow in the Wilson area Saturday night, but the City of Wilson Parks Department and National League staff worked late into Saturday night, and out again at 4 a.m., to prepare the fields and ensure they were safe for play on Sunday morning. Despite the adverse conditions, collegiate scouts were in abundance once again for Sunday's games.

""You don't get to play on a beautiful sunny day every day of the week. I think that's a great thing for us to see how mentally tough the players can be, because it's frustrating; your hands are cold, your feet are cold and yet, the level of play today as I walk around to all these fields is extremely impressive,"" said Frank Mateus, head coach for Loyola University of Chicago. ""For me, what I was looking at is how kids deal with situations because that occurs for us at the college level. It would be nice if it was much warmer, but I think it's invaluable for us to come out here and see how they adjust to the circumstances of whatever is going on. Even with the way the fields were, covered in snow, they're still trying to play good soccer and adjust a little bit. It's nice to see that and I've been very impressed with the level I'm still seeing in these circumstances.""

For complete standings, scores and schedules, click here or go to /National_League.  

 
Keep up with the National League all season:
National League Home: USYouthSoccer.org/National_League
Schedule and results: Tournaments.USYouthSoccer.org/events/2011-US-Youth-Soccer-National-League/
Twitter: @nationalleague
Facebook: Facebook.com/usyouthsoccer
You Tube: YouTube.com/usyouth

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About the United States Youth Soccer Association (US Youth Soccer) – www.USYouthSoccer.org. US Youth Soccer - "The Game for ALL Kids!^®" is the largest youth sports organization in the country and largest member of the United States Soccer Federation, the governing body of soccer in the United States. US Youth Soccer registers more than 3 million players annually, ages 5 to 19, and over 900,000 administrators, coaches and volunteers in 55 member State Associations. US Youth Soccer programs provide a fun, safe and healthy environment for players at every level of the game. For more information, visit

 

Media Request: When referring to the United States Youth Soccer Association, the largest youth sports organization in the United States, please refer to the association only as US Youth Soccer, and never as USYS or USYSA. We appreciate your cooperation.
 

About US Youth Soccer National League - Formed in 2007, the US Youth Soccer National League was developed as a path of advancement for the top teams from the US Youth Soccer Regional Leagues. In addition to meaningful matches, development and identification, the league created a direct path to the annual US Youth Soccer National Championships.  League play features the Under-15, Under-16 and Under-17 age groups for boys and girls who are seeking to advance their college, professional and U.S. National Team aspirations.  Learn more at /National_League/.