BLACK DIVISION
From top to bottom, the 14U Boys Black Division may be the closest group of teams in the National League heading into the final weekend of the season. Just four points separate the first place and eighth place after four games of play for each side, meaning every team is alive for the division title ahead of the matches in Las Vegas.
Five of the teams in the Black Division managed to leave Tampa with two wins, and three teams — La Roca S CS (UT), Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals 06 Black (PA-E) and Alexandria 06B Red (VA) — are tied at the top of the standings with seven points each. Right behind the leaders are Ironbound SC (NJ) and FC Dallas 06 Premier (TX-N), who each have six points. FC Dallas has already played three of the four other teams with six or more points, so it has shown it can match up with anyone in the division.
With every team valuing all possible points to be gained, each game in Las Vegas will be full of excitement and have an impact on determining which side finishes the season in first place. The fact that all of the sides are in such close proximity to each other in the standings means it’s very likely that the Black Division title will not be decided until the final day of play.
Game to Watch
March 15, FC Dallas 06 Premier (TX-N) vs. La Roca S CS (UT)
Picking a single game to watch in this division is not easy, as all of the matches in Las Vegas will likely have some contribution to determining the first-place team. La Roca currently sits in a three-way tie at the top of the group but owns a win and a draw over its fellow co-leaders. Meanwhile, FC Dallas overcame two early losses to win its last two matches in Tampa — compiling an overall plus-four goals differential that matched La Roca for best in the division through four games. The Utah side has a slight edge over the rest of the division in the race for the title, so FC Dallas may need a win in this one for itself — or any of the other sides in the group — to have a shot at winning the division.
BLUE DIVISION
Following the first four games of the season, two teams emerged as the primary contenders for the 14U Boys Blue Division title. However, several others are still in contention and can’t be counted out as the teams prepare for their final matches of the season in Las Vegas.
SC Wave Juniors 06 (WI) is currently in first place in the Blue Division, as it won all four of its games in Tampa, Fla. The Wisconsin side used a potent offensive showing to pick up its four wins, as it led the group with 12 goals scored during the opening event of the season. Meanwhile, 2006 Pipeline SC Pre-Academy (MD) also came away from Tampa with an unbeaten record, as it secured three wins and a draw. The Maryland side conceded just one goal in its first four matches, and it sits two points behind SC Wave entering the games in March.
LVSA 06 Red (NV) is six points back of first place but will have the advantage of having the comfort of playing in its hometown as it looks to catch the division leaders. Nationals Union 06 Boys Black (MI) also has a win and two draws after playing all of the teams in the top half of the standings, and it is one of a few other teams who are still alive in the hunt for first place.
Game to Watch
March 15, 2006 Pipeline SC Pre-Academy (MD) vs. SC Wave Juniors 06 Boys (WI)
SC Wave and Pipeline are first and second, respectively, in the division entering the last weekend of the season and have produced a bit of a gap between themselves and the rest of the field. It’s possible that a couple of other teams in the division close that gap before the final day of the season, but it’s likely that this game should play a role in determining the Blue Division champion. Time will tell just what is at stake when these teams meet on Sunday.
RED DIVISION
Three teams are within a point of first place in the 14U Boys Red Division heading into the final weekend of the season. Overall, there are six teams with at least five points in the standings, and each side is very much alive for the division title ahead of the games in Las Vegas.
Raiders FC - 2006 (IL) and NLS Ajax (MD) are tied atop the standings with 10 points each, as they both earned three wins and a draw during the action in Tampa, Fla. Raiders succeeded with strong defensive play, as it conceded just one goal in its first four games. One point behind the co-leaders is Real JFC 2006 (NJ), which earned three victories by one-goal margins during a very competitive string of games in Tampa.
Rebels SC (CA-S) leads a group of teams a few points back of the division leaders. The Cal South side split its games in Tampa, where it played each of the three teams currently above it in the standings. Each of the mid-table teams will need to string together multiple wins in Las Vegas in order to have a shot at the division title.
Game to Watch
March 14, Raiders FC 2006 (IL) vs. NLS Ajax (MD)
Each of the current top three teams in the standings still need to face each other during the final weekend of the season. The standings may be shuffled a bit before this Saturday matchup, but Raiders and Ajax will each still be in the thick of the title race when they meet. The two sides enter the weekend tied for first place with 10 points each, and a victory in this match would give the winning side a big boost in its pursuit of the Red Division title.
WHITE DIVISION
There is little separating the teams near the top of the 14U Boys White Division, as several of the sides are still in contention for first place. Of the seven teams in the division, five came away from Tampa with at least two wins. Those performances left the five sides separated by just three points — or a single game — as they prepare for the Las Vegas weekend.
FC Europa Elite (PA-E) outscored opponents, 13-to-1, to post the best goal differential in Tampa and secure a place on top of the standings with nine points. Two other teams — Riverside City FC B06 Academy (CA-S) and PPA KSA 06 Pro-Profile (GA) — also earned three wins during the opening week of the season to lead to a three-way tie for the current top spot in the standings.
A couple of other sides are within shouting distance of the leaders, including KHA 06 Red (OH-S), which earned two wins and a draw from its opening four matches of the season. Meanwhile, Michigan Jaguars 2006 Green (MI) bounced back from two early losses to record victories in its last two Tampa matches — leaving it three points behind the trio of division leaders entering the last week of the season.
Game to Watch
March 13, Riverside City FC B06 Academy (CA-S) vs. PPA KSA 06 Pro-Profile (GA)
Each game in Las Vegas should impact the top of the White Division standings, so it’s important for teams to get off to a quick start. This matchup on the Friday features two of the three teams that are currently tied at the top of the standings. A win by either Riverside or KSA would give the victorious team an upper hand in the title race and leave the other side with even more work to do over the final two days of the season. This should be an important tone-setter for the weekend.