FRISCO, Texas (Sept. 21, 2020) — The US Youth Soccer New England Conference, managed by EDP Soccer, saw teams in the 13U and 14U age groups take the fields Sept. 19-20 to play their second weekend of the Fall 2020 season. These early season matchups are beginning to set the stage for which teams will be battling it out for their spot at top of the table come season’s end.
The New England Conference is one of 13 National League Conferences, which each provide top teams with an opportunity to advance to their respective USYS Regional Championships. For teams in the New England Conference, these games are part of the road to the 2021 USYS Eastern Regional Championships, which will take place June 25-July 1, 2021 at Tuckahoe Turf Farms in Hammonton, N.J.
The 13U Boys Premier I Division kicked off with its first game on Sunday. New England Surf State Navy played host to Juventus Academy Boston 2008 North Bianco.
Juventus Boston had the upper hand from start to finish behind a hat trick from Matteo Sesito. The side spent the week of training working on pressing from the front, as well as the pressing coordination of the midfield three, as the training paid dividends in the side’s big win.
“So far, I have been very pleased with US Youth Soccer and EDP in their ability to get the Conference season off the ground running in Massachusetts with all the specialized restrictions,” said Rohit Gautum, Club Director of Juventus Boston, following the season opener. “The level of refereeing has been high quality and their knowledge of the rules has been excellent, as well. We are excited for the opportunities the league will bring to Massachusetts.”
In the 14U Girls age group, the Premier I Division saw six games played throughout the weekend. A top matchup featured CT Rush Elite 06 Girls hosting Sporting CT 2007 Girls. In a very physical game between two evenly matched teams, Sporting CT was able to come out with a 1-0 win.
“We played better in the first half, had more possession of the ball and created more scoring opportunities,” said Goran Vasic, Sporting CT’s Executive Director. “In the second half, the CT Rush team put us under a lot of pressure and played better soccer than us. Our team defense in the second half was outstanding, and we were able to keep them scoreless. We are happy to start the USYS New England Conference with a 1-0 win.”
For more information on the New England Conference, including schedules, scores, and standings, click here.
For more information on all of the National League Conferences, the National League Showcase Series, and the National League Playoffs, click here.