US Club Soccer National Cup XI Dates and Locations Announced

Dates and locations have been finalized for the 11^th edition of the National Cup, one of US Club Soccer’s two national championship competitions, along with the new National Premier Leagues (NPL) Champions Cup.

Slated to kick off in May, National Cup XI will include Regionals in six locations ahead of the National Cup XI Finals, to be held July 27-30 at Waukegan Sports Park in the Chicago area.

National Cup XI Regionals are open to U-11 through U-18/19 boys’ and girls’ teams as well as adult teams. Regional championship-winning teams in the U-13 through U-17 age groups will advance to the National Cup XI Finals, where national championships will be awarded.

Two levels of competition – Super Group (most competitive) and Premier – are available to better allow teams to compete at an appropriate level. All teams apply to the Premier level, and a tournament committee will review each applicant’s tournament and league history for possible promotion to the Super Group level. The committee will consist of neutral regional club soccer coaches, who will also provide input on seeding.

Applications for National Cup XI Regionals will be made available on Dec. 1. Teams are not restricted to a particular geographical area, and may attend any Regional. Teams may only attend one Regional competition. Only US Club Soccer-carded teams may participate in National Cup XI.

“We are very excited about the quality and strength of each of the upcoming National Cup XI Regional events and know that our members will have a great experience at each one,” said US Club Soccer Executive Vice President Christian Lavers. “As always, teams will have the opportunity to challenge themselves against opponents drawn from all over each regional area.”

The National Cup XI Finals will be held alongside the inaugural National Premier Leagues (NPL) Champions Cup, which will bring together winners of each NPL to compete for NPL national championships. The NPL Champions Cup will also take place July 27-30, 2012, at Waukegan Sports Park in Waukegan, Ill. Winners of the individual leagues will compete against each other for NPL national championships. The competition structure for the Champions Cup will be announced in the coming months.

The National Premier Leagues include many of the nation’s top clubs in geographically-based leagues, each of which is independently operated but linked with the others under the same technical guidelines, philosophies and structure. The 2011-12 season kicked off in September. Winners of each National Premier League can be crowned either through regular-season competition or through a postseason playoff process, depending on the league and its specific structure.

An analysis of US Club Soccer’s competitive platforms, including regional, national and league-based competitions, will be the subject of a seminar at the upcoming NSCAA Convention in January.

For more information on the National Cup, visit the National Cup XI Web page or contact the US Club Soccer Membership Services Representative in your area.

National Cup X Results

Boise, Idaho – July 29-Aug. 1, 2011
Boys Brackets

U-13 Boys Super Group:  Real Tuzos '98 (Ariz.)
U-13 Boys Premier:  Napa Valley SC 97/98 (Calif.)
U-14 Boys Super Group:  St. Louis Scott Gallagher - Metro (Ill.)
U-14 Boys Premier:  Redwood Palo Alto '97 Blue (Calif.)
U-15 Boys Super Group:  Westside Metros Galacticos (Ore.)
U-15 Boys Premier:  Boise Nationals SC Celtic (Idaho)
U-16 Boys Super Group:  Sagebrush SC United Red (Nev.)
U-17 Boys Super Group:  Ironbound SC Predators (N.J.)
U-17 Boys Premier:  Rainier Valley Slammers '93 White (Wash.)

Girls Brackets

U-13 Girls Super Group:  Santa Clara Sporting '97 Green (Calif.)
U-13 Girls Premier:  FC Portland '97 Navy (Ore.)
U-14 Girls Super Group:  Washington Premier FC '96 ECNL (Wash.)
U-14 Girls Premier:  Forza FC '97 Premier (Utah)
U-15 Girls Super Group:  West Coast SC Kryptonite '95 (Calif.)
U-15 Girls Premier:  Northwest Nationals '95 Blue (Wash.)
U-16 Girls Super Group:  FC Nova (Idaho)
U-16 Girls Premier:  TSF Academy Fire (N.J.)
U-17 Girls Super Group:  Washington Rush '93 Nike (Wash.)
U-17 Girls Premier:  Columbia Premier SC Timbers '93 Red (Wash.)

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