U15 Boys North American Finals
This tournament returns two title holders from the past two seasons: 2004 U13 North American Finals Champion – Vancouver Whitecaps and returning 2005 U14 Champion De Anza SC. De Anza is looking for back-to-back honors as they swept through the field in last year’s finals unbeaten, following a flawless 10-0-1 regular season. De Anza mirrored the path Vancouver traveled in 2004, finishing as 15-0 Champions.

 

Vancouver is back on the unblemished warpath this year, handling the Northwestern competition to 10-0 accord. De Anza finished the regular season 8-1-1.

 

Vancouver met the undefeated Chicago Magic in the semifinals of the 2004 tournament. That day belonged to Vancouver 2-1. While a loss last year to the Harrisburg City Islanders kept the perennial Northwest Champions from advancing out of group play, a semifinal rematch this season between the two would heat up the already boiling U15 finals.

 

Outside of these three favorites lies a pair of sevens. Seven additional teams returning from last year’s tournament and seven newcomers to the November action. Among the top attending newbies is second place finisher in the Midwest, Mequon United. The side is coached by former Argentine National Team member Cacho Cordoba who enjoyed time on the national team with Diego Maradona.

 

“We have a good team here,” said U15 Assistant Coach Mike Stojsavljvic. “Three of our guys made the SYL ODP team but this is one of those groups where the success comes from the whole team. Our defense has only allowed seven goals and that is important heading into a tournament where you don’t know much about the competition. If your defense is shaky there are going to be problems facing clubs you are not familiar with.”

 

Mequon’s defense will be tested as they drew one of the toughest group pairings in the U15 tournament alongside a 2005 finalist in De Anza, former Champion Vancouver, and the South Jersey Barons.

 

“That’s what happens when you finish second in the division,” said Stojsavljvic. “We have adversity to face heading into this tournament. It’s hard to train in preparation for a tournament in November when you’re based in Milwaukee and it’s 35 degrees. Our biggest concern is the high school season and the fact we have about two weeks of training prior to getting on a plane and heading to Florida. It just makes the accomplishments of a team like the Chicago Magic even more impressive when you see what they’ve done from the same set of circumstances.”

 

Mequon did play well against the Magic, dropping a 1-0 decision to Chicago while on the road.

“They have a long history of being a good club,” said Stojsavljvic. “It was a good game that could have gone either way – a notion that we can compete on the same level as the best clubs in North America.”

 

U15 Girls North American Finals
The female side of the U15 North American Finals tournament will also welcome exactly seven new teams to Tampa. The five returning members include 2005 champion Match Fit Academy as well as the Reading Rage, Washington Crossfire, Vancouver Whitecaps, and Seacoast United.

 

A new face fulfilling their North California bid is San Juan SC led by their rejuvenated defense and sequentially improved attack. The side has been one of the most impressive turn-around teams since last season, moving from seventh to second in the division over the course of one season.

 

Goalkeeper Allison Evans is a prominent addition to the side in goal. Her quick distribution out of the back sparks San Jaun’s rapid transition to offense.

 

“We brought in six or seven new players this season and have begun to thrive as a result,” said San Juan SC Head Coach Erin Sharpe. “Allison has done very well for us in goal and the addition of some strong defenders has allowed us to move some talented players out of the back and up into the attack where they are more comfortable.”

 

With more options, Coach Sharpe – an alumni of the 2001 NCAA Champion Santa Clara University, rotated her team into a 4-3-3 formation that utilizes her outside backs.

 

“When our outside backs get into the attack it supplies us with several more scoring chances throughout the course of a match,” said Sharpe.

 

The most noticeable statistic in the club’s turn-around season is goals allowed. San Juan allowed 19 goals in 2005, a number they have reduced to five in 2006.

 

“We are looking forward to the elevated level of competition in Tampa,” said Sharpe. “This season has been great. We had more players invited to the SYL ODP Camps as a result of our success and we can’t wait to see how far we can advance during the finals.”

 

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Jason Minnick can be reached by e-mail at Jason.Minnick@USLsoccer.com