OCEANSIDE, Calif. (July 3, 2023) — A thrilling week of action at the 2023 Elite 64 National Finals saw six girls teams claim team championships, while South Valley Surf SC secured the overall Elite 64 girls club championship as the top-performing club across the regular season and Elite 64 National Finals.

Elite 64 is the top club-based platform in the USYS National League. All games at the Elite 64 National Finals took place at the SoCal Sports Complex in Oceanside, Calif., where teams in the 13U, 14U, 15U, 16U and 17U age groups took part in knockout-style play to determine the team champions. The 19U age group featured group play followed by a championship match.

2022-23 Elite 64 Team Champions | Girls
13U: Legends FC (CA) Elite 64 10G
14U: South Valley Surf SC Elite 64 09G
15U: South Valley Surf SC Elite 64 08G
16U: Legends FC (CA) Elite 64 07G
17U: FC Copa Academy Elite 64 06G
19U: Los Angeles Soccer Club Elite 64 04/05G

“It takes a special team to string together victories in this environment against talented opposition, and each of the team champions should be very proud of that accomplishment,” said Simon Collins, USYS National League Commissioner. “Winning any team title is something to celebrate, and we hope this experience has created a lasting memory that these players will share with their teammates for the rest of their lives.”

The competition at the Elite 64 National Finals was extremely competitive, as 18 percent of games went to a penalty kick shootout to determine the winner. The championship games encapsulated the excitement and competitive nature of the event, as four of the six titles were decided by just one goal, while another went to penalties.

For the girls club championship, South Valley Surf’s run to the title began in the Elite 64 regular season, when the club finished in the top two in every age group within the E64 Pacific group. That form carried over to Oceanside, where the club showed its depth and talent en route to an overall mark of 15 wins, four losses and one draw. South Valley Surf’s younger side did especially well, as its 13U side advanced to the semifinals, while the 14U and 15U teams each claimed their respective national title.

2022-23 Elite 64 Club Champion Race | Girls
1. South Valley Surf SC
2. CDA Slammers
3. Legends FC (CA)

“On behalf of the USYS National League, I want to congratulate South Valley Surf on earning the Elite 64 Girls Club Championship for the 2022-23 season,” Collins said. “It takes a true club effort — from players to coaches to parents to administrators — to produce strong performances across all age groups, and this is a true recognition of the hard work put in by everyone at South Valley Surf.”

LOOK BACK AT THE PATH TO THE ELITE 64 GIRLS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS…
13U: Legends FC (CA) Elite 64 10G
Legends FC bookended its run at the National Finals with penalty shootout victories. It started its week with a 3-2 (PK) win against Utah Avalanche before defeating LASC, 3-0, in the quarterfinals. Legends advanced to the final by defeating South Valley Surf, 1-0, in it semifinal matchup.

The championship game matched Legends against CDA Slammers, and little separated the sides. Legends managed to grab a 10th-minute lead when Vanessa Bonner scored off a corner kick, and it carried that advantage into the second half. The Slammers generated pressure immediately off the restart and equalized in the 46th minute, as Kennedy Crawford slotted her shot just inside the left post. The match went to penalties to decide the winner, and goalkeeper Parker Wiese made the deciding save to help Legends claim the 13U Girls title.

14U: South Valley Surf SC Elite 64 09G
A 3-0 win against Princeton SA kickstarted South Valley Surf’s week in the 14U age group. It followed that victory with a 3-1 win against Dallas Cosmos in the quarterfinals. The semifinal against Las Vegas Surf provided one of the most dramatic games of the week in Oceanside, as South Valley held off a late push from Las Vegas — whose team had five Best XI selections — to force a penalty kick shootout. After several rounds of kicks, South Valley netted the final attempt to book its spot in the final.

The championship game against CDA Slammers provided another close contest for South Valley. Karra D’amato put the ball in the back of the net through a crowded 6-yard box to give South Valley Surf the lead in the 34th minute. The defense did the rest, as South Valley secured the clean sheet to win the 14U Girls title.

15U: South Valley Surf SC Elite 64 08G
South Valley Surf displayed an ability to thrive in close games in its run to the 15U Girls title. That began right away with a 2-1 win over Legends FC in the first game, and South Valley followed that with a 1-0 win against Pittsburgh Hotspurs in the quarterfinals. South Valley continued its stout defensive efforts in the semifinals to earn a 2-0 win against East County Surf.

The final provided more tense moments, as South Valley battled Libertyville FC 1974 for the title. Andrea Isola struck quickly for South Valley, as she blasted a shot into the far corner to put her side in front after just four minutes of play. South Valley worked hard to protect that lead, as Libertyville produced some threatening moments in attack in search of a tying goal. The equalizer never came, as South Valley held on for the 1-0 win to clinch the 15U Girls title.

16U: Legends FC (CA) Elite 64 07G
Legends used a dominant clean sheet win against Valor Soccer to begin its title run, and it followed with a 4-1 victory against Colorado Rapids in the quarterfinals. Utah Avalanche gave Legends a stiff test in the semifinals, as the sides played to a 1-1 draw in regulation. Legends earned a 5-4 victory in penalties, as Best XI goalkeeper Sierra Cordola made multiple saves.

The final against FC Premier was evenly matched and went well into the second half with the teams level at 0-0. However, Liliana Golphenee found the back of the net in the 64 minute to put Legends in front. Legends held off a late push from FC Premier to secure the 1-0 victory and claim the 16U title.

17U: FC Copa Academy Elite 64 06G
FC Copa stood up to every challenge it faced in Oceanside, beginning with a 4-2 win against LASC in its opening match. The New Jersey side defeated South Valley Surf, 3-1, in the quarterfinals before securing another 3-1 result over Colorado Rapids in the semifinals.

The final presented a rematch of the 2022 16U Girls USYS National Championship game against Libertyville FC 1974. After coming up short in penalties last year, FC Copa reversed the script and held off FC 1974 in another clash worthy of a championship final.

Best XI forward Hailey Santiago put FC Copa in front in the 35th minute before Lauren Bailey equalized for FC 1974 in the 58th minute. Santiago provided a quick response just five minutes later to help FC Copa regain the lead, and she completed a hat trick with a 69th-minute goal to extend the advantage to 3-1. Bailey looped in a 77th-minute goal to pull FC 1974 within one, but FC Copa held on in the frantic closing minutes to earn the 3-2 win for the 17U title.

19U: Los Angeles Soccer Club Elite 64 04/05G
A full team defensive effort and goalkeeping helped lift LASC to the 19U title, as the side did not concede a single goal across its four games in Oceanside. A dominant victory against CDA Slammers preceded a hard-fought 1-0 win against South Valley Surf on the final day of group play that clinched LASC’s spot in the final.

Pittsburgh Hotspurs SC provided a challenge in the championship game and had several threatening moments in the offensive half. However, LASC continued its stout defensive effort and received a go-ahead goal from Charlie Gallardo in the 30th minute. Madeline Traylor added an insurance goal in the 61st minute, and LASC managed to repel late pressure from Pittsburgh to ensure the 2-0 win for the title.

As posted by US Youth Soccer, link at: https://www.usysnationalleague.com/news/2023/07/03/elite-64-crowns-girls-team-club-champions-for-2022-23-season/