In the 80-year history of the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships, no boys team from the state of Kansas has ever been crowned a national champion.
Next week, the Sporting KC Academy U15's will aim to become the first when they take the field at Mohawk Soccer Complex in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
SPORTING KC U15'S SCHEDULE
Tuesday, July 21 (11:30am): vs. South Carolina United FC 99 Elite (SC)
Wednesday, July 22 (7:30am): vs. United FA 00 Premier (GA)
Thursday, July 23 (11:30am): vs. Surf Aguilar (CA)
Saturday, July 25 (10am): Semifinal Matches
Sunday, July 26 (9:40am): Championship Match
Led by head coach Jon Parry, the U15's were crowned
Kansas State Cup champions in May
and
Region II champions in June
to secure their berth as one of eight national finalists in the under-15 age group. The
team's roster
features seven players eligible to play in the U14 age division, and 13 of the 15 SKC Academy players who competed in the U14 age group at the
USYS National Championships one year ago
(denoted by asterisks below).
Blake Arndt |
Jacob Hall |
Abdu Kikhia* |
David Merola |
Braeden Vermillion* |
Alex Brown |
Colin Innes* |
John Klein* |
Luke Rafanan* |
Mason Visconti |
Cameron Duke* |
Alex Jimenez |
Roman Knox* |
Kyle Reese* |
Jackson Wood* |
Dontell Gilyard* |
Mike Keon* |
Massimo McGuire* |
Max Rugova* |
Kyle Ziegler |
The eight national finalists in the under-15 age level are divided into two groups, with Sporting KC placed in Group A, and will play preliminary games against each of their three group stage opponents. The top two teams in each group then advance to the semifinal round en route to the national championship finale.
U15'S GROUP A
Sporting KC Academy: Region II Champions
Surf Aguilar: Region IV Champions
South Carolina United FC 99 Elite: 1st place, National League (Red Division)
United FA 00 Premier: 1st place, National League (Blue Division)
United FA, from Georgia, are the reigning U14 national champions and will get a group stage rematch with Sporting KC after a 1-1 draw in last year's national championships. Sporting KC also faced South Carolina United FC earlier this season with a
5-2 victory in the final of the 2014 Disney Soccer Showcase
.
The Sporting KC U15's will look to cap off a successful campaign in which the team went a perfect
9-0-0 in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy
while finishing
second in the Midwest Regional League
(5-1-1) and
fourth in the National League Blue Division
(4-3-0). In addition, two of the team's top players -- Mason Visconti and Cameron Duke -- earned invitations into U.S. Soccer's youth national team system.
The team will be recognized on field prior to Sporting KC's match against the Montreal Impact at Sporting Park on Saturday. Follow
and
for all the latest updates throughout the tournament.
Joining the Sporting KC Academy U15’s at the National Championships will be two Sporting KC Academy Affiliates within the Sporting Club Network. Sporting St. Croix (U16 boys) and Sporting J.B. Marine (U13 boys) also claimed Region II championships in Fox Cities, Wisconsin last month to qualify for next week's competition.
