California South teams lead the charge to the national title

HONOLULU (June 23, 2008) - US Youth Soccer is proud to announce the 2008 US Youth Soccer Region IV (West) Champions and acknowledge their success in the state and regional championships of the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series, the country's most prestigious national youth soccer tournament. These teams now move on to the third and final leg of the quest for the national championships.

Champions | US Youth Soccer Region IV Championships

Girls
 
Under-12
Mustang Fury (CA-N)
Under-13
So Cal Blues (CA-S)
Under-14*
ARYSL San Juan Spirits (CA-N)
Under-15*
Slammers FC (CA-S)
Under-16*
So Cal Blues (CA-S)
Under-17*
Slammers FC (CA-S)
Under-18*
Colorado Rush Nike (CO)
Under-19*
Slammers FC (CA-S)
 
Boys
 
Under-12
West Coast FC (CA-S)
Under-13
ISC Strikers (CA-S)
Under-14*
Arsenal FC (CA-S)
Under-15*
Valley United Blast Red (CA-S)
Under-16*
Real So Cal Blue (CA-S)
Under-17*
Diablo Valley Black Pearl (CA-N)
Under-18*
Cisco Toros (AZ)
Under-19*
Sereno 89 White (AZ)
 
*Champions of the Under-14 through Under-19 boys and girls will represent US Youth Soccer Region IV at the US Youth Soccer National Championships at Burns Park Soccer Complex in Little Rock, Ark.

"Each year, the nation's top players look forward to the country's best competition as teams earn their way from state to regional champions, striving to be one of the top 56 teams in the country playing for the US Youth Soccer National Championship," said Larry Monaco, president of US Youth Soccer. "It was a tremendous event by host Hawaii Youth Soccer Association and congratulations to the more than 240 teams who advanced to represent their state and to those who will continue their quest to lift the national championship trophy high in Little Rock."

The 2008 US Youth Soccer National Championship Series is the country's most prestigious national youth soccer tournament, providing approximately 185,000 players on more than 10,000 teams from US Youth Soccer's 55 State Associations the opportunity to showcase their soccer skills against the best competition in the nation while emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play.

The US Youth Soccer National Championships cap a yearlong series of competitions for boys and girls teams in multiple age brackets as teams earn their way from the top teams in their state to the regional championship tournaments. US Youth Soccer State Champions and selected wildcard teams are eligible to compete in one of four US Youth Soccer Regional Championships. The champions in the Under-14 through Under-19 age brackets from each regional event will converge in a final four played July 22-27, at Burns Park Soccer Complex, in Little Rock, Ark., against the nation's top competition.

The James P. McGuire Cup is the oldest trophy in youth sport dating back to 1935 with the inaugural youth championships. The Under-19 boys age group as the National Champion will hoist the McGuire Cup. This is the 73^nd anniversary of the storied cup.

Annually the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series provides the nation's top collegiate coaches the premier stage to identify and scout the most coveted players in the country. In 2007, over 500 coaches attended the US Youth Soccer Regional Championships including the majority of the top 25 men's and women's programs based on the final 2007 NSCAA/adidas National Rankings for NCAA Division I schools.

The dates and locations for the remaining Regional Championships and the 2008 US Youth Soccer National Championships are:

US Youth Soccer Region I (East) Championships | Portland, Maine
Opening Ceremony: June 26 | Fitzpatrick Stadium
Bowdoin College, Wainwright Recreational Athletic Complex and Falmouth High School
Round Robin: June 27-29
Semis: June 30
Finals: July 1
 
US Youth Soccer Region II (Midwest) Championships | Rockford, Illinois
Sports Score 1 and 2 Soccer Complexes
Round Robin: June 21-23
Semis: June 24
Finals: June 25

US Youth Soccer Region III (South) Championships | Raleigh and Wilson, North Carolina
WRAL Soccer Complex and Gillette Soccer Complex
Round Robin: June 20-22
Quarters: June 23
Semis: June 24
Finals: June 25

US Youth Soccer National Championships | Little Rock, Arkansas
Player Luncheon: July 22 | Statehouse Convention Center
Burns Park Soccer Complex
Round Robin: July 23-25
Finals: July 26-27

To learn more about the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series and see the results from all of the regional competitions log on to http://Championships.USYouthSoccer.org, the online home for the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series, providing the latest in news, information and more.