ECNL Boys Playoffs 2025: Knockout stages progress across all age groups

The ECNL Boys National Playoffs continued on Sunday, featuring some critical matchups across all age groups.

See below for a rundown of some of the day’s top action. For a full look at the ECNL Boys National Playoffs, including scores, schedules and more, click here.

There’s No Place Like Home

Seattle-based XF Academy, the No. 1 seed in the U18/19 Champions League at the ECNL Boys National Playoffs, looked to head back to the national championship match for the second consecutive year, and the team standing in their way was LV Heat Surf, looking to continue its strong run of play into a national championship berth.

From the opening whistle, the two sides traded scoring chances, with both teams getting a quality look within the first five minutes of the match. Energized by the opportunity to potentially play for a national championship, both sides were going all out and playing really strong soccer, hoping to force their opponents to make the first mistake of the match.

That moment came in the 23rd minute, when LV Heat Surf’s Austin Kiernan tackled Aaron Leon-Bedolla from XF Academy from behind, unfortunately earning himself a red card for a denial of a goal-scoring opportunity and putting LV Heat Surf down to 10 men. Just five minutes later, Leon-Bedolla sprinted down the left side of the pitch and put a shot on net. It was partially saved by goalkeeper Carter Barron but continued into the net to give XF Academy a 1-0 lead.

Just before halftime, XF Academy took a 2-0 lead off a goal from Jesus Magana. XF Academy sprinted into the box with an odd-man opportunity, and a sly tackle from the LV Heat Surf backline knocked the ball free. But it went right to Magana’s boots and he went back post for the score.

Despite being down 2-0 and down to 10 men, LV Heat Surf came out of halftime firing, and less than a minute into the second frame, cut XF Academy’s lead to 2-1. LV Heat Surf immediately earned a corner kick, and Joseph Gonzalez sent a service high into the box. Lazzar Ramos got up, put his head on the ball and tapped in his own rebound to break the clean sheet.

With the margins tightening, the two sides continued to battle, playing physical soccer that resulted in multiple scoring chances and multiple yellow cards. But it was XF Academy who broke through once again in the 68th minute, with Leon-Bedolla scoring an absolute golazo to make it a 3-1 game. Leon-Bedolla blasted a shot into the top right corner of the net, one where Barron was able to get his hands on the shot but it still went through.

As the clock wound down, LV Heat Surf started pushing further and further forward, desperately attempting to try and get back into the match. The team kept getting their chances, pushing XF Academy onto their back foot, until ultimately LV Heat Surf earned a penalty kick in the 90th minute. Chase Stewart stepped up to the spot and ripped a shot that was saved by XF Academy goalkeeper Kenneth Pierpoint, but he followed his shot and headed in the rebound, once again cutting XF Academy’s lead to just one.

The second goal would all XF Academy would allow through, and when the final whistle blew, the hometown team was back in the championship match, one win away from a title.

Pressure Makes Diamonds

Soccer can be a game of incredibly thin margins, especially so when you reach the U18/19 Champions League semifinals at the ECNL Boys National Playoffs, and two teams could not have showcased that fact better than Eclipse Select and Concorde Fire Platinum.

The two sides played an incredibly even match, resulting in a scoreless first 45 minutes that featured plenty of traded possession and traded scoring chances. Eclipse Select thought they were going to take a 1-0 lead 13 minutes into the game, but defender Jackson Washburn made a goal line clearance to keep the game at 0-0. In the dying seconds of the first half, Concorde Fire made a dangerous corner kick that was cleared out just before a scoring opportunity, closing out the first half with a 0-0 score.

In the second half, both Eclipse and Concorde played a pressing game, hoping to force their opponent to make a mistake. A foul by Eclipse goalkeeper Daniel Llanos on Amade Emmanuel in the 70th minute gave Concorde Fire their best chance to break the deadlock, and a well-struck shot by Eric Cruz put them ahead 1-0.

Both sides doubled their attacking efforts as the second half wore down; Concorde Fire looking to pad their lead and Eclipse attempting to even the score. Eclipse finally got their wish in the 87th minute, as forward Jaxon Stokes earned a penalty kick after being fouled in the box. He took a shot low to the right side that was saved by goalkeeper Reuben Clarson III, but Stokes slammed home the rebound to draw even at 1-1.

In the final minutes of the match, Eclipse Select looked like it would end the game in regulation, but Concorde Fire’s defense held strong and sent the game to penalty kicks.

Sam Hess scored on Eclipse Select’s first PK attempt, beating the goalkeeper low to the left, but Concorde Fire’s first shot was saved by Llanos, giving the edge to Eclipse. Eclipse held that advantage through the fourth round, but a shot off the crossbar and Cruz, stepping up for his second PK of the game, buried his shot once again to bring Concorde Fire even once again.

The two sides traded goals in both the fifth and sixth rounds, and in the seventh round, Clarson stopped Eclipse’s shot, putting Concorde one goal away from moving on. But Llanos responded with a save of his own, and the game continued on to an eight penalty kick round.

In the eighth, Eclipse Select’s Jay Umana put a shot right down the middle for a goal, requiring another goal by Concorde Fire. Emmanuel, a force all game, stepped up to the spot, paused, and ripped a shot to the left. Llanos dove left, getting his hands on the shot and making a second consecutive save, putting Eclipse Select in the National Championship match.

U18/19 North American Cup Final