Knockout stage berths clinched at 2025 US Youth Soccer National Championships

ORLANDO, FL — Thursday marked the decision day at the 2025 US Youth Soccer National Championships in Orlando, FL as boys and girls teams in the 13U-19U age groups wrapped up group play and secured berths to the tournament’s knockout rounds.

Three of the four finalists in the 13U age group played in The National League during the 2024-25 season, and two of those three sides won their respective National League division.

In the 14U, 15U, 16U, 17U and 19U age groups, the top team in each four-team group earned advancement to semifinal matches that will be played on Saturday morning. Of the 40 teams that advanced to the weekend’s semifinals in those age groups, 38 played in National League competitions during the 2024-25 season.

(+READ: US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup 2025 Recap: 14 teams win titles in Tampa)

The National Championships semifinalists include nine teams that won the champions pool at their National League Semifinal event, while two silver pool winners and seven wildcard pool winners also earned berths to the semifinals.

Meanwhile, 23 of the semifinalists finished in first place in their regular season division within the National League.

WILD FINISH IN 17U GIRLS GROUP C

With little separating the top-level teams at Nationals, each goal and each moment can be the difference in deciding which teams move on. That was no truer than in 17U Girls Group C, where Plymouth Reign 08 NL (MI) used an 89th-minute goal by Camryn Huhn to seal a semifinal berth following a wild group stage finale.

“We had to win by two, so it was really stressful,” Reign winger Aubrey Krischano said following her team’s 4-2 win. “We had all our attacking players go back into the back line to just clear it and make sure they didn’t score again. To get that last goal in the last couple minutes of the last half was really awesome, and we were all super stoked.”

Krischano joined Lauren Fowler and Huhn on the scoresheet, as she helped Reign build a 3-0 lead against group leader Los Angeles SC Elite 64 08G (CA-S). However, the Cal South side pulled within 3-2 — giving it the goal differential advantage in a three-way tie atop the standings.

But Huhn’s 89th-minute goal that completed her brace flipped the script and allowed Plymouth to continue its pursuit of the National title.

“We lost our first game, so we had to use that anger and momentum to get back up today,” Krischano said. “We knew coming into this, it was going to be our toughest game since they hadn’t lost. But we focused on winning every 15-minute increment to get it done.”

TITLE DEFENSE STILL ON FOR MICHIGAN RANGERS

In a must-win situation on Thursday, MI Rangers FC Elite 64 06/07G (MI) leaned on its big-game experience to secure a 3-2 win against 19U Girls Group A leader JB Marine Gold Garabedian 06 (MO). The victory allowed the 2024 National Champions to jump JB Marine in the group standings and extend their title defense — and final moments together as a group — to the weekend.

“It is a really cool opportunity to come back here again, and it’s our last time all playing together before we go off to college,” Rangers center midfielder Jordyn Klaasen said. “It’s really fun to be here with each other and get after it. It was really nice to get the win. Our team worked really hard together and busted our butts.”

Klaasen — a Ball State commit — played a key role in her team’s win, but it was Sydney Wilcox who first gave Rangers a vital lead when she scored in the 24th minute. Klaasen slotted a shot inside the far post later in the half to give Rangers a 2-0 lead.

That advantage nearly lasted until halftime, but Madison Mauch pulled a goal back for JB Marine in first-half stoppage time. With her side needing just a tie to advance out of Group A, Mauch completed a brace in the 66th minute — scoring a goal that put JB Marine in position to move on to the semifinals.

However, Klaasen recorded a brace of her own — hitting an unstoppable strike from distance that hit off the underside of the crossbar a 73rd minute goal that proved to be the game-winner.

TKO PREMIER WINS GROUP WITH A STATEMENT

When the day started, it was clear 15U Boys Group A was going to be decided on Field 20 at ESPN Wide World of Sports. The only question was which two-win team was going to take the group’s semifinal berth.

TKO Premier SC 10B Blue (MI) rode the momentum of an early goal to earn a 2-1 win against KBSC Elite 2010 (FL), giving the Michigan side a spot in the weekend’s knockout rounds.

“Going into this game we knew we had to tie or win to go through,” TKO attacking midfielder Osiel Magana Nieves said. “But we didn’t want to go on by tying, so we came in strong because we knew they are a good team, and we came out with the win.”

Dylan Ferreira put TKO up early with a fifth-minute goal before Juan Javier Avila equalized for KBSC in the 31st minute. But Ferreira gave TKO complete control of the group once more when he netted his second goal in the 66th minute — helping the Michigan side to the 2-1 win.

“It feels amazing to play with this group of guys. We have a great team,” Magana Nieves said. “I’m very excited for the semifinals because we’re going against another Michigan team. It’s a big rivalry, and we want to come out with the win.”

The action at the National Championships will continue with the 13U championship matches on Friday evening, followed by the 14U-19U semifinals on Saturday morning.