ECNL Boys Playoffs 2026: Big wins for XF Academy, NCFC Academy on Day 1

The ECNL Boys Playoffs have officially kicked off in San Diego. Continue reading for a rundown of some of the top matchups from Day 1.

Hats Off

XF Academy set a record with four national championships in 2025, one of which was the club’s U18/19 squad. Thursday morning, XF Academy took the first step to defending their title with a 4-0 victory against LV Heat Surf.

Leading the charge for XF Academy was Aaron Leon-Bedolla, the reigning U18/19 ECNL National Player of the Year and member of XF Academy’s U18/19 championship team last season. Leon-Bedolla opened the scoring in the 10th minute, tapping home a cross from the left side of the pitch for his first goal of the game.

In the 26th minute, XF Academy earned a penalty kick after a shot ricocheted off the arm of a LV Heat Surf defender. Leon-Bedolla stepped up to the spot and chipped the ball on net. It rang off the crossbar, but he followed his shot up with an impressive scissor kick into the back of the net. However, a teammate was offside, keeping the match at 1-0.

Leon-Bedolla was given another chance however, as a foul in the box gave XF Academy their second PK of the first half. This time, Leon-Bedolla rifled a shot into the bottom left corner of the net, putting his team up 2-0.

Leon Bedolla then capped off his hat-trick in the 68th minute, giving XF Academy a 3-0 lead. Leon-Bedolla corralled a ball in the top of the box, weaved his way through multiple defenders as he worked his way to the center of the field, and then slipped a shot under the goalkeeper for hsi third goal of the match.

In the 80th minute, XF Academy iced the game when midfielder Trent Brown beat the LV Heat Surf goalkeeper short side. It was a strong game for XF Academy, one that puts the team in the driver’s seat in their bid for back-to-back titles.

“We proved today that if we work hard, we can get results,” Leon-Bedolla said. “All of the goals today were team goals. Each and every one of them worked hard to get me those goals, so it’s a credit to them. We’re trying to be defending champions, we want to go back-to-back, and at the end of the day, if we all work hard and work together, we can get there.”

An Early Test

NCFC Academy’s U15 team finished second in the Mid-Atlantic Conference and were placed in Group K, where their first match was against the defending champion XF Academy.

For the first few minutes, the two teams got comfortable playing against each other, but NCFC struck first just nine minutes into the match. With the ball down the right side of the pitch, NCFC Youth tossed a ball into the box, where midfielder Hayes Chase towered over everyone to flick a header to the back post for the score.

The two teams continued to trade chances following the initial NCFC Academy goal, with lots of midfield play and attempting to break down the opponent. In the 25th minute, NCFC Academy put a shot that rang off the crossbar, and then XF Academy had their best chance of the half, but a charging goalkeeper kept the ball out of the net.

It seemed NCFC Academy would head into the half up 1-0, but in the 38th minute, XF Academy committed a foul in the box, sending NCFC Youth to the spot. Defender Chase Tecarr stepped up and put his shot into the bottom left corner of the net to give his squad a 2-0 lead into the half.

Just minutes out of the break, XF Academy cut into NCFC Academy’s lead. Midfielder Nasir Yasin had the ball at the top of the box and blasted a shot into the right side netting to make it a 2-1 game.

Playing with confidence following their goal, XF Academy started to tilt the field in their favor, and it came to a head in the 63rd minute. Yasin broke through the NCFC Academy backline, catching a throughball and and went in on the goalkeeper alone. The goalkeeper came out of his net, and Yasin was able to get around him but lost control of the ball. He regained possession and put a shot on net, but by that time, Tecarr was able to block his shot and maintain NCFC Academy’s 2-1 lead.

Following the goalline clearance, NCFC Academy’s defense contained the XF Academy attack, refuting every attack that came their way. As the minutes ticked away, XF Academy pushed more and more forward looking for an equalizer, but at every attempt, NCFC Academy stood strong. When the final whistle blew, NCFC Academy had earned three very important points to start their playoffs.

“One of the biggest things we talked about with the boys is that it’s not possible to win a national championship on Day 1, but it is possible to lose it,” said NCFC Academy Coach Daniel Sellitti. “So to come away with three points, with an off day tomorrow, it’s beautiful. We feel like we’re a top contender in the ECNL and today’s effort is a total credit to the players. All the work throughout the year, to be able to remember those situations and pull through in big moments like that when they matter most, it’s huge.”

Day 1 U18/19 Scores

Tulsa SC defeats VDA 3-3(4-3)
La Roca FC defeats Seattle United 1-1(5-4)
Kansas Rush defeats NTH-NASA 3-1
Mustang SC defeats FC Dallas 3-2
NC Fusion defeats Rockford Raptors 3-1
El Paso Locomotive FC defeats Beach FC (CA) 2-1
Kansas City Athletics defeats FC Stars 4-0
Manhattan SC defeats Ft. Lauderdale United 1-0
Ohio Premier defeats Dallas Texans 0-0(4-3)
Legends FC defeats Concorde Fire Platinum 1-0
Tennessee SC defeats Pateadores 3-0
Florida Premier FC defeats Ohio Elite SA 4-1
Solar SC defeats Maryland United 1-0
Placer United defeats NCFC Academy 1-1(4-3)
XF Academy defeats LV Heat Surf 4-0
Oregon Premier FC defeats FC Wisconsin 1-1(4-2)

Champions League Round of 16

Tulsa SC vs. La Roca FC
Manhattan SC vs. Mustang SC
NC Fusion vs. El Paso Locomotive
Kansas City Athletics vs. Tennessee SC
Ohio Premier vs. Legends FC
Solar SC vs. Florida Premier FC
Kansas Rush vs. Oregon Premier
XF Academy vs. Placer United

North American Cup Round of 16

VDA vs. Seattle United
NTH-NASA vs. FC Wisconsin
Rockford Raptors vs. Beach FC (CA)
Pateadores vs. FC Stars
Ohio Elite SA vs. Maryland United
NCFC Academy vs. LV Heat Surf
FC Dallas vs. Ft. Lauderdale United
Dallas Texans vs. Concorde Fire Platinum