ECNL Boys Playoffs 2026: Day 2 Recap from San Diego

The ECNL Boys Playoffs continued Friday in San Diego with another full slate of games. Continue reading for a rundown of some of the top matchups from Day 2.

At The Death

XF Academy began its U13 title defense, facing off against the Georgia-based GSA on Friday morning for the first game of Group F in the U14 age group.

For the first 65 minutes of the match, XF Academy and GSA played each other evenly, with strong defensive play limiting each other’s scoring chances. The two teams played strong in the midfield, limiting progressions into the attacking third and maintaining possession as much as possible. But it wasn’t until a foul about 30 yards out from the box did someone break through.

GSA forced a turnover on the right side of the pitch and raced into the attacking third before being fouled a good distance from goal. Forward Jason Hernandez took the free kick and placed a shot just over the XF Academy’s diving goalkeeper and into the top right corner of the net to give GSA a 1-0 lead.

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

It appeared GSA was going to walk away with three points, but XF Academy made one last push in the game’s final minute. XF Academy had a throw-in on the left side, and after winning a 50-50 ball, sent a pass into the middle of the field. XF Academy ripped a shot low across the grain, beating the keeper to draw even at 1-1.

With the final whistle, the two sides shared a point in the group, setting up an exciting finish to the group in the quest for a knockout round berth.

Thunder and Lightning

Florida Premier’s U17 team kicked off their campaign to be back-to-back champions Thursday with a 1-0 win against South Carolina Surf, and then faced off against PacNW Friday morning aiming to solidify a spot in the knockout round. PacNW turned out to be a scrappy opponent, one that really tested Florida Premier in their second group stage contest.

From the opening whistle, PacNW tested the Florida Premier backline, forcing smart clearances and strong goalkeeping. And in the 12th minute, PacNW took an early 1-0 lead. Controlling possession early on, PacNW carried the ball down the right side of the pitch before seizing an opportunity to break through the backline in the middle of the field. Drawing the Florida Premier defense over, PacNW sent a cross to the left side of the box. A one-timed shot bounced off the goalkeeper’s hand and into the net, giving the Washington squad a 1-0 lead.

Ten minutes later, Florida Premier answered to tie the game at 1-1. Florida Premier forced a turnover in the attacking third, and immediately sent numbers forward for a counter attack. Midfielder Dylan Starkey slipped a pass to forward Tomas Garcia at the top of the box, who sent a rocket into the top right corner for the score.

Following the goal, both teams looked to find a go-ahead goal, but the first half ended with a 1-1 score.

Midway through the second half, Florida Premier had their best opportunity to pull ahead when a give and go led to midfielder Daniel Barrios putting a shot just to the outside of the top right corner, keeping the game level.

A header over the bar in the 86th minute was the last chance for Florida Premier to find a winner, and multiple chances by PacNW throughout the half were extinguished without much incident and at the final whistle, the two clubs shared points.

Day 2 U18/19 Scores

Champions League Round of 16

Tulsa SC defeats La Roca FC 1-1 (4-2)
Mustang SC defeats Manhattan SC 3-0
El Paso Locomotive defeats NC Fusion 5-2
Tennessee SC defeats Kansas City Athletics 5-2
Legends FC defeats Ohio Premier 2-1
Solar SC defeats Florida Premier FC 3-3 (7-6)
Kansas Rush defeats Oregon Premier 3-1
XF Academy defeats Placer United 5-0

Champions League Quarterfinal Matchups

Tennessee SC vs. Tulsa SC
Solar SC vs. XF Academy
Kansas Rush vs. Mustang SC
El Paso Locomotive vs. Legends FC

North American Cup Round of 16

VDA defeats Seattle United 1-1 (4-3)
NTH-NASA defeats FC Wisconsin 4-1
Rockford Raptors defeats Beach FC (CA) 4-1
FC Stars defeats Pateadores 1-1 (4-1)
Maryland United defeats Ohio Elite SA 0-0 (4-2)
LV Heat Surf defeats NCFC Academy 3-1
FC Dallas defeats Ft. Lauderdale United 1-1 (4-2)
Dallas Texans defeats Concorde Fire Platinum 1-0

North American Cup Quarterfinals

FC Stars vs. VDA
Maryland United vs. LV Heat Surf
NTH-NASA vs. FC Dallas
Rockford Raptors vs. Dallas Texans