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Denver, CO- The 2022 NPL Finals wrapped up Monday afternoon after five days of competition at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park in Denver, Colorado. Eleven teams have won the Premier League domestic championships, joining the top flight in the NPL record books.
Qualifying for the NPL Finals is an accomplishment in itself, but for the teams that qualify for this tournament, there is no complacency. A total of 104 teams representing 18 NPL member leagues across the country were challenged by new opponents and styles of play, the summer heat and the pressure of NPL titles.
- Tournament HQ: Watch all matches from the semi-finals and the championship, and view commemorative graphics
The NPL Boys West Qualifiers, held at the same venue two weeks ago, proved to be valuable preparation, as the eight champions and runners-up from the U-14 to U-17 age groups to the finals of the NPL qualified from the NPL West playoffs. The boys’ U-19 age group has only played one play-off stage this year, and a South East-based side won: Tennessee United SC (South Atlantic Premier League).
“For most teams competing in the 2022 NPL Finals, it’s their World Cup. It’s the most exciting event they’ll have all year, and they’ve been working hard all the year to get there, said Leo Garcia, vice president of competitions for the American Football Club and general manager of the NPL. “Being able to see other styles of play, see competition that they’ve never seen… it’s really important for us to provide that platform where they go from local competition to a national stage.
AGE GROUP U-13
GIRLS: Las Vegas Surf SC (SOCAL Discovery NPL) 1, Chicago Rush SC (NISL Division NPL) 0
Both teams have allowed only one goal each in all of their NPL finals. Las Vegas Surf SC beat Chicago Rush SC, 1-0, with another solid defensive effort. “It’s our inaugural year for the club, and winning a trophy like this is just a huge achievement for the girls and the club,” said Las Vegas Surf Coach Boris Gujic.
There was no U-13 men’s division in the NPL Finals. Two teams triumphed in the East and West playoffs and are considered this year’s East and West U-13 champions, respectively: Florida Elite Soccer Academy (Florida NPL) and Strikers FC (SOCAL Discovery NPL).
AGE GROUP U-14
GIRLS: Stanislaus United SC (NorCal NPL Division) 6, Bloomingdale FC (NISL NPL Division) 1
Stanislaus United SC’s wins throughout the NPL Finals seemed to get bigger and bigger as the tournament progressed. The NorCal NPL representative made it through to the Round of 16 and won their semi-final match, 4-0, and their title match, 6-1. “It means a lot to us because we’re a small club from a small area of California, so it’s really cool to represent Northern California,” said Stanislaus United SC player Valeria Alcala.
BOYS: SoCal Elite FC (SOCAL Discovery NPL) 1, Addison United SC (NISL Division NPL) 0
These two teams had already met before in the group stage, three days before the rematch of the championship. SoCal Elite FC won that game, 3-1, and then picked up another win over the Illinois-based club for the NPL title. “Winning is definitely great – it’s a massive experience for us – but even the difficulties we’ve faced here in games, it’s all really bonded us, so it’s something we’ll cherish for a long time,” said David Oh, executive director of SoCal Elite FC.
AGE GROUP U-15
GIRLS: Aztec Soccer (New Impact Impact NPL) 3, Spartans FC (Southwest NPL) 0
The U-15 women’s division was among the most competitive in the tournament with four teams winning all three group stage matches. These four qualified for the semi-finals and Aztec Soccer increased the attacking intensity, scoring seven goals in the last two games to win the title. “Our team worked so hard last year,” said Aztec soccer player Molly Vana. “Now we’re here and we’ve won the national championship, so it’s just a feeling that can’t be replaced.”
BOYS: Houstonians FC (United Soccer Clubs) 2, Utah Surf (Yellowstone Premier League) 0
Both championship contenders have endured a tough road into Monday’s game. Second-placed Utah Surf tied two group stage games and beat Houstonians FC 3-2 on Friday. The Texas-based club would get their revenge in the title match, however. “All week we’ve been talking about history and being part of history… Always remembering,” says Victor Maysonet, coach of Houstonians FC. “Any obstacle that comes their way, they can overcome.”
AGE GROUP U-16
GIRLS: Metasport FC (Yellowstone Premier League) 3, Minnesota Thunder Academy (Minnesota NPL) 2
Metasport FC and Minnesota Thunder Academy have played in the NPL Finals twice: on opening day and on championship day. Both times, Metasport FC won 3-2. “We were finalists last year in another national tournament, so we’ve been looking forward to this moment for about a year,” said Metasport FC Britain technical director Thomas. “They worked hard and they deserved it. This one is very sweet.
BOYS: 1974 Newark FC (NorCal Division NPL) 3, Total Futbol Academy (SOCAL Discovery NPL) 1
The men’s U-16 division was hotly contested, with no team winning all of their games and every team equalizing at least once during the group stage. The title match was a NorCal game against SoCal, which had already been played on Friday in a 2-2 draw. In the championship game, however, Team NorCal prevailed. “We weren’t even an NPL club until two years ago, and now we’re here and competing nationally,” said Ryan Medrano, coach of Newark FC in 1974. “A volunteer club and volunteer coaches come from working hard in a community that loves their football. It was amazing.
AGE GROUP U-17
GIRLS: North FC (Great Lakes Alliance NPL Division) 1, Blue Knights SC (Yellowstone Premier League) 0
North FC and Blue Knights SC were the only sides in the 12-team group to win all three group stage matches, with differentials of 9 and 10 goals, respectively, in the round of 16. In the semi-finals, North FC beat Spartans FC, 3-2, and Blue Knights SC beat St. Croix Academy on penalties. North FC scored early in the first half of the title game and managed to hold on to victory. “It was just a style of play. We knew it was going to be hot. We knew the altitude was going to be tough. says Joe Jovanovski, coach of FC Nord. “We have a lot of technical players so we wanted to move the ball around and tire the other teams. I thought as the weekend went on and we got into the semi-finals we really started to open up and improve more and more.
BOYS: Wenatchee FC (Washington Premier League) 5, Steel United CA (SOCAL Discovery NPL) 1
This bracket of four of the last NPL East/West playoffs was reduced to the two West representatives on Monday. Three days earlier, Wenatchee FC beat Steel United CA in a group stage match, 5-3. “For the boys who have just come together and represented the Valley and Washington State extremely well…they absolutely deserve all of this recognition,” says Neil Oystondirector of training for Wenatchee FC.
AGE GROUP U-19
GIRLS: Los Angeles SC (SOCAL Discovery NPL) 4, St. Louis Development Academy (Central States NPL) 2
Los Angeles SC had both big wins and close wins throughout the tournament, but the end result was the same: wins. “I’ve been coaching for 28 years, and we have over 100 championships in the league but never a national title, so it’s important for me personally, for the girls and for the club,” says Esteban Chávez, director of coaching for Los Angeles SC. “We are a young club and to already have a national title is great for the club.”
BOYS: Tennessee United SC (South Atlantic Premier League) 1 [6]Chicago Sockers FC (NISL NPL Division) 1 [5]
The boys U-19 age group did not participate in any of the NPL playoff events two weeks before the final, as the older age group is a one-stage post-season. Thus, 14 teams from coast to coast faced off in Colorado for the title. Tennessee United SC and Sockers FC Chicago were the only teams to win every game in the group stage. Tennessee United eliminated Pateadores SC (SOCAL Discovery NPL) in the semi-finals and then edged out Sockers FC in the championship match. The score was 1-1 after regular time and extra time, and in the end Tennessee United converted six shots on goal against Sockers FC’s five. “Adversity has been the theme for our club all year. We just push through everything,” said Tennessee United SC player Hayden Vonlobstein. “And for a few boys from Tennessee to come and beat some of the best teams in the country… nobody really gave us a chance when we came here, and now look at us, we’ve won it all, so it’s surreal.”
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A total of 12 NPL member leagues were represented on the final day, and eight were found to be the local hosts of the 2022 National Premier League champions: SOCAL Discovery NPL (3), NorCal NPL Division (2), Great Lakes Alliance (1), New England Impact NPL (1), South Atlantic Premier League (1), United Soccer Clubs (1), Washington Premier League (1) and Yellowstone Premier League (1).
On the opening day of the NPL Finals, US Club Soccer unveiled a new look and dedication to the mission of the NPL. See the new logo on usclubsoccer.org/npl, which will be officially implemented in the 2022-23 season. The NPL’s vision is to serve youth soccer by forming and collaborating with leagues, embracing the Players First philosophy, and supporting US Club Soccer’s mission to foster club development.