ECNL Boys U18/19 National Championship: Legends FC vs. Tulsa SC
An entire season's work comes down to this one match.
Wednesday morning, Legends FC and Tulsa SC will meet at Surf Sports Complex to battle it out for the ECNL Boys U18/19 National Championship.
Last season, Legends FC won the club's first ever boys championship when their U15s won, and Tulsa SC has yet to win an ECNL Boys national championship. Playing in uncharted territory, both clubs have certainly proven themselves ready for the task.
Legends FC finished third in the Southwest Conference with a 15-3-6 record and 51 points, just one point shy of first place. But Legends FC is no stranger to big matches, as the club participated in the West Coast Super Cup and the ECNL Boys National Super Cup, where they made it to the championship matches both times, ultimately falling to XF Academy in both games.
While at the ECNL Boys National Playoffs, the road has not been easy. In each of the team's first three matches, Legends FC only won by a single goal, playing tight affairs each match. They opened the playoffs with a 1-0 win against Concorde Fire Platinum – who the club also beat in the ECNL Boys National Super Cup Semifinals – and then powered past Ohio Premier by a score of 2-1 in the Round of 16. In the Quarterfinals, Legends FC got a late game-winner to advance against a very talented El Paso Locomotive squad.
In their semifinal match, Legends FC put in a clinical performance against Kansas Rush, who came into the match looking to earn the club's first ECNL National Championship berth after the team won back-to-back ECNL Regional League Boys National Championships in the U16 and U17 age groups. Legends FC counterattacked extremely effectively in the first half, scoring two goals in transition, and then locked down possession in the second half to close out a strong 2-0 victory.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the match, Tulsa SC heads into the ECNL Boys U18/19 National Championship match with an equally impressive resume.
Tulsa SC placed fourth in the Texas Conference with a 13-3-3 record, good for 42 points, just four points behind first place. The team had only played two league games since January, however, allowing most of the players to be fresh and ready to roll at the ECNL Boys National Playoffs.
In San Diego, Tulsa SC opened its run to the championship match with incredibly tight margins, as its first two matches required penalties for advancement. The club's Round of 32 match was a 3-3(4-2) win against VDA, and then they followed it up with a 1-1(4-2) victory versus La Roca FC. Tulsa SC then once again played a close match in the Round of 16 against Tennessee SC, earning a 2-1 win.
Waiting for them in the semifinal match was conference foe Solar SC Academy, who in the regular season defeated Tulsa SC 5-1 and had a goal differential nearly double that of Tulsa. But regular season play goes out the window once you make Playoffs.
In that semifinal match, Tulsa SC took an early 1-0 lead, and then doubled their lead in the second half to make it a 2-0 contest, the first time at San Diego either Tulsa SC or their opponent had a multi-goal lead. Armed with that cushion, Tulsa SC controlled much of the match. Solar SC Academy pulled within one in stoppage time, but at the final whistle, Tulsa SC earned their revenge from their regular season loss with a 2-1 victory in a spot in the National Championship match.
For many of these players, Wednesday morning's game is not just a chance to raise a trophy and reach the pinnacle of the sport, but it also could be their last with college calling next month. What that creates is the highest of stakes, with the greatest of rewards possible.
Kickoff for the ECNL Boys U18/19 National Championship is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. PT, and can be streamed here.
U17 Quarterfinals
Slammers FC vs. LVU Rush
World Class FC vs. Solar SC Academy
Ohio Premier vs. Utah Avalanche
Beach FC (CA) vs. West Coast FC
U17 Round of 16 Scores
Slammers FC def. Arlington Soccer 1-1(4-1)
LVU Rush def. XF Academy 1-0
World Class FC def. FC Dallas Red 1-1(4-3)
Solar SC Academy def. NCFC Youth Academy 3-2
Ohio Premier def. Penn Fusion SA 0-0(3-2)
Utah Avalanche def. LAFC So Cal 4-2
Beach FC (CA) def. Rockford Raptors 3-3(6-5)
West Coast FC def. Florida Premier FC 2-2(6-5)
U16 Quarterfinals
XF Academy vs. DKSC
Pateadores vs. Oregon Premier FC
Concorde Fire Platinum vs. Rebels SC
Dallas Texans Academy vs. San Diego Surf
U16 Round of 16 Scores
XF Academy def. Beach FC (CA) 4-0
DKSC def. Albion Hurricanes FC 5-1
Pateadores def. Oklahoma Energy FC 2-1
Oregon Premier FC def. Cleveland Force SC 1-0
Concorde Fire Platinum def. Pipeline SC 3-1
Rebels SC def. Kansas City Athletics 2-1
Dallas Texans Academy def. Davis Legacy 2-0
San Diego Surf def. Florida Premier FC 1-0
U15 Quarterfinals
Concorde Fire Platinum vs. VDA
Richmond United vs. Real Colorado Academy
FC Dallas Red vs. Solar SC Academy
SDSC Surf vs. NCFC Youth Academy
U15 Round of 16 Scores
Concorde Fire Platinum def. Dallas Texans Academy 4-1
VDA def. STA 1-1(4-3)
Richmond United def. Pateadores 2-0
Real Colorado Academy def. LV Heat Surf 3-2
FC Dallas Red def. CESA Triumph 2-1
Solar SC Academy def. Eastside FC 2-2(4-2)
SDSC Surf def. Seattle United 1-0
NCFC Youth Academy def. Oklahoma Energy FC 1-0
For a full look at the ECNL Boys National Playoffs, including scores, schedules and more, click here.
