Soccer Academy U-17 Boys earn spot at National Cup X

Darlington School Soccer Academy’s U-17 Boys were among six teams earning the first Regional championships of the National Cup X, U.S. Club Soccer’s signature national championship competition, as the Atlanta Regional came to a close Sunday afternoon. Winners of each of the 12 Regional championships will compete for the chance to be termed U.S. Club National Champion.

Leading the way with a pair of titles was Atlanta Fire United, which claimed championships in the boys' U-13 and girls' U-17 divisions. Winners in the U-13 through U-17 age groups at the Atlanta Regional earned invitations to the National Cup X Finals, to be played in July 2011.

In boys’ U-11 action, Georgia Express United knocked off Atlanta Fire United U-11 Gold 1-0 on Sunday to secure the Regional title. Georgia Express had entered the day one point behind Atlanta Fire after a win and a loss on Saturday.

A pair of wins on Sunday for the Concorde Fire Elite boys' U-14 squad propelled the team to the Regional championship. Concorde Fire finished the competition with a perfect 3-0-0 record.

After entering Sunday's action in a three-way tie for first place, South Carolina United ’94 Elite knocked off its two closest rivals on Sunday to earn the boys' U-16 crown.

In the boys' U-17 division, Darlington School Soccer Academy posted a perfect 3-0-0 record to claim the division title.

Boys' Director Jeff Haigler said this win is a big step for the Soccer Academy and the boys' program in particular. "Our players have been working hard every day in training and it is extremely rewarding for them to experience success in competition," he said. "The U-17 Boys are excited to begin preparing for the national championships in July.”

Chad Liddle, director of Darlington School Soccer Academy, said this group of U-17 Boys is proving to be the most talented group of players in the program’s history and he looks forward to seeing them compete for national recognition this summer.

"To win a national championship has been a goal for our program since we launched the Soccer Academy seven years ago," Liddle said. "Our players and coaches are working hard each and every day to build a program that has a proven track record of placing our players at top college and professional soccer programs around the country. To date, we have two players playing professional soccer and almost 50 players that have been placed in NCAA Division I soccer programs." 

National Cup X Regionals are open to U-11 through U-18/19 boys’ and girls’ teams, and two competitive divisions are available. Winners in the U-13 through U-17 age groups from each of the Regionals advance to the National Cup X Finals, where national championships are awarded in two competitive divisions. This year’s national championship tournament will be held July 28-31 in Virginia Beach, Va.