By OkayGoal 
With summer comes sunny soccer tournaments. Teams in the ECNL and Girls Academy have had a busy season with lots more to look forward to. Let’s take a look at some of the hottest news in the ECNL and GA.
ECNL U18/U19 National Champions: Slammers FC HB Køge 2007
The 2025 ECNL U18/19 National Championship took place at Surf Cup Sports Park in San Diego earlier this month with the country’s top U18/U19 teams dueling for this year’s title.
Slammers FC, HB Køge, and Penn Fusion SA were the last two teams standing. With Ayva Jordan’s brace, Slammers ended with the championship in their hands. It is safe to say that this Slammers team has been a powerhouse in the ECNL, as they’ve won the title twice in the last three years.
Four other squads in the U16/U17 brackets also secured national titles:
- U17 North American Cup: DKSC
- U16 North American Cup: Gretna Elite Academy
- U17 Showcase Cup A: Washington Premier
- U16 Showcase Cup A: Marin FC
A lot of these games were close, and some even came down to penalty kicks, leaving fans excited to see how the other age groups play out.
ECNL Regional League Finals
This year, the tournament took place in Richmond, VA, from July 12 to July 15. Forty teams ranging from U13 to U17 competed for the championship.
Check out the road to the final and each age group’s winner with the tournament’s bracket!
Spotlight Games
As for U14 players, something they have to look forward to is the upcoming spotlight games. Beginning this fall and continuing into next spring, top U14 players will have the opportunity to showcase their skills under the bright lights.
Not only will players need to be prepared for wide-eyed scouts, but also media attention like no other. A “live-stream broadcast and stadium” environment is to be expected, which increases talent exposure yet may heighten the nerves of the young players.
Nevertheless, players should be excited as these spotlight games are an amazing opportunity to make their names known in the US Club Soccer’s id2 Program.
GA Finals
The U14-U17 GA Finals are underway with tons to look out for. With 32 teams now entering the quarterfinals, the nitty-gritty part of the tournament has just begun.
Some powerhouse clubs include NEFC, Michigan Jaguars, and Galaxy SC (IL). These organizations each have a team in three different age groups.
The U13 and U19 finals took place earlier this summer. The crowned winners were FC United (U13) and Wasatch SC (U19).
Image via @ecnlgirls
_
GIRLS SOCCER NETWORK: YOUR SOURCE FOR GIRLS SOCCER NEWS