BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Dec. 11, 2011) – After four days of play, our WAZA FC EAST  Under-16, and 18 Boys  have solidified their spots in the US Youth Soccer National League standings until they meet again Feb. 18-20 in Weston ( U18 Boys) or March 23-25 in Las Vegas (U16 Boys) where they will continue competing for a ticket to the 2012 US Youth Soccer National Championships

Our U16 Boys and U18 boys had the same record with 1 win, 1 draw and 2 losses which is a good result after only 4 weeks in training against the top teams in the nation.

Here is what some other National League coaches had to say about this league.

The National League brings together some of the best teams in the country, all of which have had to earn their place in the league through success in US Youth Soccer regional and national competition. 
“These are some of the best teams in the country, that’s why we come here. We come all the way from Arizona to Birmingham, Ala., and we wouldn’t make the trip if the competition wasn’t going to be the top level. That’s what we look for and that’s what we’re getting. Everyone has to qualify, whether it’s through your Regional League, the National Championship Series or last year’s National League. It’s a proving ground for us to showcase ourselves and you know you belong here and so do the other teams,” said Adam Burke, coach of the U-16 Scottsdale 96 Blackhawks (AZ

“It’s the competition. It’s the level of players that are here and we get pushed every day, and you get things here you can’t get other places.”

Cincinnati United Premier (CUP) Crew Juniors. Under-16 coach Terry Nicholl describes why competing in the league is so valuable to his club.

“I love this league. We’re sure to see unbelievable opponents who are going to be quick, fast, can play and are tough. So we absolutely love this league.”

“There’s no luck involved in being here, it’s real devotion to the game. The only way to get in here is when you’ve earned it, it’s really top notch (competition). We know the (U.S. Soccer Development) Academy has some strong teams, but if your team isn’t in the Academy, you need to be here playing in this league.”

“These players out here are all very, very serious soccer players. These are players who want to go on and play in college, and so if you want to go on and play in college, this is the league you need to be playing in. National League is the number one focus for our teams now.”

The opportunity to face proven teams each and every game is what sets the National League apart from other competitions, but it’s the ambition of the players that drives teams to want to qualify for the league.

this is a real fertile ground for developing attributes so that they can go play professionally, and all of these guys would like to go play in college as well, so the competition and playing against different styles of play from around the country is another very important aspect of this,” said Brett Colton, coach of U-17 AC Bethesda (MD), who is back competing in the National League for the second straight season.

National League teams are club soccer teams with an individual proven track record of success, regardless of hometown or club affiliation. Close to 300 collegiate, professional and National Team coaches attended this weekend’s National League games to scout some of the top teams and players in the country, citing the competitive level of each game as every team has to earn their spot in the competition.