The boys kick off their Elite 64 Playoffs when several teams travel to Mesa, Ariz., to compete Nov. 10-13. Each age group features a champions pool, where teams will play in a tournament style to determine the event champion. In the 14U-19U age groups, teams in every pool are also playing for qualifying spots into the May 2024 National League P.R.O. event, where teams will compete to advance to the 2024 USYS National Championships.
While teams in the 13U age group will see a Playoff winner crowned, the Playoffs primarily serve as an introduction to national events and do not include advancement in the 13U age group.
Take a look at some of the teams, games and players to watch in the 14U-19U Boys age groups during the Elite 64 Playoffs in Arizona.
14U Boys
After finishing first in the Elite 64 Pacific standings last year, Laguna United 10 Elite 64 will be a team to watch in the champions pool at the Elite 64 Playoffs. Laguna’s goal difference exemplified its strong play on both ends of the field, and it has enjoyed another promising start to the early portion of this season in preparation for the Playoffs.
Powered by a high-scoring attack, El Paso Locomotive Academy Elite 64 10B was the lone unbeaten team in the Elite 64 South standings while finishing in first place last season. It could make a run at the champions pool title if it brings similar offensive play to Arizona. Similar sentiments can be applied to Sparta United Elite 64 10B, which boasted the most goals and highest goal difference in last season’s Elite 64 Desert group while going 11-1-1.
Another team to watch will be Strikers FC North B10 Elite 64. The third-place team in the Pacific standings last season, Strikers advanced to the semifinals of the Elite 64 National Finals — showing it can do well in a tournament format.
Day 1 Game to Watch
The Nov. 11 game between Strikers FC North B10 Elite 64 and Sparta United 10B Elite 64 will be a fun matchup that decides a berth to National League P.R.O. Both teams enjoyed great success in the 2022-23 season, and that has carried over to the early portions of this season. Strikers and Sparta have each picked up points in bunches in league play this season to remain near the top of their respective standings. Each team should have plenty of confidence entering this game.
ProScore Players to Watch
Video clips and descriptions provided by ProScore.
Andrew Fowler (Defender – Utah Soccer Alliance)
Fowler’s ability to press with intensity keeps opponents on their toes, often leading to turnovers in crucial areas. He also possesses strong passing skills, often initiating attacks and switching play seamlessly.
Video Highlight
Tyler Davis (Forward – East County Surf)
A dynamic presence on the field, Davis is capable of delivering quality crosses, while he also links up well with his teammates in the final third of the field.
Video Highlight
15U Boys
When looking at the 2022-23 season as a whole, Los Angeles Soccer Club 09B Elite 64 may have had the best resume of any team in this age group. LASC went unbeaten in the regular season while posting a 12-0-1 record in the Elite 64 Pacific, and it followed that by recording four straight clean sheets at the Elite 64 National Finals to claim the 2009B title. The team is back at it this season, as it prepares to play in the champions pool at the Elite 64 Playoffs after starting 8-0-1 in league play.
Sparta United 09B Elite 64 came close to matching LASC’s resume, as it posted an identical league record last season while finishing first in the Elite 64 Desert standings. Sparta will be another team to contend for the champions pool title in Arizona. The same can be said for EP Locomotive FC 09B Elite 64, which knocked off Sparta in the semifinals at last season’s National Finals. A similar performance this November in Arizona will make Locomotive a challenger for the champions pool title.
Utah Soccer Alliance Elite 64 09B was the other semifinalist in July’s National Finals, and it has continued its stellar play in the early portions of this season. USA’s 5-0-1 record has it currently in first place in the Elite 64 Northwest standings and ready to challenge at the Playoffs.
Day 1 Game to Watch
Utah Soccer Alliance 09B Elite 64 takes on Legends FC (CA) 09B Elite 64 on Nov. 11. While USA was among the semifinalist at last season’s National Finals, Legends FC sustained a narrow defeat in its Round of 16 game. It followed with two victories to wrap up a solid season that included a second-place showing in the Elite 64 Pacific standings. Like USA, Legends FC has also started strong in the current league season, and this game will decide which team secures a berth to National League P.R.O.
ProScore Players to Watch
Video clips and descriptions provided by ProScore.
Yaideen Rivera (Forward – CDA Slammers)
Rivera possesses impressive speed and a relentless work ethic, enabling him to regularly outmaneuver his adversaries and consistently penetrate defensive lines.
Video Highlight
Jase Dunbar (Forward – Los Angeles SC)
Dunbar’s blistering runs into the box often catch defenders off guard. His ability to shoot with both finesse and force earned him great rewards in October, when he scored against Empire Surf (hat-trick), CDA Slammers, CCV Stars and Laguna United.
Video Highlight
16U Boys
Several top performers in this age group from the 2022-23 regular season are set to compete in the Elite 64 Playoffs in Arizona. Among them is Sparta United 08B Elite 64, which won the Elite 64 Desert title during an unbeaten run last year — going 11-0-3.
The top two finishers in last season’s Elite 64 South standings are also set to play in the champions pool. EP Locomotive FC 08B Elite 64 finished first a season ago and is top of its league standings in the early portions of the 2023-24 campaign. Legends FC (TX) 08B Elite 64 is off to an equally strong start to this league season after it recorded a runner-up finish in the Elite South last year.
Last season’s Elite 64 Pacific winner — Strikers FC North B08 Elite 64 — will be another team to watch when play begins in Arizona. Strikers FC displayed an ability to secure hard-earned results, as it finished 10 points clear of the rest of the teams in the standings.
Day 1 Game to Watch
In the silver pool, there is an intriguing Nov. 10 matchup between Utah Soccer Alliance 08B Elite 64 and CCV Stars 08B Elite 64 to stay alive in the pursuit of a National League P.R.O. berth. USA has started its current season with several close games in the Elite 64 Northwest, where five of its six games have been decided by a goal or fewer. Meanwhile, CCV Stars are near the top of the Elite 64 Pacific standings off the strength of an unbeaten 4-0-2 start to its league season.
ProScore Players to Watch
Video clips and descriptions provided by ProScore.
Kash Witherell (Forward – CCV Stars)
Witherell is an exciting player who thrives in space on the wing. His impressive pace and dribbling is a nightmare for opponents, and he enters the event in good form having bagged a brace in a recent win over LASC.
Video Highlight
Nicholas Ware (Defender – Sparta United)
Ware is an impressive all-round defender. He’s physically strong and excels in the air, while he also possesses excellent composure on the ball and distributes well with a mixture of long and short passes.
Video Highlight
17U Boys
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see any of the teams in the champions pool walk away with the Elite 64 Playoffs title when play concludes in Arizona. EP Locomotive FC 07B Elite 64 can stake a claim to be a favorite to win it all after it finished in first place in the Elite 64 South standings last season.
Meanwhile, Laguna United 07 Elite 64 recorded the most points per game in the Elite 64 Pacific last season, while posting the group’s top goal differential. Strikers FC North B07 Elite 64 was right at the top of the Pacific with Laguna and showed its ability to string together strong performances.
Legends FC (TX) 07B Elite 64 and Sparta United 07B Elite 64 each finished second in their respective league standings last season, but both have posted strong records in the early going of Elite 64 action during the fall. If they can carry their good form into Arizona, they’ll be stiff challenges for any opponent.
Day 1 Game to Watch
On Nov. 10, Legends FC (CA) 07B Elite 64 and CCV Stars 07B Elite 64 face off in the silver pool. This will be the second time they face each other this fall, after CCV secured an exciting 5-3 win in their Oct. 1 Elite 64 Pacific matchup. That was a rare misstep for Legends, which used a busy early fall schedule to move near the top of the league standings with a 5-3-2 record. Meanwhile, CCV started 4-1-1 in league play — meaning both teams should be confident entering this key game.
ProScore Players to Watch
Video clips and descriptions provided by ProScore.
Diego Ramos (Goalkeeper – LASC)
An impressively agile shot-stopper, Ramos made the NL Orlando Best XI last season and has played an integral part in LASC’s strong start to this regular season campaign.
Video Highlight
Alexsay Nazaroff (Forward – Strikers FC North)
Nazaroff is a dynamic player whose strengths include exceptional link-up play and accurate shooting. His ability to read the game and create opportunities for his teammates, combined with close control and dribbling skills makes him a key player for Strikers FC North.
Video Highlight
19U Boys
There may be no other team across youth soccer that has been as successful as Sparta United 05/06B Elite 64 over the last 14 months, and the Utah side will look to continue its strong play at the Elite 64 Playoffs. Sparta finished first in the Elite 64 Desert standings last season before winning the Elite 64 National Finals. It didn’t stop there, as it claimed the USYS National Championship for the 17U Boys age group. Sparta can take a step toward defending that title if it can advance to National League P.R.O.
The team that Sparta met in the title game at last season’s Elite 64 National Finals — Laguna United 05/06 Elite 64 — will be another top contender this November in Arizona. Laguna went 13-1-0 to take first place in the Elite 64 Pacific standings in 2022-23, and it is off to an unbeaten start through six games this season.
Another pair of Pacific sides could challenge for the top spot in the Playoffs. Legends FC (CA) Elite 64 05/06B and Strikers FC North Elite 64 05/06B had nearly identical campaigns last season, as they finished tied for second place in the Elite 64 Pacific with the same goal differential. Strikers FC has shown the better recent form, as it has started 7-1-1 in league play this season.
Day 1 Game to Watch
A spot in National League P.R.O. will be on the line when Strikers FC North B06 Elite 64 takes on Legends FC (TX) 05/06B Elite 64 on Nov. 10. Both teams finished near the top of their respective groups during the Elite 64 regular season in 2022-23, and Strikers FC is off to a hot start this season. Legends FC has featured in several close games to begin its 2023-24 campaign — with three of its four games decided by one goal — and the Texas side will aim to turn that experience into wins when it heads to Arizona.
ProScore Players to Watch
Video clips and descriptions provided by ProScore.
Miller Hall (Midfielder – Utah Soccer Alliance)
A creative spark in an advanced role, Hall impressed at NL Mesa last season and will be looking for more direct goal contributions on his return to this venue. Look out for late runs into the box and shots from distance.
Video Highlight
Devin Dillon (Defender – Sparta United)
Dillon is an athletic LD who made both the Elite 64 Best XI and National Championships Best XI last season. Look out for his quality on set pieces and long-range passes. He bagged a regular season hat-trick against Northwest United in September.