Seven Teams Qualify for S20 Finals

Super-20 League Feature

Monday, July 2, 2012

Four men’s teams and three women’s teams clinched bids for the 2012 Super-20 League North American Finals this past weekend, becoming the first to punch their tickets for Bradenton, Florida.

Tampa Bay United of the Southeast Division, Chicago Fire of the Midwest Division, and Alamo SC San Antonio and the Laredo Heat of the Mid South Division all earned invites for the men’s tournament, while TSF Academy and Reading United AC of the Mid Atlantic Division and Triangle FC of the South Atlantic Division clinched their spots in the women’s finals. The North American Finals, being held at the world-class facilities of IMG Academy July 19-22, will host a total of 16 men’s teams and eight women’s teams.

The world’s largest and most advanced multi-sport training and education complex, IMG Academy has already hosted a myriad of soccer team training camps in 2012, including clubs such as the Seattle Sounders, D.C. United, Columbus Crew, Sweden’s Malmö FF, as well as the U.S. Women’s National Team preparing for the London Olympic Games and the Antigua & Barbuda Men’s National Team preparing for World Cup qualifying.

The 2012 Super-20 North American Finals will serve as an important player identification event for the PDL and W-League, as well as for U.S. National Teams. PDL and W-League coaches will be in attendance to scout talent, along with USL National Technical Director Peter Mellor, a longtime USSF Staff Coach.

Tampa Bay United still has one game remaining but clinched the Southeast Division crown with a 1-0 win against Orlando City’s U20s on Sunday. After losing its first game of the season to the VSI Tampa Flames, Tampa Bay won the remainder of its games to ensure its spot in the Finals with 24 out of a possible 27 points. United’s last game is away to IMG Sunday, a tune-up at the same facilities which the tournament will be held.

The Chicago Fire has not clinched the division crown, but the club will be one of three from the Midwest in Bradenton later this month. Despite losing 2-0 to Crew Juniors in the Fire’s last game of the season on Sunday, the Chicago club has enough points to finish at least third in the division. Only Waza FC and Crew Juniors can usurp the Fire at the top of the table.

The two teams atop the Mid South Division’s Group A are guaranteed bids to the Finals, based on the amount of games played and points taken from each game. Alamo SC San Antonio took 13 points in six games and Laredo has taken 12 points from five games, with the Heat’s last game being played tonight. Because teams in Group A play two games less than teams in Group B, Alamo SC and San Antonio will have a better points-to-game ratio than a possible second place team in Group B. The third spot, given to the winner of Group B, is between Texas Football Club and the Austin Aztex, who play each other on the last day of the season to determine the winner.

TSF Academy’s women’s team cannot be passed by Parsippany SC in the Mid Atlantic Division’s Group A, meaning it is one of the three teams advancing from the division. TSF has a game Saturday, but already has a table-topping 13 points from six games. In Group B, Reading United AC has clinched the second spot, also with 13 points from six games and one remaining, as only DC United can earn more points. The third spot will be down to DC and City Islanders Academy. The City Islanders have two games remaining and can possibly be level on points with DC United at the end of the season.

Triangle FC has one game remaining, but with 25 points from nine games, the reigning women’s champion has clinched one of two spots from the South Atlantic Division. If Triangle get at least one point against NC Fusion in the last game of the season, it would win the division.