Today we unveil our latest update to Grande Sports Academy TeamRank, the comprehensive ranking system for elite club soccer teams nationwide, releasing the latest standings for U16, U17 and U18 Boys. Next week, we will update the older age groups on the Girls side. We will update our National Top 25 for each age group at least once per month.

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Top five changes at U16

New York Red Bulls suffered its first loss of the season on April 19, a 3-1 defeat at the hands of No. 12 New England Revolution, but retains the best record in the Development Academy and keeps the top ranking in the Grande Sports Academy TeamRank Top 25. As for changes to the top five, Philadelphia Union continues its unbeaten streak in the spring season and climbs to No. 2, while BW Gottschee still leads the northeast division, and with just two losses on the season climbs into the top 5 at No. 5.

Georgia United leaps seven spots to No. 14 with this update after amassing a 4-0-1 record in the month of April and moving into the second spot in the southeast division. IMG Academy 150 Class of 2017 standout Patrick Okonkwo upped his total to 22 goals on the season, and provided the Atlanta-based squad’s only goal in a 1-1 draw against No. 13 Capital Area Railhawks-CASL on April 11, pushing Georgia United ahead of CASL in the division.

MORE:  IMG Academy 150 rankings | Dallas Cup coverage | Commitments

Post National League play at U17

Santa Barbara SC White hasn’t quit since qualifying for the USYS national championship in March, and ticks up a notch to No. 2 as a result. Rudy Ybarra’s squad spent the last month finishing first in the California Regional League’s Cal-S division, which provides an automatic berth to the Region IV Championships in Idaho in June, and is currently in the round of 16 in CalSouth National Cup play, having run through the preliminary rounds without conceding a single goal.

Also climbing in the post-NL season is FC Dallas Youth Premier, which moves from No. 6 to No. 4 after taking home a prestigious Dallas Cup crown over some pretty formidable competition, including No. 11 West Coast FC Kirsch and No. 16 FC Golden State Platinum. FC Dallas is now in the midst of state cup play as well, and like Santa Barbara, has yet to concede a goal.

Real Salt Lake AZ back to No. 1 at U18

With New York Red Bulls’ second loss of the season (a 2-4 contest against No. 12 PDA) knocking it from the top spot, RSL returns to No. 1. TopDrawerSoccer reported in early April that RSL was just one goal shy of the goals in a single season record set by NYRB several years ago, and since then has scored 33 times, setting the bar ridiculously high for any Development Academy team to reach in this season or in years to come. And with five regular season matches remaining, the production of Damian German, Brooks Lennon, Jose Hernandez (each already with over 20 goals) and others may even top 150 before the end of the postseason. With the addition of a stout defense that still has conceded just 29 goals, only time will tell if any team can keep RSL from a national title.

Next Thursday: U16, U17, and U18 Girls

Grande Sports Academy TeamRank is the comprehensive team-ranking system devised by TopDrawerSoccer.com to provide an objective and common-sense approach to determining which elite youth soccer teams are the best in the nation.

The rankings, updated monthly, are primarily results-based, with a nod toward the league and championship competitions that emulate how excellence is determined in leading soccer nations around the world.

Tournaments are also included but at a reduced value due to the many mitigating factors involving such events, including attrition and guest players.

A final layer of executive evaluation is provided to account for variables that often impact results, thus ensuring that the monthly lists are not subjective, but are not purely mechanical.