Today we continue unveiling our latest update to TeamRank, the comprehensive ranking system for elite club soccer teams nationwide. Today we release the latest standings for U16, U17 and U18 Girls. Next week, we will update the younger age groups on the boys side. We will update our National Top 50 of each age group at least once per month.

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Perfection at KCFC U16

With the top three teams in ECNL’s Midwest Conference comprising half of the top 6 in Flight A standings, it’s almost a miracle that KCFC Fury has attained a perfect record (17-0-0) in conference play.  Couple that with their third place spot in Flight A competition, and it’s a no-brainer that they become our new #1.   KCFC has sat idle since February and have watched others slip in the Flight A standings, and the only roadblock before them now is to be in top form for the ECNL playoffs after a three month layoff for high school.

Slammers remain in the #2 spot this month after wrapping up their regular season at the PDA College Showcase.  The excellent Orange County squad was given a 3-1 reality check by Bethesda SC at the Showcase, but still has the best points-per-game average in the ECNL heading into the postseason.

Lonestar ECNL and PDA climb into the top five at third and fifth, respectively, while MVLA Lightning remains our fourth ranked team and is the only U16 squad in the top five currently not in ECNL competition.  The Northern California club has been accepted into the ECNL for the 2012-13 season.

CASL undefeated at U17

With almost an identical scenario in the U17 age group, CASL earns the top spot this month with an unbeaten record (13-0-4) in ECNL Southeast Conference play, second place in Flight A standings with only one loss on the season, and no games in the bag since February 26. CASL, like KCFC’s U16s, will also have to shake the cobwebs when they begin play at the National Finals on June 24^th.

Eclipse Select ECNL improves from sixth to second in this month’s update. Even with losses to Minnesota Thunder and Real So Cal since resuming play at the PDA Showcase two weeks ago, Eclipse retains the best points-per-game average in Flight A and is likely to receive the overall top seed for the National Finals.

Legends FC Breakaway booked a spot at the US Youth Soccer National Championships with their finish in the USYS National League, but threw in a title at the Cal South National Cup (State Cup) to boost their resume and remain at #3. Dallas Sting ECNL vaults itself into the 5^th overall spot with an undefeated record in the month of May, while Scorpions SC of the Boston area remains at #4.

Steady Eddie in U18

Four of the top five positions in our rankings remain unchanged in this month’s update. 

Dallas Texans ECNL finally showed they were human and lost their first match of the season to in-town rival Solar on May 15^th, but came back to beat them with the same 2-1 score five days later.  With two games remaining before the National Finals begin, the Texans keep our #1 ranking and are likely to enter the tournament with the overall top seed.

#2 FC Penn Strikers recently won the Region I Premier League Championship, and #3 SC Del Sol and #4 Michigan Hawks are hanging tough in ECNL play heading into the National Finals.  The Hawks have concluded their regular season, while SC Del Sol has completed Flight A play, with one conference game remaining.

Colorado Rush regains the fifth spot in our rankings with a third overall standing in ECNL’s National Flight A.  The Rush have three games remaining in the regular season, and finish play this weekend with a home stand against conference foes Utah Avalanche and Colorado Storm.

 

Next Thursday: U13, U14, and U15 Boys

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.