Contributed byUS Youth Soccer

The Under 18 Boys NECSA Ambush Team Photo contributed by US Youth Soccer

By winning the recent US Youth Soccer SC Championship, the under 18 Boys NECSA Ambush have qualified to compete in the US Youth Soccer Region III (South Regional) Championships.

The NECSA Ambush will be among the more than 184 top boys and girls US Youth Soccer teams from 12 state associations competing for the Regional title, June 29-July 5, 2006, at the US Youth Soccer Region III Championships at Burns Park in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Daily reports and complete results from the tournament will be available on www.US YouthSoccer.org www.uusysyouthssoccer.org/or Championships.US YouthSoccer.org, the online home to the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series.

The US Youth Soccer South Regional Championships, which will feature top teams in the under 14 through under 19 age groups, begins on Thursday, June 29 with opening ceremonies. Preliminary games will be played Friday, June 30 through Sunday, July 1.

Quarterfinal matches will be played Monday, July 3 with semifinal matches on Tuesday, July 4. The US Youth Soccer Southern Regional Champions will be crowned following final games on Wednesday, July 5.

US Youth Soccer State Cup champions and select runners-up from 12 state associations including host Arkansas Youth Soccer Association will participate. The other state associations represented are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, North Texas, South Texas, and Tennessee.

Regional winners of the under 14 through under 19 brackets earn a berth to the 2006 US Youth Soccer National Championships to be played July 25-30, in Des Monies, Iowa, at the James W. Cownie Soccer Park.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the under 16 boys D.J. Niotis Cup and 15th Anniversary of the under 17 girls Laura Moynihan Cup.

The James P. McGuire Cup is the oldest trophy in youth sport dating back to 1935 with the inaugural youth championships. The under 19 boys age group as the National Champion will hoist the McGuire Cup. This is the 71st anniversary of the oldest trophy in youth sport.

The U.S. Soccer Federation initiated youth championships with the James P. McGuire Cup (under 19 boys) in 1935. Since its creation in 1974, US Youth Soccer has added 11 divisions to the National Championship tournament, most recently with the under 14 and under 15 Boys and Girls divisions in 2001 to create the series current format.

Following individual US Youth Soccer State Championship tournaments, the US Youth Soccer Regional Championships are the second leg of the country's premier national youth soccer tournament, the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series.

For more information including scores, stories and more please log on to Championships.US YouthSoccer.org/.