Spokane, WA (June 26, 2004) - Championship were crowned today at the US Youth Soccer Far West Regional Championships in Spokane, WA. Regional Champions in the Under-14 through Under-19 age groups will converge on the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex, July 20-25, to compete for the US Youth Soccer National Championship.

The California-South state association dominated championship play, winning nine regional crowns at the Plantes Ferrry fields. California-North won three championships, while host Washington State won both championship matches it contested for. Arizona also brags one championship on the tournament.

The last and most dramatic match of the day saw the Hawaii Youth Soccer Association take home its first-ever US Youth Soccer Far West Regional Championship. Hawaii's Honolulu Bulls Soccer Club battled California-South's ISC Strikers through two overtime periods. Hundreds of anxious fans watched as the Under-19 Boys Regional Championship was decided in kicks from the mark with an overall 2-1 result.

"From now on the people in Hawaii won't call a great team 'a great team,' until they make the national level," said HSC Bulls Director of Coaching Phil Neddo. "Many of our players expected to be here, many of them expected to play this team, and they also expected to beat this team - our players are the ones who deserve the credit."

Host Washington State will send their Under-16 Boys FC United '87 to Disney Wide World of Sports Complex after they defeated the Sereno '88 White (AZ) 2-1. Only teams in the Under-14 through Under-19 age groups advance to compete for the National title, leaving Washington State's other champions, the Crossfire Premier '91 McCormick (WA) of the Under-12 Girls division, to relish their Regional victory.

The California-South state association may have dominated the day, but only one California-South club returns with more than one Regional Championship. The San Diego Surf will return with two Regional crowns, in the Under-13 and Under-18 Girls divisions. The other winning teams are: Valley United Blast (Under-12 Boys), Celtic Harps (Under-14 Boys), Eagles (Under-14 Girls), Arsenal FC (Under-15 Boys), Slammers FC (Under-16 Girls), ISC Strikers (Under-17 Boys) and So Cal United (Under-17 Girls).

The Regional Champions from California-North include the El Dorado United Crew (Under-13 Boys), Mustang Blast (Under-15 Girls), and the Pleasanton Rage (Under-19 Girls) who beat California-South's Samba 2-0 in an all California final.

Arizona's Sereno '86 White, of the Under-18 Boys division, round out the group of Regional Champions, after defeating New Mexico's Albuquerque United '86 2-0.

The 2004 US Youth Soccer National Championship Series, providing approximately 124,000 players on 7,200 teams from US Youth Soccer's 55 State Associations the opportunity to showcase their soccer skills against the best competition in the nation while emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play, is the country's most prestigious national youth soccer tournament. The US Youth Soccer National Championships cap a yearlong series of competitions for boys and girls teams in multiple age brackets.

About US Youth Soccer - US Youth Soccer-The Game for ALL Kids!® is the largest member of the United States Soccer Federation, the governing body of soccer in the United States. US Youth Soccer registers more than 3.2 million players annually, ages 5 to 19, in 55 member state associations. US Youth Soccer programs provide a fun, safe and healthy environment for players at every level of the game.

2004 US Youth Soccer Far West Regional Championship Results

Under-12 Boys
Valley United Blast (Cal-S) 3, Colorado Storm Royal (CO) 0

Under-12 Girls
Crossfire Premier '91 McCormick (WA) 1, Southern California Blues (Cal-S) 0

Under-13 Boys
El Dorado United Crew (Cal-N) 5, Santa Cruz County Chivitias (Cal-N) (WC) 0

Under-13 Girls
San Diego Surf (Cal-S) 1, Ho'okalakupua (HI) 0

Under-14 Boys
Celtic Harps (Cal-S) 3, '90 Sereno Golden Eagles White (AZ) 0

Under-14 Girls
Eagles (Cal-S) 1, Sereno '90 White (AZ) 0

Under-15 Boys
Arsenal FC (Cal-S) 2, Colorado Rush Nike (CO) 1

Under-15 Girls
Mustang Blast (Cal-N) 4, Albuquerque United '89 (NM) 0

Under-16 Boys
FC United '87 (WA) 2, Sereno '88 White (AZ) 1

Under-16 Girls
Slammers FC (Cal-S) 3, Sereno '88 White (AZ) 1

Under-17 Boys
ISC Strikers (Cal-S) 3, Rio Vista NM Strikers IV (NM) 2

Under-17 Girls
So Cal United (Cal-S) 3, Sereno '87 White (AZ) 1

Under-18 Boys
Sereno '86 White (AZ) 2, Albuquerque United '86 (NM) (WC) 0

Under-18 Girls
San Diego Surf (Cal-S) 1, Colorado Rush Nike (CO) (WC) 0

Under-19 Boys
HSC Bulls '86 (HI) 2, ISC Strikers (Cal-S) 1 (KFM)

Under-19 Girls
California North (Cal-N) 2, Samba (Cal-S) 0